report
A moment of joy, the first win of the season at home! Queenbees come from behind to win
Yamanashi Queen Beads 65-58 Himeji Eaglets (Game1)
Score/missed broadcast
The match against Mitsubishi in the previous round ended in a competitive loss as they went on the defensive at what seemed to be a turning point between victory and defeat. Today’s match against Himeji proceeded in a similar manner. However, the Queen Bees persevered and fought through despite having many fouls and issues with rebounding. At the turning point, he stepped up a gear and showed an aggressive attitude on both offense and defense. What awaited them was their first win of the season, the best moment they had with the fan boosters who filled the venue and cheered for 40 minutes until they lost their voices.
The Queenbees were cheered by the loud cheers of 616 fans and boosters from the introductions of both teams, which took place 45 minutes before the start of the game. In the first quarter, the Queen Bees struggled to score due to heavy ball and personnel movement and heavy offense, but Himeji bravely attacked the goal. The Queenbees continued to commit fouls, allowing points on 11 free throws and going into the second quarter with a 7-point lead at 15-22.
Head coach Sachiko Ishikawa instructed, “The offense was structured as a set, set, so let’s move more and attack.” The players responded, creating an inside-outside rhythm and increasing the tempo of the attack. Ta. With 2 minutes and 59 seconds remaining, they succeeded in briefly reversing the score to 29-27, but then re-gained the lead and entered the second half with a 3-point lead at 29-32.
In the second half, they continued to struggle with fouls and rebounds, and with 2 minutes and 42 seconds left in the third quarter, the lead had expanded to 7 points, 44-51. However, Mina Kaminaga’s score and Saki Ikeda’s goal in the final minute made it 48-53, and the game went into the final 10 minutes with a 5-point lead.
In the 4th quarter, Himeji kept the score difference with free throws, but Ikeda and Kaminaga scored consecutive points to close in on 54-56, but Himeji fought back and made it 54-58. However, with 5 minutes remaining, even though they were tied in the match against Mitsubishi, today’s Queen Bees narrowed the gap to 1 point with Aika Watanabe’s 3-pointer, and then Ayana Nakayama received a pass from Honoka Tsuchida. Forcibly screwed in and got a basket count. Leading by 2 points, 60-58, they entered a battle with 1 minute and 30 seconds left. The Queen Bees never let up on their attack and widened their lead, ending the match at 65-58.
There, a moment of joy awaited the 14 players who continued to attack both offensively and defensively despite the difficult situation, and the fan boosters who supported them.
However, the match will continue tomorrow. How to face a formidable opponent that is said within the league to be scary in the second game at Himeji.
After the match, Nana Katayama said this as she grabbed the microphone and faced the audience. “Anyone can do the dirty tricks like rebounding and loose balls. We do it so thoroughly that no one else can imitate it,” he said.
If they can maintain their obsession with the ball and their fighting spirit both offensively and defensively for 40 minutes, I think they will see results tomorrow as well.
The moment of victory, the moment of joy again tomorrow!
Dear fan boosters, let’s fight together tomorrow too.
Head coach/player talk
Sachiko Ishikawa Head Coach
Due to the opponent’s aggressive attacks, there were many fouls in the first half, and they conceded 11 of their 32 points through free throws. In the second half, we tried to keep our fouls to a minimum, but the fouls continued. However, the players who came off the bench had an aggressive attitude and were active on defense, which turned the tide in our favor, and we managed to grab the victory in the end.
The first period was a little tough, but I think the players moved well and showed an aggressive attitude from the second period onwards.
There were many children there today, and the many cheers were a great encouragement. I’m really happy that we won at home. I think it will be a tough game until the end tomorrow, but we will not be passive against our opponent and will attack both offensively and defensively.
Captain Momoko Inoue
Looking back at today’s game, rebounding was definitely an issue for us. The opponent played tough for 40 minutes, and if we had been able to get the rebounds properly, I think we could have reduced the number of attacks and kept the score in check. I feel that our challenge tomorrow will be to make sure we get the rebound in one go.
In our previous matches, we were often separated due to close competition, but today we aggressively attacked the ring and applied pressure defensively, which I think led to our victory.
During the match, even when we were slow in scoring, we had to be patient when we were suppressing the opponent’s points with our defense. We talked about, “Let’s be patient, work hard on defense, and try to get a break.” I think we must continue with that attitude tomorrow as well.
The atmosphere at the venue today was really great and it really felt like home. Everywhere we looked, the cheers of our fans were so loud that our own voices were drowned out. I have nothing but gratitude to all the fans who support us no matter the situation.
Ayana Nakayama
Looking back at the game as a whole, I get the impression that they were a bit flustered and lacked composure. We got carried away by the opponent’s flow and couldn’t find our own rhythm, which is something we need to reflect on. In particular, we had issues with aiming too much at the center in our set offense, and how to respond when that play didn’t go well, as well as a lack of rebounding. Another factor was that we allowed vertical breakthroughs on defense and drew a lot of fouls. We need to improve going forward as we were fouled eight times in one quarter.
In the final scene, I received a good pass from Tsuchida and took the shot, thinking, “I don’t care if it’s a bad foul,” and I’m glad I was able to score.
I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to ride the wave from the first half, even though I was getting more playing time. If we had stepped up the gear from the beginning, things might have turned out differently, so that’s our challenge going forward.
The venue today was very lively, and we felt strongly that we could never lose. The presence of all the fans who supported us was really a great source of strength.
Nana Katayama
In the first half, we committed a lot of fouls and allowed our opponents to score a lot of points from free throws. I feel that we needed to make more adjustments to our opponent’s play. We had to reflect on the fact that we grabbed too many rebounds overall, including in the second half. If we can’t compete with rebounds, the opponent will have to attack more often and score more points, so I don’t think we were able to do that thoroughly.
However, in the end, the entire team was able to calm down and play together, saying, “Let’s get one more shot.” I think Nakayama’s basket count was what got the momentum going in our direction, and I feel that it was a game that the entire team won.
Personally, during practice, it was pointed out that I wasn’t attacking enough, so I was able to change my mindset after reviewing the footage. As a result, I feel that my play has changed.
I think it will be another tough game tomorrow, but we want to make sure that the entire team is able to rebound well and stop the opponent’s one-on-one attacks. The excitement in the venue when the shot was decided was really encouraging. I will do my best tomorrow as well, using everyone’s support as strength.
Superior Mina
It was a victory at the Queen Bees, but personally I still have a lot of work to do and I feel very frustrated. Still, I could see that the entire team came together as one and fought until the end, and I think we were able to contribute a little with our drives even if we didn’t get a shot. The power of cheering, the support from the bench, and the sense of unity really supported us, and I was very happy.
To be honest, there are still a lot of things I’m not used to, and there are parts of me that are confused by the system, which is completely different from what I was used to. There are times when I feel pressured, but I believe that once I step on the court, I have no choice but to believe in my own play and take on the challenge.
The cheering that filled the venue every time a shot was scored was a great source of strength.
In previous games, we couldn’t get into a rhythm and felt like we couldn’t win, but today we were able to overcome some tough situations and come out victorious. I hope that this experience will be utilized in future matches against stronger teams.
In tomorrow’s match as well, we want to fight as a team with a strong desire to win like we did today. Personally, I would like to work hard to fit in with the team within the limited playing time I have today, tomorrow, and the next.
