[Basketball]“Play our basketball again” We won without giving up the lead from start to finish and broke out of a losing streak! / 100th Kanto University Basketball League Match Section 15 vs. Saitama Institute of Technology – Sports Hosei

Round 15 will be a match against Saitama Institute of Technology. Desperate for a win at all costs to stop their losing streak, Houdai rode the momentum from the beginning and did not allow themselves the lead until the end. They will try to put an end to their losing streak and make a comeback in order to participate in the replacement match.

Battle review

1st Q. #25 Nabeta makes a mid-range shot and Hodai gets the first point. #7 Motoyama then made a successful 3P shot and got off to a good start. After that, Hodai continued to play with the opponent’s defense by passing the ball with his teammates, and #25 Nabeta made another brilliant 3-pointer, showing Hodai’s cooperative play. On the other hand, Saitama Institute of Technology, not to be outdone, went on the offensive and caught up with the score. There were some moments in the final stages when Hodai couldn’t get a shot, but the team’s combination shined, and #21 Fujihira made a shot to get things back on track and the first quarter ended in a tied score at 14-14.

#15 Watanabe of Saitama Institute of Technology started the second quarter. He made a layup shot and succeeded in reversing the game. Houdai, on the other hand, tried not to lose their momentum, and #32 Kanno immediately took a shot in an area where the opponent’s defense was weak, followed by #14 Sato who made a quick attack and racked up points. In the midfield, Houdai’s #21 Fujihei was able to take a shot without being pushed by the opponent’s defense under the goal, and continued to make offensive baskets. #18 Yaesawa takes a shot despite being fouled by the opponent, and #7 Motoyama steadily earns points with free throws. Furthermore, #0 Suginobu succeeded in a layup shot despite the opponent’s defense and widened the point difference. Even in the final stages of the game, Hodai’s momentum did not slow down, and they ended the second quarter with a seven-point lead.

▲Ace #25 Nabeta scored 17 points in this match

The 3rd quarter ended with Hodai leading by 7 points. Hodai shows an aggressive attack from the beginning. They showed even more tenacious defense and did not allow their opponents to score until the first three minutes. There were scenes where #7 Motoyama and #25 Nabeta sank 3 points in a row, and Hodai showed off its overwhelming offensive power. They further expanded their lead and had a 17-point lead at 54-37 with three minutes left. After that, the situation continues where both teams score points. In the final stages, #10 Sakamoto calmly scored 3 points and the score was 61-45 heading into the 4th quarter.

4th Q. Even in the final quarter, with a 16-point lead, Hodai did not lose momentum. 3 minutes into the game, #0 Suginobu suppressed Saitama Institute of Technology’s offense with steals and cuts, and #10 Sakamoto received a pass from #25 Nabeta and took a shot, racking up points with his combination plays. In addition, #18 Yaesawa was blocked by the opponent’s defense and lost his structure, but he made a layup and excited the venue. With 2 minutes left in the game, #7 Motoyama, Hodai’s absolute guard, made his 6th consecutive hit of the day. He sank a 3-pointer and further widened the point difference. In the end, #18 Yaesawa made both free throws and the game ended at 81-55. Houdai completely made this match their own, ending their losing streak in the second round of the Autumn League.

(Interview/Article: Miho Sato, Asuka Takahashi, Saki Manaka)

Photo provided by Hosei University Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Club

▲#7 Motoyama, who contributed to the team by scoring 25 points in this game

◆Player comments◆

#7 Ryoki Motoyama (Law 3 = Fukudai Ohori)

-Looking back on today’s match

We had lost three games in a row since the start of the second round, but we talked about getting back to our basket and trying our best, and I think we were able to do that today through the fourth quarter.

-What is your internal performance?

I don’t think we have improved much since the league started, so I think we should score 30-40 points.

-In the second round of the Autumn League, there were a series of matches in which it was difficult to get into the flow of the match, but based on these, what kind of plan did you have for today’s match?

We are not a team that competes for points, so we talked in the meeting about once again playing solid team defense, connecting with each other, and playing our own offense.

-For the next match

Although we won this one game, we won’t change what we do in the next game, so I hope we can once again show everyone that this is what our basketball is like.

-A message to all the fans who support us

Thank you for your continued support. Although we still don’t know our ranking, I think the most important thing to do is to do our best, so we will do our best in the next match. Thank you for your support.