report
A heated battle in Akita, far away from Yamanashi! Everyone’s strengths shine and come from behind to win
Yamanashi Queen Bees 74-72 Aranmare Akita (Game1)
Score/missed broadcast
The Japanese archipelago was hit by severe weather due to an unseasonable typhoon, and it was a chilly day here in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, with cold rain continuing to fall from the morning. Meanwhile, Game 1 against Alanmare Akita begins. The venue was dyed orange with Alanmare Akita fans and boosters, and their enthusiastic cheers echoed. Although the number of supporters for the Queen Bees is small, they are not to be outdone and cheer loudly to support the players. Then, in an enthusiastic atmosphere, the game reached toss-up time.
A tenacious battle was waged from the beginning, and it turned out to be a tough match. Midway through the second quarter, the Queen Bees’ tall player Anmol Preet Cole had foul trouble and his playing time was limited, and Alanmare Akita’s 190cm Nian Ndi Kumba dominated the bottom of the goal. They allowed 23 points and 8 rebounds in the first half alone, and it would have been a situation where the point difference could have widened, but young players like Seika Miyoshi and Rinami Nakazawa fought well on the inside, and everyone fought hard and managed to come back to the first half with a tied score. Ta.
In the third quarter of the second half, due to the absence of Anmol Preet Cole, the supply of the ball to the inside was disrupted, and the number of drives towards the goal decreased. They fell into a monotonous offense where the ball was just going around the outside, and the number of tough shots increased. On the other hand, Alanmare Akita showed overwhelming strength in rebounding, grabbing 15 rebounds compared to Queen Bees’ 4 rebounds. The Queenbees entered the final period trailing by six points, taking the initiative with a fast-paced attack off a defensive rebound and a second chance off an offensive rebound.
In the fourth quarter, in order to overcome the stagnant offense of the third quarter, head coach Ishikawa instructed the guards to make a calm set call and told them to attack even if Blake was not doing well. This worked well on the court and set the rhythm for the offense. Also, Anmol Preet Cole played calmly despite the difficult situation with four fouls and worked well inside. The guards and forwards also cut into the goal, and the balance between the outside and inside began to be established, creating gaps in Aranmare Akita’s defense and allowing them to score more points. Furthermore, the zone defense they used from the end of the third quarter disrupted the rhythm of Alanmare Akita’s attack, and the tide turned towards the Queen Bees.
With 4 minutes and 43 seconds remaining, Nakayama made a three-pointer and the score was 64-62. After that, Aranmare Akita caught up with a shot from point guard Suzuno Higuchi, but in the end, the Queenbees escaped with a narrow margin of 74-72 and achieved their third consecutive victory. This come-from-behind victory can be said to be the result of everyone playing hard and fulfilling their respective roles, responding calmly to the ups and downs of the game.
Future has entered the fourth round, and the top two teams, Tokyo Haneda and Mitsubishi Electric, are also struggling, giving the impression that it will be a chaotic battle. In order to not be left behind in the battle for position in this crowded field, we would like to win Game 2 tomorrow at all costs and return to Yamanashi, but there is no doubt that Alainmare Akita will also be showing their fangs at home. do not have. In tomorrow’s important Game 2, will they be able to produce the kind of energy that will engulf their opponents from the beginning?
Tomorrow, the game will be a toss-up at 2 p.m. Dear fans and boosters, let’s fight together tomorrow as well, aiming for consecutive wins! Please send power to Akita.
Head coach/player talk
Sachiko Ishikawa Head Coach
It was a tough game today, but I think it was important that we were able to win even with a two-point difference. He was able to make three-point shots in important situations, which was a big help to us, which we hadn’t been able to make in the past. Players Nakazawa and Miyoshi put their bodies on the line, and in the end, Anmol also performed well, scoring points and getting fouled.
In the third period, we struggled to score and had a tough time, but we were able to regain our rhythm in the fourth period thanks to the calm execution of our guards. Tomorrow, we will try to maintain our pace for a long time with even harder defense while limiting personal fouls. Also, in terms of rebounding, I would like to reaffirm the mindset of the entire team to go for it and go into the game.
Captain Momoko Inoue
Today, we had many situations where we were forced inside from the beginning, and we struggled against the opponent’s height. Particularly in the third period, I felt that our issues were that we were unable to break down the opponent’s defense as our passes were mostly on the outside and the ball did not enter the paint area. However, in the fourth period, we were able to create space well, and in the end we were able to take a well-deserved shot and gain momentum.
Looking ahead to tomorrow, the entire team will play with an attacking attitude, regardless of the size of the opponent. The team’s scoring goal is 75 points, so I want to keep that in mind and actively aim for shots.
Anmol Preet Call
It was a tough game today with a lot of fouls, but we persevered and played. Before the match, we were aware that Aranmare Akita would be a tough opponent that would not be easy to beat, so we talked as a team about wanting to go into the match against Niigata with four wins, so we tried to stay calm until the end. Ta.
Even when I wasn’t playing, everyone on the team played hard and made up for it even in situations where the score difference seemed to be widening, which was a big factor. Watching him on the bench made me feel strongly that I should do my best. Tomorrow, I want to concentrate and play as usual so that I can take control of the game from the beginning.
Aika Watanabe
Today was a victory that we all fought through together. I think our shooters scored in important situations, our defense held their ground in situations we wanted to defend, and we all covered each other to win the match. There were times when the difference in points widened, but we were able to overcome the pressure from Nian Ndi Kumba and proceed with the match calmly, so there was no need for us to worry. Today, there were many players on the whole team who actively cut inside, and there were more situations where the shooters were able to free themselves up cleanly, so I feel like we were able to execute a good attack.
For tomorrow’s match, I want to increase my energy even more and go into it from the start. We want to bring out the best in everyone and win tomorrow so we can return to Yamanashi with consecutive wins.
