report
Niigata counterattack, Queen Bees forced to rebuild for next round
Yamanashi Queen Bees 58-63 Niigata (Game2)
Score/missed broadcast
Game 2 was the day after we won Game 1. Moreover, the venue is the opponent Niigata’s home. I was fully aware that my opponent was putting his pride on the line. This has something in common with the baptism he received in the previous match against Akita. The Queen Bees, who were unable to repeat the same mistake, must have approached the match with strong awareness, but they were unable to catch Niigata’s energy, or rather, bounce it back, and were forced to struggle.
The game will be a toss-up at 1 p.m. Inoue and Tsuchida boldly attacked the ring from the beginning, and the Queenbees attacked with an in-out rhythm, getting off to a strong start. However, due to the pressure on Niigata’s guards, the offense became monotonous, with the ball only rotating outside, and the score was sluggish. With 3 minutes and 37 seconds remaining, Niigata was allowed a quick break due to a pass error, and head coach Ishikawa called for a timeout as the point difference widened to 6-12. However, they continued to make mistakes in passing and taking easy shots, and the first quarter ended with them trailing by three points, 14-17. After the game, head coach Sachiko Ishikawa regretted not being able to get into a rhythm early on, saying, “The whole team entered the game with a somewhat passive attitude, and we couldn’t seize the initiative, which affected the rest of the game.”
In the second quarter, the score was tied with a three-pointer by Koenaga, and then Koenaga added a point with a drive, temporarily reversing the score to 19-17. However, today’s top scorer for Niigata, Akari Honda, scored five goals in a row, and the tide of the match once again turned to the opponents. The Queen Bees were cut off from receiving the ball inside, their shooting accuracy was not improving, and they continued to face a difficult situation as they were fouled and gave their opponents free throw opportunities. The first half ended with an eight-point lead, 27-35.
The Queen Bees want to avoid any stumbling at the start of the second half. At the beginning of the third quarter, both teams were stagnant in scoring, but Niigata increased their lead to 10 points at 27-37. The Queen Bees switched to a zone defense and tried to slow down Niigata’s scoring pace. Katayama’s three-pointer narrowed the gap to 30-37 at one point, but Niigata’s defense struggled and the points did not increase. They also struggled with rebounding and continued to miss second chances, and once again the team was unable to regain their rhythm, ending the third quarter with a score of 36-43.
Final 4th quarter. Niigata extended their lead, and Queen Bees faced a tough situation with a maximum difference of 12 points. The situation where the score from inside continues to be sluggish, and even though they repeatedly feed it, it does not lead to a score. In addition, there are many mistakes in easy shots and passes, and the points are not increasing as expected. With seven minutes remaining and the team allowing a lead of up to 12 points, head coach Ishikawa called for a timeout. After this timeout, Inoue made a bold attack, got free throws, and scored points to show they were catching up. With 1 minute and 40 seconds remaining, the lead narrowed to 4 points, but Niigata made another three-pointer and lost their chance to win.
The final score was 58-63, a narrow loss. The venue was filled with smiles from the Niigata players sharing their victory, and was surrounded by applause and cheers from the home boosters.
Meanwhile, Queen Bees leaves the venue with her shoulders down. Their overall record was 4 wins and 6 losses, and it became an urgent task to rebuild for the second round matchup starting in the next round.
In today’s game, Niigata’s defense struggled from beginning to end in the first quarter, with a combination of easy shots and pass errors, and they continued to be unable to get into their own rhythm. In addition, Nana Katayama’s “responsiveness in rebounding and defense” and Momoko Inoue’s “lack of thorough defense after scoring” were important points for overcoming the period of patience when scoring stagnated. .
For the Queenbees, who finished the first round of the league with 4 wins and 6 losses, in the second round they focused on the issues that came to light today, namely dealing with the opponent’s defense during games, improving the accuracy of their offense, and improving their flow with rebounds and loose balls. The key to victory will be to maintain a thorough posture. This is a proposition that all 14 members of Queen Bees must consciously address, as there is no one individual who stands out.
Do what anyone can do better than anyone else!
Head coach Ishikawa said this at the press conference announcing the new system on June 30th. “I don’t think you can win a championship just by being good at basketball. If one person can think and act with love for everyone, and everyone for each other, then championships are within reach. I believe that.”
The battle for team Queen Bees begins here.
Head coach/player talk
Sachiko Ishikawa Head Coach
Although we started well today, we started to get a little fluctuated before the second team came in, and we couldn’t control the game from there, giving the opponent a rhythm. I don’t think Niigata’s pressure was that strong, but we showed a passive attitude and couldn’t find our rhythm.
I was particularly impressed by the fact that they were unable to take the shots they were aiming for, and also missed easy shots under the goal and unmarked shots. I feel that in order to make the right decision in such an important situation, I have to change my mindset from my daily practice.
Considering that our opponent only scored 63 points, I feel that our inability to score was a big factor. The league matches have finished and we will enter the second round with a record of 4 wins and 6 losses, but we will not be able to win unless the entire team comes together as one. Even when you’re not doing well, it’s important to have the attitude of working for the team, and if you can’t get a shot, I want you to give the team strength with your defense, rebounding, and loose balls. There’s no time to keep your head down. We would like to rebuild ourselves over the next week and prepare to fight as one team.
Captain Momoko Inoue
After we won the first match, we knew that our opponent would be strong in the second match, and we talked about this in meetings and prepared for it, but things didn’t go as planned. From the first to third quarters, we had a series of quarters where we didn’t score more than 15 points, and I feel like we weren’t able to score at our own pace throughout the game. There were a lot of cases where we didn’t score well in practice, and I think that’s reflected in the games as well.
There was a lot of pressure on the guards today, and there were more plays from around the half line. If we had been able to make better use of the opponent’s defense, such as by allowing our wingers and center players to react quickly and receive the ball, we might have been able to score a little more. Also, in the fourth quarter, we were unable to defend after scoring, and there were many situations where our opponents scored back. We were not able to defend well after scoring each goal, making the match a tough one.
As we move into the second round, our opponents will begin to understand our playing style, so our ability to make decisions in response to our opponent’s movements will become even more important. In addition to making sure to grab rebounds and loose balls, we will also be conscious of how to respond to the opponent’s defense, and each player will want to play with their own thoughts in mind.
Nana Katayama
In today’s match, we were unable to get into our own rhythm, and we continued to make simple mistakes and fail to take shots. Although the first quarter didn’t start out particularly bad, they were drawn into the opponent’s pace in the third quarter and were unable to regain the flow of the game. Our problem was that the opponent’s defense was playing hard, our guards had to hold on for a long time, and the ball was only being passed over the top. I feel like if I had connected to the wing a little earlier, I could have made the basket more easily.
Even in the post, I was protected well by the opponent, and I regret that I didn’t have enough ideas to pass the ball deep.
As for my own play, I took an especially aggressive stance today on defense and tried not to let the players I marked score. I think there were some moments where I was able to show my strengths, but there is still room for improvement on offense, so I will work even harder for the next game.
Superior Mina
Today was a tough day overall, and I think like the previous games, we had a bad start. Even though we were able to create a good flow in the first quarter, the point difference narrowed by the end of the quarter, and we were unable to play with any momentum. Additionally, there were many moments throughout the match where we lacked control and gave the opponent a rhythm, so I felt that we needed to strengthen our defense in order to overcome the difficult times. I feel that we need to be more conscious of our team defense, which is difficult to break down.
On the offensive side, the opponent’s marking was tough, the guards had to hold the ball for a long time, we couldn’t fully utilize our individuality, and there weren’t many plays that created gaps in one-on-one situations. There were many situations where we had unreasonable shot selections and were unable to grab rebounds, so I want to increase the number of plays that bring out the best in each individual team as a whole.
We will enter the second round next week, and the opponent will also begin to understand our style of play, so it will be even more important to have the ability to not only enforce our intentions, but also to respond flexibly to the opponent’s movements. I think it will become.
