report
Revenge on Aranmare Akita! 63-57 victory achieved through team unity
Yamanashi Queen Beads 63-57 Aranmare Akita (neutral held)
Score/missed broadcast
In the last match against Aranmare Akita, they won the first match, but lost in overtime in the second match. It was a match where Alanmare Akita’s scorers Nian Ndi Kumba and Suzuno Higuchi struggled. In today’s third match, the key was how to deal with these two players and how to respond to the spirit and offensive power shown by Alanmare Akita, who lost yesterday’s match against Himeji.
The game will be a toss-up at 5 p.m. Aika Watanabe’s three-pointer gave the Queen Bees the lead, but the offense stagnated and the ball continued to circle the outside. Anmol was forced to the bench with two fouls, but Asuka Ishikawa, who came on as a substitute, scored consecutive goals and supported the team. The first quarter ended 15-17 with Queenbees trailing by two points.
In the second quarter, a series of pass mistakes and failures in easy shots led to a long period of time in which the offense was unable to form. With two minutes remaining, Rinami Nakazawa’s three-pointer and Natsuki Dehara’s drive tied the score at 22-22, but they were able to take the lead after that, and the first half ended at 25-31. The first half highlighted issues with the offense’s stagnation and numerous turnovers.
Immediately after the start of the second half, Aranmare Akita’s Suzuno Higuchi made a three-pointer to widen the scoring difference. At this point, the Queen Bees switched to zone defense and succeeded in inviting mistakes from the opponent. Asuka Ishikawa and Aika Watanabe scored points, closing the gap to 41-42 by one point.
The final 4th quarter will decide the outcome. Aika Watanabe succeeded in turning the game around with a shot, and the Queen Bees regained their momentum as they fought hard with rebounds and loose balls, and Nanami Hamanishi continued to score. In the final stages, Alanmare Akita once again had a comeback, but Watanabe’s consecutive three-pointers brought the score back to 61-57. They won with a final score of 63-57.
In this game, their defense showed great results, holding Kumba to 10 points and Higuchi to 7 points. On the other hand, the lack of scoring ability remains an issue, but the team’s ability to solve problems during games and fight as a team, including those on the bench, gave a sense of the team’s growth.
The next match will be against Shiga Bank in the Empress’s Cup. If they win, they will be able to face premier team Toyota Boshoku, who they also faced in the Summer Camp United Cup this season. The following week, they will play their last home game of the year against Tokyo Haneda, where they have lost three games in a row so far. With a crowded future, this is a must-see match to secure a chance to challenge for the premiership.
A sense of unity within the team is emerging. On December 7th and 8th, why not witness the chemistry created by this sense of unity at the Kose Sports Park Gymnasium? Let’s come together on the court, on the bench, and in the stands to create winning chemistry.
Let’s dye the venue yellow and fight together!
Head coach/player talk
Sachiko Ishikawa Head Coach
I would like to praise the players for not giving up until the very end and going for the victory. It was a really tough match, but they persevered well. In the first half, we had a difficult time with our offense stagnant, with only three 2-point shots. In particular, we lacked attacks on the inside, which was an issue. At halftime, we told them, “If we want to win, let’s do our best to win,” and in the second half we regained our attacking stance and were able to get the ball rolling by getting fouled. I think the physical strain on the players was heavy in the second half as they could hardly make any substitutions, but I think they were able to get through this by providing solid help on defense and having a strong will. I feel that our zone defense in particular worked well, and that the entire team was able to play while supporting each other. Asuka Ishikawa’s performance was also great. He was a good scorer and contributed to the team with his physical play. I think it was effective because my opponent wasn’t playing against her either. These two consecutive wins are very meaningful results for our next match against Tokyo Haneda. However, before that, we have the Empress’s Cup, so we would like to win against Shiga Bank and build on our momentum. The entire team will continue to prepare with the goal of advancing to the final round.
Captain Momoko Inoue
In the first half, the offense did not function as expected, and the match continued to be difficult. There were some plays that were successful, but the issue was that we were not able to continue them. I also think that if we had increased the number of offensive rebounds, we could have created more scoring opportunities.
In the second half, we were chasing the ball, but adopting a zone defense helped change the momentum. In order to accommodate Alanmare Akita’s three-point shooting and attack, which is his strength, I kept talking on the court during the game and made adjustments, and I think we were able to fit in well. Also, it was great that we were able to communicate thoroughly not only with the five players who were playing, but also with everyone on the bench. One of the reasons for the victory was that everyone responded tenaciously with rebounds and did not allow the opponent’s key player, Nian Ndi Kumba, to play as he liked.
I think these two consecutive wins were very important as we prepare for our final match against Tokyo Haneda of the year. We will be playing the Empress’s Cup next week, but even if our opponent is a team in a lower category, what we need to do will not change. Shiga Bank is a talented team, so we will fight for 40 minutes with the spirit of a challenger.
Aika Watanabe
I felt that the two three-pointers in the final scene were coming from Tsuchida. The moment our eyes met, I thought, “I’m definitely going to score the ball,” and I hit the ball well, and it turned out well. Those two three-pointers turned things around and opened up the lead, which was an important score for the team, so I’m glad.
These two consecutive wins were extremely difficult due to the different opponents. I think it was a great achievement that the whole team was able to win this match. It was good that we were all able to think about what needs to be fixed and make improvements in areas where we had not been able to win in the past.
During the game, there was not only the five players on the court, but also the voices and support from the bench, and I think everyone had a strong sense of fighting. Especially in zone defense, if even one person lacks understanding, a big gap will result. That’s why we were able to defend until the end, even with the bench calling out to each other, which led to our victory.
In the Empress’s Cup, we have a valuable chance to play against premium team Toyota Boshoku, so we want to win the first match. We suffered a disappointing loss in the Autumn Cup, so we will fight with the spirit of a challenger to get revenge. In addition, we had three games in a row in which we were just one step away from playing against Tokyo Haneda the following week, so we definitely want to win next time. We want to show the Queen Bees, who have won two games in a row, to the many people who are cheering us on at home.
Asuka Ishikawa
We had many difficult situations today, but we tried to stay calm and play. There were a lot of periods where we couldn’t score, so I tried to take shots as hard as I could, thinking, “I’ll take a shot when I’m free.” I was able to take the shot at my own timing, so it was good. I also felt that the flow of the game was good because everyone on the team was moving well, and the tenacity of the defense had a positive impact on the offense as well. It was truly a game where everyone won.
Due to injuries, I haven’t been able to get much playing time, but today I was able to play well for the first time in a while and it was really fun. Everyone on the bench cheered loudly, which really gave me strength. Everyone praised me until the end, so I said, “Thank you everyone.” I hope this doesn’t end today, so I want to contribute to the team again in the upcoming Empress’s Cup and league matches.
I think these two consecutive wins have given us confidence as we were able to win some close games. If we continue to play basketball like we did today, we are sure to get good results as we prepare for the next Empress’s Cup and the final match against Tokyo Haneda of the year. At home games, we will work together as a team, have fun, and aim for consecutive wins.
Birthday surprise at the venue after the match! Anmol Preet Call
At the end of today, everyone wished me a happy birthday, and I was so happy that I shed a few tears. The biggest gift is that the team came together to win. As for my play, it didn’t go as I expected. However, when I returned to the bench, my classmates Ikeda and Miyoshi came up next to me and called out to me, and their words of encouragement gave me a lot of strength.
Today, we were all able to work together to achieve victory, and I felt the strength of the team. I would like to connect this experience to the next one.
