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2 days to prove your growth! Challenge the second round of the Empress’s Cup
With consecutive wins, they have regained their cheerfulness and cohesiveness, and are enthusiastic about training for the Empress’s Cup.
The second round of the 91st Empress’s Cup All-Japan Basketball Championship will be held for two days from today at three venues: Kiyohara Gymnasium (Tochigi venue), Ohama Daishin Arena (Osaka venue), and Ehime Prefectural Sports Park Gymnasium. The Queen Bees will compete at the Ohama Daishin Arena in Osaka to advance to the final round, where only the top eight and above will qualify.
Their first opponent was Shiga Bank, who they played against at summer camp. If they win, they will likely face Toyota Boshoku, who they met at summer camp and the United Cup, the next day.
The Empress’s Cup is a one-shot competition between teams from different categories, and it is not uncommon for the results to overturn expectations.
In fact, Queen Bees also lost in the first match of the second round in the 2021 and 2022 tournaments.
However, on the other hand, it is also a rare opportunity to play against a team belonging to the Premier League, which is a higher league.
Queen Bees are steadily growing as a team, winning close matches against Niigata and Aranmare Akita. This second round will be a two-day event in which you can keep an eye on it in order to measure the level of growth.
Head coach/captain statement
Sachiko Ishikawa Head Coach
The Empress’s Cup is a one-shot tournament, which creates a special sense of tension. We believe that tournaments like this are a place for players to grow.
In the league match, we won back-to-back games, winning close games against Niigata and Aranmare Akita. These two wins not only gave the players great confidence, but also served as an opportunity to bring out the team’s true strengths. The brightness to enjoy the game has returned, and we are now able to play with a sense of unity, including on the bench. This brightness is a good thing unique to this team.
However, some players are feeling frustrated. I think the team’s strength will further improve if these players have a strong sense of “it’s my turn this time.” I believe that by adding more strong-willed players, we can become a team that can overcome even tough matches.
We would like to use the Empress’s Cup as an opportunity to fully demonstrate the team’s strengths that we have accumulated through daily league matches and to grow to the next level. We will fight while valuing each battle in front of us.
Captain Momoko Inoue
The Empress’s Cup is a valuable opportunity to play against teams that you would not normally be able to play against in a league match. In our first match, we played against Shiga Bank at summer camp, but they were a tenacious team and we were able to catch up in the final stages and had a tough time. I want to concentrate from the beginning and enter the match so that I don’t give up the momentum to my opponent with three-pointers and rebounds.
Additionally, if they win, they are expected to face Toyota Boshoku in the second match, an opponent against whom they keenly felt the difference in strength in the United Cup. In order to suppress the scoring ability of our center players and guards, which was the cause of this, we will all play aggressive defense and take control of the match.
None of the matches will be easy, but I want to enjoy the challenge and fully demonstrate the team’s strengths that we have cultivated over the years.
