A total of 26 league matches have begun!The first match fell short of Daito University
The 98th Kanto University league match (league match) has finally started this year. Last year there was only one round, but this year there will be two rounds, so a tough schedule of 26 games is planned. The opponent of the first match is Daito University, the opponent who lost in the Kanto University Championship in the spring. In the early stages of the game, they took the lead with consecutive points, but after that they suffered from high rebounds mainly by foreign students. Even though they showed a catch-up at the end, they were defeated by a narrow score of 66-73. The league match started as a black star.
When the game started, G Iwaya Rai (Sports 1 = Kyoto, Rakunan) took the opening goal. G Tsuchiya Daiki (Sports 4 = Fukuoka Ohori) also sinks three points in a row and seizes the flow. Furthermore, even though the opponent’s bench warned that “Hoshikawa is coming”, F Kennobu Hoshikawa (Sports 3 = Kyoto Rakunan) scored smoothly with three points and mid-range shots. Finished the first quarter (Q) with 21-17 and 4 points lead. However, the situation changed completely in the second quarter. Allow the reversal from the opponent’s haste and three points. Despite Iwaya’s quick attack from Steele, the bad flow could not be cut off. A buzzer beater was decided and the first half ended at 27-36.
Tsuchiya hits a three-pointer
Immediately after the start of the 3rd Q, the opponent’s three points shake the net. A voice from the Waseda University bench said, “Let’s endure.” Despite his fierce defense, he allowed five consecutive points to bring the gap to 18 points, the biggest of the game. However, in the final stages of the 3rd quarter, F Chudai Hosoki (Teacher 3 = Tokyo, Hayami) scored a three-pointer with Tsuchiya’s assist. Hoshikawa and G Seihito Kanda (Company 4 = Shizuoka/Hamamatsu Kaiseikan) followed suit and ended the 3rd quarter with a score of 41-52. The possibility of a comeback was put to rest in the final ten minutes. In the 4th Q, the offense and defense of back and forth continues. Hoshikawa and G Takada Kazuyuki (commercial 1 = Kyoto, Rakunan) piled up points with three points, and Iwaya drove with superb skill. In the last 3 minutes, they showed their strength by scoring 6 consecutive points from the press defense that overwhelmed the opponent. However, the buzzer for the end of the game is heartless. Even if he caught up, the reversal did not come true, and it was a frustrating result.
Kanda watching the pass
Waseda University’s slogan is “One match win”. In this match as well, we could see the individual good play and the fast-paced basketball that he was aiming for. The opponent in the second match of the league is Nihon University. Waseda University lost to Nihon University in the second round of last year’s Intercollegiate Championships, and was forced to send out seniors. Revenge at the time, and to the first victory in the league match. “I want to have fun” (Hoshikawa), “I want to play interesting basketball” (Kanda), and challenge the series with “excitement” in my heart.
(Article by Mashiro Miyajima, photo by Shun Ochiai)
| The 98th Kanto University League Match August 20 (vs Daito University) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| １Ｑ | ２Ｑ | ３Ｑ | ４Ｑ | total | |
Waseda University | ２１ | ６ | １４ | ２５ | ６６ |
| Daito University | １７ | １９ | １６ | ２１ | ７３ |
◇ Waseda University starting members ◇ G#5 Haruki Hori (Sports 1 = Higashiyama, Kyoto) G#12 Taiki Tsuchiya (Sports 4 = Fukuoka Great Moat) F#13 Kenshin Hoshikawa (Sports 3 = Kyoto/Rakunan) G#18 Rai Iwaya (Sports 1 = Rakunan, Kyoto) F#77 Yuzuki Ishizaka (Sports 2 = Kokugakuin Kugayama, Tokyo) | |||||
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Masahito Kanda (Company 4 = Hamamatsu Kaiseikan, Shizuoka)
ーーIt was the first match of the league, but was there anything you were conscious of?
Under the goal of “one match win”, I am conscious of both short-term and long-term growth of the team over the next two months. For the time being, we entered the match as a team with the determination to do our best in the match in front of us.
――What kind of training did you do in the summer?
There was the Waseda-Keio match, and that was one of the ways we wanted to play. Personally, it’s about pushing the ball and attacking the ring to create chances. As a team, we focused on things like 85 pace, 80% defensive rebound, pack line (defense), and even though we didn’t play the Waseda-Keio game, we added a zone from today.
――Today, you played a fast basket against the height of your opponent. What was your intention?
Pace 85 is something you won’t achieve without fast development. We’re a small team that can’t break down one-on-one, so we’ve been aiming for a basketball that plays all-court instead of half-court in transition. I think one of the reasons for the loss was that the pace slowed down around the head of the 2nd and 3rd quarters, so tomorrow we will speed up the pace in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th (quarters) and say, “Waseda is the fastest, right? I want to play basketball that people say.
――Today, Kanda, Tsuchiya, Iwaya and the guard had time to stand on the court at the same time.Did you try it?
This is the form they have been practicing since before the Waseda-Keio match. I, Iwaya, Taiki (Taiki Tsuchiya), Kazu (Kazuyuki Takada), and Kenshin (Kennobu Hoshikawa) have been practicing for a long time, with either me or Kazu entering 4th position and Kenshin doing 5th position. I think it is. I think that there will be more in the future, so I would like to continue to do so in order to increase the score.
――This year is a league match with two rounds since 1st year.How about a lot of games?
It’s really long, and we don’t know when someone will get hurt, and it’s also related to the coronavirus, so I think it’s very important that everyone prepares. However, if you experience 26 matches, you will definitely be able to grow regardless of your ranking, so I would like to use these two months to create a team that can aim for the top 10 at the final Intercollegiate Championships (All Japan University Championship). .
――What is your enthusiasm for tomorrow?
We lost today, but we won in the second half. I think (Daito University) is a team close to the top in the first division (league) of the university, but we were able to compete this much. Tomorrow at Nihon University, I think it will be a chance with two guards injured, so I will make the most of what I learned today and do my best to rebound quickly and play fun basketball.
Kenshin Hoshikawa (Sports 3 = Kyoto, Rakunan)
――It was the first match of the league, but were you conscious of anything?
We were all talking about not thinking too much about it and not going too heavy. We don’t have strong insiders, so my goal was to turn the ball around quickly and hit it where I could. It stopped in the 2nd quarter, and the opponent went there, so I thought I’d reduce that kind of thing. We were able to hit with our own rhythm, so I would like to extend that time little by little through the league matches and build a team.
――How did you spend your time after the Waseda-Keio match?
I was able to play one match against a Taiwanese team, but I didn’t have much experience with the game. I’ll do my best to improve little by little from here.
――What did you talk about at halftime?
We practice without denies, and we don’t denies when we play matches within our own team. However, today’s denial was severe, and we were unable to deal with it, and the flow stopped in the 2nd quarter. From the 3rd quarter onwards, the number of good shots increased, so he said that he needed to make adjustments sooner.
-Did you have any problems during the game?
I was told something like “I’ll be out for 40 minutes”. When I was told that, I saved. If you overdo it, you’ll be exhausted in the second half, and if you think that you have to play through the league, the future is pretty bleak (laughs). The challenge is how to perform in the 40 minutes.
――What do you want to be conscious of?
I think it would be good to create a place to focus on key points.
――How was your own offense?
I’ve been out of it for a while. I like 3×3 (three by three) balls. I can’t say that (laughs). Forget about ease of use, you have to make a shot (laughs).
-How’s the defense?
I used to work with international students, but I can do it harder.
――Is it about contacts?
I have to make contact, so I have to go hard there. I lost a lot of rebounds, so I thought I should gain more weight. If I do inside, I feel like I have to eat more.
――In your current team, are you often entrusted with the inside?
It feels like we’re going to have a good tempo with a small group, so I’m sometimes entrusted with No. 4 or No. 5. Then I have to play with international students in defense, so I have to gain weight.
――About the catch-up at the end
I thought that Daito University had a lot of leeway. There were a lot of members, and fresh people came in, so I thought, “Hey, fresh people have come.” At the end, if it weren’t for the chaos in the 2nd quarter, I think we would have caught up. It went pretty well in the end.
――What went well?
I put pressure on defense. I got one or two rebounds, but I think I can catch up if I can play them. We won’t have a big lead, so I’d like to catch up until the 4th quarter and try to win at the end. So, I want to study the choice of the last play from now on.
―― Enthusiasm for the next match
I have a high school senior (Fumiya Iio) at Nihon University, so I want to have fun with him. Mr. Kuraishi (head coach Taira Kuraishi, graduated from Showa 54) said at the meeting earlier that we should have more fun, so I want to enjoy it.
