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Looking to the top, the last match against Himeji of the year
As we approach the final stages of the league, the standings are gaining weight with each match.
Yamanashi Queen Bees are currently in 3rd place. The wins that have been accumulated so far have certainly led to the team’s goals for this season. That goal is to win the Future League. As long as the possibility remains, the gaze is always on the top.
This season’s match card is Niigata VS Alanmare, SMBC VS Hitachi High-Tech, and Queen Bees VS Himeji. Although there will be no direct competition between the top teams, each card will have an impact on the outcome of the battle for ranking, and no team will be allowed to stand still. The same is true for Queenby’s, and what is needed more than anything is to accumulate wins at their own matches rather than the results at other venues.
This card is not only strict in terms of the content of the match, but also in terms of the fact that it is an away trip. The straight line distance from Yamanashi to Himeji is approximately 450km, but the actual travel distance is approximately 600km. The team will travel by bus for approximately eight hours. I left Yamanashi this morning and the sun was setting by the time I arrived. Load on the body, maintaining concentration, and getting into the game. The road trip is a battle that begins before the match begins, from the moment the team leaves Yamanashi.
Head coach Sachiko Ishikawa, who finished the consecutive games against Mitsubishi Electric with one win and one loss, said, “We remain in a position where we have no choice but to win.” After accepting the reality, look forward and focus on what needs to be done. This attitude echoes the words of captain Momoko Inoue.
What both players have in common in their conversations is a strong focus on starting the game and defending.
Himeji is a team that relies on a small lineup that has the ability to score on the outside corners, and ultimately breaks the situation one-on-one. If they give their opponents a rhythm from the start, they will be forced to struggle throughout the match. On the other hand, if you can disrupt the shooting rhythm from the beginning, the flow will naturally gravitate towards you.
From hard defense to good offense.
This is the winning streak that the Queen Bees have accumulated this season, and the driving force behind their rise in the rankings. This match against Himeji will also be a match where reproducibility and precision will be tested.
This match against Himeji will be the last consecutive match of the year.
Winning here will show off what we have accumulated over the years, and these are two important games that will allow us to enter the new year with the team on track to achieve their goals.
I want to support the Queen Bees as they stand on court after traveling approximately 600km.
With the enthusiastic cheers of fan boosters reaching far away in Himeji.
Head coach/captain statement
Sachiko Ishikawa Head Coach
I think the players are in good condition after finishing the consecutive games against Mitsubishi Electric with one win and one loss. I was very focused during today’s practice. However, it may be a little tight on the body part. Still, I think they will switch things up.
As for the situation, our position that “we have no choice but to win” remains the same, and no matter what we say, the situation will not change. I think I just have to move forward.
As for Himeji, it was the same last time we played against them, and looking at their matches since then, they are not an easy opponent. In particular, the small players on the outside corners already have the ability to score, so each individual has to adjust to that, and it’s important for the team to defend as well. We are a different type of team than other teams, and we don’t have a big man, so we want to respond appropriately and take into account their characteristics.
Like last time, we want to focus not only on the result but also on the content and make this a match where we can fully utilize our strengths. As was the case in the match against Mitsubishi Electric, the important thing is to connect strong defense to good offense. That hasn’t changed, and I want to end this year in a way that has improved even a little.
Captain Momoko Inoue
Although the time between games is short, I think the team atmosphere is pretty good, especially since we won on Sunday. Himeji is a team that will attack you one-on-one in the end, so I think individual adjustments will be the most important thing. They shoot well, and with their win against Alanmare, I think they are a team that is gaining momentum.
If we give our opponent the momentum right from the start, like in the first match against SMBC, we end up having to keep taking shots, making it a tough game for us as well. In order to prevent that from happening, I think if we can play tough defense from the beginning and disrupt the opponent’s shooting rhythm, we will be able to naturally find our own rhythm.
This time, the game will start at a different time than usual, so I think it’s especially important how you enter the game and how you prepare your body and mind for the game. I also had experience playing a night game against Niigata, so I would like to make use of that experience and increase my intensity while imagining the match from the close-up stage and prepare well.
We would like to do our best to finish the two days in good shape.
