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The Battle of Kawanakajima in Reiwa enters the final chapter of this season
Two consecutive games against Niigata to be held in Nirasaki
The Battle of Kawanakajima was a fateful confrontation during the Sengoku period in which the Takeda army of Kai and the Uesugi army of Echigo crossed swords many times.
The era has moved to Reiwa, and the stage has shifted to the basketball court.
The battle between the two teams, which has been compared to the “Battle of Kawanakajima in Reiwa” in a previous article, will be the final battle of the season at the newly built Tokyo Electron Nirasaki Arena in Nirasaki City, which is home to many places connected to the Takeda family, such as Takeda Hachiman Shrine and the ruins of Shinpu Castle.
And for the Queen Bees, it will be their last home game of the season, two consecutive games against Niigata.
6 games left.
From this point forward, the final stage will be where the difference will be as big as heaven and earth.
There is a battle for victory, promotion, and 3rd place and below, where any hope of promotion disappears.
All of that will depend on the next six games.
What head coach Sachiko Ishikawa emphasizes is a structure for winning.
Taking control of the game with defense as the starting point.
And, learning from the game in which the score was sluggish, focus on shot percentage and attack quality.
As they showed in Akita, this team already has the ability to control the game, including goal difference, and win until the end.
On the other hand, Captain Momoko Inoue talks about the “feeling” that determines the outcome of a match.
A close ball, a rebound, a loose ball, and a play with one second left.
How strongly do you feel that you want to win in situations that are hard to express in numbers, but that definitely determine the outcome?
This accumulation led to the comeback against SMBC and the attitude they showed in Akita, which took them to overtime and held on until the end.
Niigata is also greedy for victory in the final stages.
This season, the results of both teams in the past, and the match results so far,
Nothing in these two days has any meaning.
It’s a non-negotiable two days as they compete for the win.
We will be holding this important series of games as the league restarts in Nirasaki.
The Queen Bees will be able to compete alongside the fan boosters who have continued to support them this season.
The cheering that echoes through the venue is sure to support the athletes in their every step and last effort.
Show what you have accumulated through results.
The 40 minutes that will bring all of that together begins in Nirasaki.
–The Battle of Kawanakajima in Reiwa, the final chapter of this season.
Let’s give a shout of victory.
With Fan Booster! !
Head coach/captain statement
Sachiko Ishikawa Head Coach
After a period of suspension of league play since the end of the year, we have been working hard to build up as much as we can in a short period of time in preparation for restarting after the New Year. There were some areas where I couldn’t push myself too hard in terms of my conditioning, but I’ve been practicing with a focus on physical strength and strength.
There are only a few games left and we are entering an important phase where the rankings will be clearly decided, so the most important thing is to win. To achieve this, we must first strengthen our defense. We also focused on shooting percentage and the quality of our attacks, especially considering the game we lost due to a lack of scoring.
Looking back on the past, it is true that there were games we lost because we were unable to play at our own rhythm. I feel like it was a waste because we could have won against Hitachi High-Tech, Alanmare, and Mitsubishi. However, on the other hand, there were also games like the second match against Alanmare in Akita, where we were conscious of the goal difference that would affect the final standings, but we overcame that and showed the ability to come out on top. I feel like this team has the ability to do that.
In preparation for the second consecutive match against Niigata, we are conscious of creating a good offensive rhythm based on the defense we have cherished throughout the season. Of course we have the ability to score on the inside, but we are also starting to see more ways for those around us to take advantage of that ability and for those around us to score, so I would like to make the cooperation between the inside and outside more clear.
The other party may make changes during this period, but what we need to do remains the same. I want to fully express what I have prepared for on the court.
Tomorrow is the last home game of the season.
At every home game so far, we have had the support of our fans and boosters. I will fight with all my might to the end so that I can show my gratitude through both results and content.
Captain Momoko Inoue
There are only six games left, and I think things will go by in the blink of an eye. I want to focus on the match in front of me and cherish each match. The match against Niigata will be our last home game, so we hope to enjoy it and finish with a win.
Winning the next six games is an absolute must. We are in a position where we cannot afford to lose, but I think all the teams will step up their game more than ever in order to move up one spot. I believe that what we need to win through these six games is our attitude at the end.
How strong is your desire to win? I think the difference is always seen in the small details such as the ball, rebounds, loose balls, and plays with one second left. I think everyone on the team has a strong will to not lose in that aspect, and even if the opponent is in the flow, we want to stay active and play aggressively.
Looking back on the past, we may have been lucky in some areas, such as our come-from-behind in the first game against SMBC, and the scene in which we caught up and tied the score just before the end of the game against Aranmare in Akita, which we had lost in overtime, but I believe that the efforts we have put in thus far have inevitably led to this result. That’s why I feel that I need to continue to put my heart into each play and play carefully.
In terms of the atmosphere of the team, the words “winner” came naturally to us. In previous seasons, the word championship didn’t even come up in conversation late in the season, but now everyone is saying, “Let’s win.” Because I am saying those words, my desire to win the championship is getting stronger and stronger, and I feel that the entire team is greedily aiming for the top.
The two consecutive games against Niigata are important games that will give us a fresh start. I feel truly blessed to be able to play home games in the new arena with the support of so many fans and boosters, and to be able to still be in contention for the championship. That’s why we will never lose our desire to win the championship, and we will start by focusing on tomorrow’s match.
Our aim is still to win the championship, but there is no point if we lose the one match right in front of us. The defense that we have been working on so far will be followed by an aggressive attack that will lead to a quick development. We will play the remaining six games with confidence in our efforts.
