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Strength that won’t collapse for 40 minutes
Two consecutive Hitachi High-Tech races that connect the path to the top
Queenbees are currently in second place with four games remaining, and starting tomorrow they will play two consecutive games against Hitachi High-Tech, who are leading with a three-point difference. Hitachi High-Tech, who also have four games remaining, will depend on whether they win or lose, but winning these two consecutive games is a must if they are to have any chance of winning the final game against SMBC.
The team spent two hours preparing for the decisive battle tomorrow, and then headed to Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture, the home of Hitachi High-Tech.
After practice, I asked head coach Sachiko Ishikawa and captain Momoko Inoue about the key points from the match against Hitachi High-Tech, and both said, “We’ve done what we needed to do. Now, it’s just a matter of how well we can express that.” Head coach Ishikawa then said, “The most important thing is to stay motivated and keep playing,” and Inoue emphasized, “Regardless of the match situation, be patient.”
In the previous match, there were times when we were able to express our strengths and dominate the match. However, overall, it took a long time for Hitachi High-Tech to control the flow, and the match did not go as planned, resulting in consecutive losses.
If the Queen Bees lose this series of matches, their chances of winning will disappear immediately.
No matter how things turn out, I want them to fight until the end without giving up on victory.
However, what is more important than that is the “get it done” mentality that the head coach and captain have talked about. “Unbreakable strength” that allows you to continue fighting at the same intensity for 40 minutes.
Even in difficult times, he looks up, calls out to him, and makes one more rebound, one more loose ball, and one more pass. There is no future beyond that.
When you are able to embody unbreakable strength, the path to tomorrow will definitely open up again.
I’m sure this team will do it.
Head coach/captain statement
Sachiko Ishikawa Head Coach
I’ve already prepared, so there’s no need to change anything. In our last match, there were a lot of situations where we got hit by big men, and rather than set plays, there were a lot of cases where we got rebounds and were able to create second shots. That’s what I’m most conscious of.
I think the defense will need one or two rotations more than ever, and the offense will have a higher chance of disrupting the opponent’s formation by connecting one or two passes. It requires a lot of exercise, and above all, it is important to keep doing it without losing motivation. And fight calmly for 40 minutes. This is an area that everyone, including yourself, must control firmly.
Don’t try to compete when you’re blocked, instead swing a pass from there. Then the opponent will have to move again. I want to sway my opponent by putting all sorts of stress on them.
It’s not an opponent you can’t fight against. Even in the practice match against the Premier League team, we were able to score in a tough situation, so we are ready. If you can’t get two points here, even if you get promoted, you’ll be rejected again. So these two games are really important. First of all, we will concentrate on the one match in front of us and everyone will go for it.
Captain Momoko Inoue
I feel like I have no choice but to do it. If we lose, it’s really over, and if we win, there’s still hope. First, the first match. It was also revenge for the first round, so everyone came to this week with the feeling of “definitely winning.” I’ve prepared well, so now it’s all about how well I can show what I’ve practiced in the match. I’m sure there will be times when the opponent’s flow will be the same, but it’s important to be able to hold on with our defense and endure until we get into our own flow. In previous matches, we have experienced how our points suddenly go up when we get into our own flow, so we all know the importance of being patient. I think the key to victory will be whether you can demonstrate that ability when your opponent increases their strength and height, so I want to keep calling out to them and keep my spirits up.
We have made various preparations to beat Hitachi High-Tech, and if we succeed, I believe we will be able to stop our opponent from scoring. In the first round, we lost consecutive games, but we were able to limit our scoring and our defense was really good. From there, I hope we can create more breaks and use the offense we have created. I’ve been practicing, so it’s a matter of how much I can perform on stage. Last year, we couldn’t beat even a single match against higher-level opponents like Tokyo Haneda and Mitsubishi Electric. I think this is a barrier that Hitachi High-Tech must overcome as well. We all know that, so tomorrow’s first game is really important. It’s also a night game, so I want to be well prepared.
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