Heartbreak in the Final Quarter: Meiji University Falls Short by a Single Point in Thrilling Kanto University Women’s League Division 2 Block A Match
Meiji University Women’s Basketball Team Falls Short in Thrilling Match
Last year’s 2nd division league A block 3rd place team, Toin Yokohama University, was the opponent in the fourth round of the league match. Although Meiji University took the lead in the first quarter, the gap was narrowed in the second quarter, and the second half was a see-saw game. Despite having their opponent’s back in a game that was uncertain until the last second, they lost by just one point.
◆Kanto University Women’s Division 2 League A Block (Higashimachi Sports Center, etc.)
Meiji University 57 (16-9, 14-17, 22-18, 5-14) Toin Yokohama University 58
The starters were PG and captain Shinbayashi Miyu (4th year, Science and Engineering, Yuzawa Shohoku), PF Yamamoto Suzuna (4th year, Humanities and Social Sciences, Hamamatsu Kaisei Gakuen), CF Goto Hanayoshi (3rd year, Science and Engineering, Kugenuma), SF Kamiyama Minami (3rd year, Humanities and Social Sciences, Hakuoh University Ashikaga), and PG Hagiwara Kana (2nd year, Humanities and Social Sciences, Hamamatsu Kaisei Gakuen).
In the first half, Meiji University’s offensive power shone through. In the first quarter, they didn’t allow the other team to take their three-point shots, which they were good at, and instead steadily scored points with layups and other shots, leading to a seven-point lead of 16-9. However, as soon as the second quarter began, the other team gained momentum with two consecutive three-point shots, and they were quickly pushed to within one point of the other team.
In the second half, they started with a one-point lead, but they switched gears and continued to score, mainly with Goto’s three-point shot, widening the lead to eight points again. However, in the final quarter, Meiji University was caught off guard by the opponent’s spirited defense, allowing turnovers and reducing the number of shots. The lead was narrowed, and it became a see-saw game from there. In the last six seconds, they were one point behind and the opponent had the ball, and they ended up missing their first win of this league match by a little.
Meiji University missed the victory by a mere one point margin, resulting in their fourth consecutive loss in the league. The next match is more than a week away, so they would like to switch gears and go into the match with a fresh start. However, as a challenger who came to the second division A league this year, the fact that they have been able to fight this far will surely be a source of encouragement.
Post-match comments
Goto
――How do you feel looking back on today’s game?
“Today we were playing against a higher-ranked opponent, and since we didn’t have any international students, we talked about focusing on rebounding, but they got a lot of offensive rebounds and took second shots. We allowed them to take the second and third shots, which they scored, so if we had been able to prevent that we could have prevented the number of points we conceded.”
――What do you want to do in preparation for the next Women’s Athletic Meet?
“We have more than a week to prepare, so I want to make some preparations and make sure to take easy shots. Our opponent doesn’t have any international students, but they’re a big and fast team, so I want to focus on loose balls and rebounds.”
Iida
――You had more playing time than usual, how do you feel about that?
“Since returning from injury, my playing time has been increasing little by little, and I’m trying to do what I can with that time.”
――Please tell us your enthusiasm for the next match.
“The next team will be so loud they’ll get the whole venue involved, so we want to keep up with their momentum and show what makes us unique, what makes us Meiji.”