With a different level of enthusiasm than before | UENOHARA SUNRISE.EXE #1 Keiichi Hasegawa
UENOHARA SUNRISE.EXE’s Historic Run to the Semi-Finals
Round 7 of the 3×3.EXE PREMIER, held at the Light Cube Utsunomiya in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, was a tournament to host UTSUNOMIYA BREX.EXE. Naturally, the audience was dominated by BREX fans, and BREX calls were heard throughout the BREX matches, but there was also a time when the orange-colored fans in one corner of the venue raised their voices. For the first time in Round 7, the excitement of UENOHARA SUNRISE.EXE fans continued all the way to the semi-finals.
SUNRISE had been in poor form, losing both of their last two rounds in the qualifying group, but on this day they won by KO against ZIGExN UPDATERS.EXE 21-17, and won against EDEN.EXE 15-13 after overtime. Since they had lost all six of their previous rounds in the qualifying round, this was the first time that newcomers SUNRISE had made it past the qualifying round.
Their opponent in the semi-finals was BREX, who had already won three rounds and were at the top of the same JAPAN Victoria Conference. SUNRISE played a fierce battle against this tough opponent. SUNRISE gradually took control of the game, taking a three-point lead with less than two minutes remaining, but BREX, a skilled player in the game, turned the game around with consecutive points from Saito Yosuke. SUNRISE also managed to hold on until the score was 20-20, and whoever scored the next point would win, but they allowed the opponent to score that one point and ran out of steam.
Although they lost, it was the first time the team had made it to the semi-finals. Keiichi Hasegawa, who has the most experience with 3×3 on the team, also felt good about taking a step up.
「First of all, I think we have grown as a team by getting through the qualifying rounds. It was great that we were able to win the overtime game. we were in a position where we were the challengers against BREX, but we had been completely beaten once before, so the whole team was united in the idea that this was our revenge. We didn’t start badly, and we should have won with a three-point lead, but they knew how to win, and I think that is still our weak point.」
In the second game, they were behind for a long time, and in overtime, they had two free throws when they needed just one more point to win, but they lost them. Still, they were able to fight patiently on defense, which is a good recovery from the previous two rounds, where they lost four games and four losses.
「To be honest, we knew we had no time left in the playoffs, so we were all aware from practice that if we lost, it was the end. I think it was good that we were able to increase the intensity of our practice with the mindset that we had to win.」
The difference in experience was evident in the fact that they allowed BREX to turn the game around in the end. They had a three-point lead at one point, and they may have been more focused on winning than necessary. Hasegawa tried to calm everyone down, but it seemed that the battle-hardened BREX was superior.
「I knew that I couldn’t win if I got carried away there, but my opponent didn’t seem to be in a hurry at all, so I took a timeout thinking that it was still from here and tightened up, but my opponent was still better. Although I lost I was able to show that I can do it, and I think it gave me confidence. There is a little time until the next round, so I would like to review today’s match carefully and use today’s reflection points in the next round so as not to repeat them.」