4th Quarter showing stubbornness with 10-0 run “I can’t play miserable”
On December 29, Fukuoka Daiichi faced Kaishi Kokusai in the Winter Cup final. Kaishi Kokusai’s Bashir Faisal Mohammed dominated the inside all the time, and he mightn’t take rebounds as he wanted, and he mightn’t make a fast attack as his specialty. He allowed back-to-back 3-pointers in the second quarter and trailed by double digits. After that, although he showed tenacity to approach the single-digit difference at one point, in addition to being surpassed by rebounding, his shooting touch did not recover, and he lost 71-88 and might not win the championship for the first time in three years.
After the game, coach Takashi Ideguchi, who led the team, said, “I think Kaishi Kokusai-san was two or three more than us in both offense and defense. I didn’t get in too much, and everything went crazy.I thought I was feeling good as usual in the morning practice.Is it because of the difficulty of basketball…” he bit his lip.
As coach Ideguchi looks back, Fukuoka Daiichi hit 84 field goals for the whole team, but only 27 (32.1%) were successful, and the score was sluggish. In addition, ace guard Ryui Todoroki also scored a team-high 21 points, but had a field goal success rate of 30.0% and suffered from shooting touches. “I feel like I’ve been thinking too much.
Todoroki, who is the center of the team, continued to hit tough shots even under strict checks, shooting 11 3-point shots and 19 2-point shots, and kept aiming for the ring until the end. “The team lost momentum (when we allowed the lead), but I can’t afford to let myself down.
Fukuoka Daiichi continued to be behind, but in the 4th quarter, they succeeded in a 10-0 run, including a fast break from Todoroki’s steal and a deep three. This is how he looked back on the scene that drew close to 8 points and the venue was very excited. “The support from the people around me made me want to do it myself, and because of the support, I have to do it myself.
With frustration, he vows to go to Tokai University and play once morest Kawamura in the B League.
Todoroki played for three years in high school wearing the number 8 jersey. This number 8 is the number worn by Yuki Kawamura, who has won consecutive Winter Cup titles and has grown to become one of Japan’s leading point guards. “For the past three years, I have carried the number 8 with the feeling that I will surpass Yuki-san. ”
Then, he reveals what he learned in high school life with the same number as his longing senior as follows. “I mightn’t play defense at all, and I’ve been warned by Mr. Ideguchi since I was in the first grade. I think I’ve become able to do it a little over the past three years.” Just as Todoroki is confident, Steele, who supports Fukuoka’s No. 1 tradition of solid defense and hasty attacks, marked 12 hits for the tournament’s top tie, showing the essence of solid defense that he learned over the past three years.
In the future, Todoroki will produce many B-leaguers, and will go on to Tokai University, where Kawamura was also a student. He talked regarding what he needed to do to step up further, referring to Kawamura as follows. “Since I am small, I will continue to improve my 3-point shots. In defense, I want to be able to steal and tenacious defense like Yuki-san, and aim to become a professional or a member of the Japan national team. I think it would be nice if I might steal even one if I might match up with.”
Finally, when asked regarding the distance between himself and Kawamura, he answered with confidence.
“I think we got a little closer.”
