Praise Yamamoto “He played physically while thinking regarding what he disliked.”
On February 10, the Women’s World Cup qualifying round begins. Japan played once morest Canada and won 86-79 at the end of overtime.
Canada is 4th, while Japan is 8th in the FIBA ranking. In addition, Japan was forced to struggle from the beginning with a big loss of 3 wins and 6 losses in the FIBA official game, and at the end of the first half, it carried 17 points behind. Toru Onzuka, the commander, said, “I have made good preparations, but I have little experience in the game. I thought that the players were in trouble in a different situation in the physical situation.” Looking back on the battle in the first half.
Nevertheless, Japan increased its defense intensity and started a counterattack in the second half. The tough defense worked like a body blow, and the accuracy of Canada’s inside attack, which had been decided even when the body was brought closer, declined over time. Among them, Mai Yamamoto’s defense was effective, and head coach Ontsuka praised him for letting go. “It was great. I was playing physically and not just trying hard physically, but playing physically thinking regarding what I didn’t like. The other 4 backs she fought there. I’m grateful that people also saw and raised the heat of the defense. “
Yamamoto also made a great contribution to the offense, scoring 12 points. He also scored 18 points for Team High and mightn’t miss Stephanie Mawuli, who played the leading role in the offense. The two had the experience of winning the world with “3×3” and played until the end of the game, when they were young but openly divided. Ontsuka head coach says. “It was great to be pulled by the desire to be such a player. It was very energetic and creative. I think that player dominates the game and I’m proud of it.”
The score in the first half of Japan was sluggish at 23. Still, head coach Ontsuka said, “The screen wasn’t working in the offense, so I played with that as a point. It was good that the players did not do what they were told, but used it well and played. As he said, he scored 50 points in the second half alone and brought it to overtime. And Japan, which gained momentum, overwhelmed the overtime and won a dramatic come-from-behind victory. “It was a tough game, but I’m really proud that the players always faced the game positively, strengthened each other, and played with high energy until the end. I’m happy to be able to coach with such a team. It’s even more a pleasure to share the victory with those friends, “said Ontsuka head coach with a smile.
Belarus will be absent and Japan will face Bosnia and Herzegovina on February 13. Head coach Ontsuka said, “There is a WNBA MVP (John Quell Jones), and I respect her as a team with great chemistry,” but “I have Ramu Tokashiki.” However, we have the team power to fight as a team. We want to maximize the power of the team and win the victory in 40 minutes while going through our basket. “
