Great performance with 18 points and 14 assists while being thoroughly marked
On January 8th, the final of the Jr. Winter Cup 2023-24 was held, and in the women’s competition, Kyoto Seika Junior High School defeated Sagami Women’s University Junior High School 82-61, winning the tournament for the first time.
As in the past, Kyoto Seika used two centers, 193cm tall Odia Kawel Ritts and 187cm tall Ngarula Mukuna Riya, to keep them both fresh on the court and dominate the area under the goal. The two of them grabbed a total of 26 offensive rebounds, overwhelming them with a 68-32 lead in rebounds. Furthermore, instead of relying on international students, the guards such as Rina Takayama launched aggressive attacks, and they came to the top with a rock-solid game.
Although Sagami Girls lost, third-year 160cm point guard Miya Takeuchi struggled with 18 points, 14 assists, and 3 steals. She repeatedly broke down the opponent’s defense with sharp drives, then made a layup and a nice assist that excited the crowd. In this tournament, Takeuchi performed as the tournament’s No. 1 guard, scoring 34 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in the semifinal game against Kitakyushu Municipal Orio Junior High School, which he won in a fierce battle in overtime.
Naturally, if he plays like this, he will receive harsh marks from his opponents. However, Takeuchi led the team with strong determination as the ace. While his stats show that he has a good game, he expressed his frustration at not being able to help his team win.
“I was told, “You can focus on important matters,” so I tried to make my own decisions and attack in such situations. However, I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to drive the ball or make the shot.”
Looking at Takeuchi in this tournament, his outstanding speed was evident as he was able to get past the opponent’s defense in an instant. However, what impressed me even more was his high level of skill. Despite being right-handed, “At first I wasn’t very good with my left hand and couldn’t drive from the left at all.So my father and teacher told me to practice a lot, and I learned how to drive with my left and shoot with my left. I can hit it now,” he said as he continued to make layups with his refined left hand.
“I’m good at backbeat drives from through the legs, so I want to improve that.”
In addition to left-handed layups, Takeuchi is capable of a variety of other movements such as drives, shots, and passes, but this is largely due to the fact that he shoots with one hand. Originally, the Sagami girls were a team where the entire team worked on one-handed moves, which was rare among girls. Head coach Minoru Tajima talks about the effects of one-handers as follows. “In the case of one-handers, right-handed players can take a diagonal position with their left foot as the axis.Because they are in a diagonal position, they can do a variety of things in one-on-one situations, and one-handed players can develop various skills. ”
And Takeuchi’s play proves the potential that can be created by playing with one hand. For example, the winning 3-point shot that he sank in overtime in the semi-finals was a big play that was born out of a one-handed shot, as he stepped back and made the shot while there was no space between him and his opponent.
Also, the reason why she was able to break through many times with drives even when she was being guarded against was because of her “back-beat drive from the leg through” (this is done when the ball is dribbling away from the hand, so it is difficult for the opponent to get the timing right). I’m good at this, so I want to improve on that.”He reveals that he not only has speed, but also technique and maneuverability.
The next stage for Takeuchi is high school, and if he goes nationwide, he will have more opportunities to face international students, and the opponents waiting behind the goal will be even bigger. However, with her speed and skill, she is likely to be able to overcome that barrier with her versatile movements.
By the way, the player that Takeuchi is referring to is Yuki Kawamura. “I’ve been watching him since he was in high school, and I’ve learned a lot of things from him, including his speed, IQ, defense, and the way he shoots.”
Her play today was reminiscent of Kawamura’s. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Takeuchi ended up in the spotlight at the upcoming Winter Cup, where there is a female player in her first year of high school who exhibits moves similar to Kawamura’s. She radiated the brilliance of a diamond in the rough.
2024-01-08 08:04:00
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