“We played with the mindset that we can do it.”
In the second round of the final round of the 92nd Empress’s Cup All-Japan Basketball Championship, Tokyo Medical and Health University narrowly lost to Denso Iris, one of the favorites for the championship, 76-81.
This season, Tokyo Medical and Health University has swept the titles since the spring season, showing overwhelming strength and winning the intercollegiate championship with an undefeated record in official matches. On top of that, the team had set their goal from before the season to win the Empress’s Cup along with Japan’s No. 1 University, and even after winning the intercollegiate championship, they continued to practice with high concentration going into this tournament.
The game started midway through the second quarter, with DENSO taking the lead, and Tokyo University of Health and Human Services falling back, but with 6 minutes and 8 seconds left in the fourth quarter, they were trailing by 11 points. However, from here on, they were able to get the ball rolling by competing for loose balls, and pursued a fierce pursuit centered on ace Haru Owaki’s attack. With two minutes remaining, the difference narrowed to two points, but in the end, the final blow was delivered by Ako Himawari’s offensive rebound, Maki Takada’s 3-point shot, and the decisiveness of DENSO’s two great aces, and they just missed out on the upset that will go down in the history of the tournament.
Toru Onzuka, head coach of Tokyo Medical and Health University, praised the efforts of his players and explained the cause of their defeat as follows: “We weren’t able to play as well as we normally would in situations where we were under a lot of pressure, so we weren’t able to build up enough. It was amazing that we were able to hold off the biggest challenge here. In the last important situation, Ako’s offensive rebound decided the game, but you can fight by being in a position where you can get a rebound. On the other hand, we weren’t able to use our numbers. To put it simply, I think we were lax in our performance.”
For the members of Tokyo Medical and Health University, who were seriously aiming to become the best in Japan, this was nothing but a frustrating defeat. However, it was amazing to see the university students hold on until the very end against a top team from the W League. Along with Owaki, who had 24 points and 8 rebounds, and Ro Java, who had 20 points and 17 rebounds, Otowa Goto, a first-year player, also showed off a great performance with 11 points and 4 assists in 39 minutes and 52 seconds.
“Even though we were against Denso and knew the difference in level, we focused on playing well and everyone played with the feeling that “we can do it”.”
Goto, who stood on the court with such strong feelings, said of his play, “I feel like I still have a long way to go.” “As a scorer, I want to score points in important moments of the game. I thought that if I could put more pressure on the ballman defensively, I could give the team more energy.”
“My number one goal is to become a player who can help the team win.”
Goto has been highly regarded as one of the best players of her generation since her high school days, and at the FIBAU 19 Women’s World Cup 2025 held in the summer, she led the team to 6th place with an average of 18.9 points and 7.6 rebounds. He also played an active role as a key player throughout the season at Tokyo Medical and Health University. This is how he looks back on his intense freshman season.
“I had a lot of experiences this past year. I learned a lot, not just in terms of basketball, but also in terms of humanity. I am able to play basketball and live in the dormitory here because of the support of many people. I cherished gratitude, and made it a point to contact them every time something happened and express my gratitude.”
He goes on to say that as the center of the team, his desire for victory has increased. “In terms of play, I want to grow as an all-rounder who can drive, shoot 3-point shots, and post up. Until now, when I was in high school, I felt like I hadn’t really been able to embody my strong desire to “let the team win” on the court. My number one goal is to become a player who can make the team win.”
Head coach Onzuka, who returned to Tokyo Medical and Health University midway through last season after serving as the head coach of the Japan women’s national team at the Paris Olympics, says he values the following two things. “Having been to the Olympics three times, I believe I understand the abilities needed to compete and win on the world stage, so I want to convey that to the players as early as possible in a deep way and help them grow. Another thing is that I want the players to have the feeling and confidence that they can improve their lives if they make a conscious effort. I also believe that getting better at basketball and being successful in other things, such as work, is the same thing, so I want to guide them so that they have the wisdom and strength to make their dreams come true.”
By performing so well as a first-year player, the expectations of those around him for Goto will increase from next year onwards. However, Goto says emphatically, “There is some pressure, but I want to enjoy the pressure, take it for granted, and focus on the basketball itself and try to win.”
There is no doubt that Goto has the ability to play a role in the next generation of Japan’s national team. I look forward to seeing what kind of player he will evolve into as he receives special training under Coach Onzuka to become a player who can compete on the world stage.
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