Hamamatsu South High School captured its first girls’ basketball championship in 41 years on Sunday, defeating Hamamatsu Seikoikan 62-56 to claim the Shizuoka Prefecture title.
The victory, reported by Nikkan Sports, ended Seikoikan’s bid for an 11th title.
The final was played at the Shizuoka Prefectural Martial Arts Hall. Seikoikan, seeking an 11-peat, was the heavy favorite. Hamamatsu South, however, seized control from the opening tip. Captain Rio Kaneko drilled two three-pointers in the first quarter alone, sparking a 21-9 run that established an early lead the team would never relinquish. The win marks Hamamatsu South’s second prefectural title, with the first coming 41 years ago.
“I can’t quite believe it’s real,” Hamamatsu South coach Takao Sugimoto told reporters after the game. “I have nothing but gratitude for my players.” In his eighth year as coach, Sugimoto shattered a drought that had lasted for more than a quarter-century.
Kaneko’s sharpshooting was a critical factor. “Before the game, we all agreed to just ‘enjoy’ it,” Kaneko explained. “Even when we made mistakes or they made a run, we stuck to enjoying the game and playing with confidence.” Her three-point shooting, particularly in the first and third quarters, kept Seikoikan at bay.
PF Ayano Aizawa provided the defensive muscle. She consistently secured rebounds, winning battles for loose balls and holding her own against Seikoikan’s physical play. Hamamatsu South’s collective effort on the glass and in transition allowed them to control the game’s tempo.
In June’s prefectural athletic meet final, Hamamatsu South was routed by Seikoikan, losing by 35 points. A glimmer of hope had emerged during the regional preliminaries when they lost by just four points, but that dream was quickly crushed in the summer final. That crushing defeat, however, became a turning point.
Traditionally, many third-year players would retire after the summer tournament. This year, that trend broke. All eight third-year players, including the team manager, chose to stay on. “We all made a decision that we wanted revenge,” Kaneko said. “We set our goal on winning the championship, and I’m so happy we were able to see it through. We turned that bitterness into tears of joy.”
With this win, both the Hamamatsu South girls and the Fujieda Meisei boys’ team—who defeated Seikoikan 95-62 in their final—earned berths in the National High School Basketball Tournament. The national championship, held at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium and other venues, begins on December 23.
For Hamamatsu South’s current roster, the national stage is a new frontier. “It’s an unknown big stage for us now, but I want us to keep enjoying it and give it our all,” Kaneko said. Aizawa echoed the sentiment, adding, “This is the last tournament for our current members. We want to show everything we’ve practiced and play aggressively.”
- How long was it since Hamamatsu South’s last championship?
- 41 years. This is their second prefectural title overall.
- Who was the head coach for Hamamatsu South?
- Takao Sugimoto, who has been in his eighth year at the helm.
- When does the national tournament start?
- The National High School Basketball Tournament begins on December 23.
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