Sagami Women’s joyful victory[Photo]= Basketball King
On January 5th, Sagami Women’s University Junior High School (Kanagawa Prefecture) and Kitakyushu City Kikuryo Junior High School (Fukuoka Prefecture) faced off in the second round of the women’s game of the “Keio Jr. Winter Cup 2025-26 2025 6th National U15 Basketball Championship” held at Keio Arena TOKYO.
At this summer’s 55th National Junior High School Basketball Tournament, Sagami Girls finished in the top 8 and Kikuryo finished in the top 16. Although it was expected to be a good game, the match ended in a close battle that lasted until the last play, with the victory going to Sagami Girls. The match was decided by just one point.
The Sagami girls got off to a good start with a score of 17-8 in the first quarter, but in the second quarter they struggled with the opponent’s all-court press, and the lead was reduced to two points going into the second half. They found the pace in the final stages of the third quarter, and at one point built a double-digit lead with basket counts from Masakura Shinohara and Sane Iwataki.
Kikuryo’s Yumeju Okamura, who scored 15 points[Photo]= Basketball King
However, in the final quarter, Kikuryo was in hot pursuit. The Sagami girls went scoreless from the start of the quarter, and with 2 minutes and 22 seconds left in the game, they allowed the score to fall to 39-40. Still, Iwataki scored after a timeout and the lead was reversed. This was the only point they scored in the final quarter, but they put their bodies on the line to prevent Kikuryo from scoring and advanced to the third round with a final score of 41-40.
Kikuryo entrusted the final offense to Yumeju Okamura. Okamura, the team’s mainstay, attempted a 1-on-1 from the top position with 18 seconds left, and a post play with 4 seconds left, but both attempts were blocked by the Sagami Women’s captain.
“In the end, I defended with the determination to stop it.I think I was able to block it because I defended with a strong will.”
The person who took Okamura’s mark was Yukazu Okazaki. Although it didn’t show up in the stats, Okazaki said he felt he touched the opponent’s shot. He scored 11 points on offense. “Actually, my role is to make jump shots, but in this match I couldn’t do any of them and it was tough,” Okazaki said, but he reflected, “Even though I couldn’t get any shots, I was conscious of rebounding, loose balls, and stopping the opponent’s ace.”
The No. 4 player continued to smile on the court as he exclaimed, “It’s a victory that we all achieved.”
“There were some tough times, but every time we had a timeout, we yelled to each other, “Let’s have fun” and “Let’s do it with a smile,” and we got on the court. That’s something the team values, and I think everyone’s support gave the players a boost while they were playing.”
Yukazu Okazaki, who led Sagami Girls[Photo]= Basketball King
This day was also the birthday of No. 8, Sei Ito. Ito contributed to the victory by making 2 out of 3 3-point shots. Okazaki emphasized the team’s unity, saying, “Everyone around us played with a strong spirit because they made the three and we wanted to dedicate the victory to the birthday girl.”
Last year, he lost in the first round of the Jr. Winter Cup. Okazaki, who was a second-year player at the time, was unable to stand on the court and feels frustrated, saying he “couldn’t do anything.” That’s why he says, “I’m happy to be on this stage, and I’m also really happy to have had the opportunity to experience a match like this.”
Okazaki says that her attitude of continuing to cheer up and encourage the team both on and off the court has been greatly influenced by her senior, Miya Takeuchi (second year at Ohka Gakuen High School), who was the captain of the Sagami Girls. The strength of the Sagami girls is that not only Okazaki, but everyone on the bench and in the cheering seats continues to fight with smiles on their faces.
KONAN WILD TRICKYS (Osaka Prefecture), which will face off in the third round, is a team whose parent organization is Takaishi City Konan Junior High School. As Okazaki expressed his desire to avenge his defeat by saying, “We’re losing in all competitions,” we lost in the group stage at the national tournament this summer.
“Tomorrow, I will continue to cherish my smile, have fun even during difficult times, and fight like Sagajo until the end.” The captain, who leads the Sagami girls, was smiling as she spoke emphatically of her enthusiasm for the next match.
Text: Katsutoshi Onuma
