National High School Basketball Championship Prefectural Preliminary Girls Meiho[Oita Prefecture]won the crown by showing their individual skills | Oh! S! OITA SPORTS

77th National High School Basketball Championship Oita Prefecture Qualifying Tournament

November 4th Resonac Martial Arts Sports Center

Women’s final

Meiho 87 (19-19, 18-14, 24-8, 26-21) 62 Fujiin

Meiho further updated its undefeated record in the prefecture since last year’s prefectural preliminaries for the National High School Basketball Championship (Winter Cup), and earned the right to participate in the Winter Cup for the second consecutive year and for the fourth time. The 3rd year students showed off the culmination of their 3 years of work through their play, and the 1st and 2nd year students supported them. The bench and the audience came together as one, playing with great spirit until the very end to win the match.

Their opponent in the final was Fujiin, who defeated Oita in the semifinals. In the first half, they struggled against Fujiin’s zone defense, suppressing their characteristic speed play, and struggled to make shots. Captain Runa Suenaga (3rd year) was blocked from driving, and Ryui Nagahara (also 3rd year) was unable to show her full potential due to foul trouble. Manager Mayumi Sugiyama reflected, “We practiced a lot imagining Fujikage’s zone, but we got a little lost.” Despite such difficult times, “the first and second year students did a good job of connecting,” he said, as the team managed to come out of the first half with a four-point lead.

At halftime, Coach Sugiyama said, “We’ve never conceded the lead. It’s okay because we’re winning. If we can get even one more point, we can win!” Perhaps those words relaxed his shoulders, and from the third quarter onwards, his typical Meitoyo style began to shine through, with shots from drives and connections with inside shots. At the beginning of the 3rd quarter, Fujikage took advantage of the timing when he switched to man-to-man play and gradually widened the point difference. “This was the cleanest way to win in three years,” Suenaga said with a smile, as each player showed their strengths and racked up points.

“I thought my role was to help them win with a smile on their faces.” After the game, Coach Sugiyama spoke with tears in his eyes. The players were under a lot of pressure as they continued to break new records, but during the match they let go of their tension and anxiety, and at the end, they had the biggest smiles on their faces. For the team, for everyone. A match that embodies that feeling. Coach Sugiyama expects even tougher competition nationwide, but “I want to improve the accuracy of my plays and systems and raise my basketball IQ.” Challenge the whole country while aiming to be one or two ranks higher.

The bench also fought as one.