Reina Fukuo of Ohka Gakuen, who is 193 cm tall[Photo]= Basketball King
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■ A big come-from-behind loss from a 21-point deficit “We were defeated”
“Tanaka (Kokoro) and Kurokawa (Kokoro) were telling me not to let my guard down, but I felt a little anxious not only for the start, but for all the 15 (members) and (teammates) in the stands. I think they had some leeway and took advantage of that moment of carelessness, resulting in this result.”
Ohka Gakuen High School (Aichi Prefecture) lost to Gifu Girls’ High School (Gifu Prefecture) in the girls’ quarterfinals of the “SoftBank Winter Cup 2023 Reiwa 5th 76th National High School Basketball Championship” held on December 26th. Reina Fukuo (3rd year) looked back on the game like this.
The first match of the tournament was the climax for Ohka Gakuen, who are aiming to regain the title for the first time in two years. Although they allowed Gifu Girls to take the lead early on, Kokoro Tanaka (3rd year), Fukuo, Yuio Fukatsu (2nd year) and others continued to score, and they led 31-19 at the half. Ohka Gakuen continued to widen their lead in the second half. At one point, they took a 21-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
However, the tenacious Gifu Girls forced a 3-point shot, and the lead gradually narrowed, and with 40 seconds remaining, the lead was down to 1 point. Ohka Gakuen did not score with about 3 minutes remaining due to her own mistakes. In the end, with 10 seconds left, Gifu Girls’ center Juhu shot from a rebound by Hadi Jatou (3rd year), resulting in a 60-61 loss.
In this game, Fukuo made the game lively with his physical play, holding opposing center Hadi Jatou to 8 points and 12 rebounds. Still, after the match, he said, “The previous three games had been against teams with international student centers, so I was thinking of doing my best today as well.However, since our opponent was Mr. Ino, “While I was unconscious, Mr. Ino ended up beating me with his speed,” (Fukuo) regretted it.
Due to this result, Ohka Gakuen will be eliminated in the top 8. At the same time, Fukuo, a senior student, will also be playing high school basketball for the first time.
■“Ohka Gakuen is something I should be grateful for.”
I couldn’t stop crying right after losing to Gifu Girls[Photo]= Basketball King
Ohka Gakuen has been undefeated in the summer and winter for two years in a row. Next year will be even more of a year of revenge, but Fukuo has this message for his juniors.
“I don’t want us to repeat the same mistake, or rather, I didn’t want to see us shrinking down in frustration after losing, and I don’t want them to see us.If we keep losing, our juniors will be able to climb up from the bottom.” I think I will go. I want my juniors to only walk the flower path, and I want them to fight with a smile and win like they did last year and this year.”
The result may not have been what you had envisioned. However, she is nominated as a candidate for the championship every year, and the pressure of being called the “queen” of the high school team is immeasurable. In particular, during the three years that Fukuoh was with the team, there were times when coach Shinichi Inoue had to leave the team due to poor health. Despite all this, the third-year students, led by double captains Tanaka and Kurokawa, have continued to move forward. The process is exciting and a precious time. Perhaps because of this, when asked about her three years at Ohka Gakuen, Fukuo immediately expressed her gratitude to her friends and those who supported her.
“I have many regrets.Especially in the past year, I have been plagued by injuries and have struggled a lot.However, for me, Ohka Gakuen is an institution to be grateful for, and I am grateful for the support of my parents, coaches, teammates, and supporters. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has done so much for me.”
The third-year students fought single-mindedly no matter the situation, while maintaining their pride as Ohka Gakuen. That feeling must have been firmly passed on to his juniors.
Interview and text: Sanae Tajima
2024-01-02 05:30:26
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