Sophomore Brooklyn Hunter is part of what Perry coach Joshua Henry calls his most well-rounded team ever. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan – In another time, Matthew C. Perry might have been viewed by other girls basketball teams as an “automatic W” whenever they took the court with the Samurai.
Not so much any more, Perry coach Joshua Henry and some of his opposing coaches say.
They did go two-plus seasons without a victory between Feb. 8, 2020, and Nov. 18, 2022. They endured a 4-10 season in 2022-23 and a 7-14 campaign a year ago.
But entering next week’s Far East Division II Tournament hosted by Perry, the Samurai are 13-7, including a second-place finish in December’s Western Japan Athletic Association Tournament.
And Henry feels that the Samurai have the pieces in place to completely turn the page from doormat to contender.
“We have perhaps the best all-around team in the Far East,” Henry said of a team that features junior Layla Springs, sophomores Brooklyn Hunter, Leilani Zuniga and Elieza Cuaco and freshman Naiya Burford.
Each are capable of scoring in double figures and “our defense is strong,” Henry said. “If we put all the pieces together, we can do very well at Far East.”
The difference between Perry and other teams is depth, Henry said. “It’s the deepest team we’ve had, and the other teams have two or three impact players at the most.”
Defending D-II champion E.J. King has its senior twin guard tandem Miu and Moa Best, who’ve provided the Cobras more than 95 percent of their offense.
Yokota’s attack centers around senior Beverly Gardner, junior Ty’Lasia Anu and sophomore Cocoro Jones. Zama’s key player is senior Juliet Bitor, while Osan’s top scorer is senior Hanna Rutland.
Moa Best and her senior twin sister Miu have provided the lion's share of the scoring for E.J. King this season. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Molly Bogdan, right, and Yokota and Claire Del Pilar and E.J. King had the best win-loss records in the regular season, the Panthers going 24-4 and the Cobras 19-2. (Greg Holladay/Special to Stripes)
Hanna Rutland and Osan went 2-8 in the regular season, but have split their last six games going into the Far East D-II tournament. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Caylee Shipman and Daegu are hoping to hold onto the momentum that saw the Warriors win three of their last six games and finishing third in the Korea postseason tournament. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Lindsey Andrade and Kinnick came in first and second in the last two Far East D-I tournaments; Naya Cummings and Christian Academy Japan won the D-II title two years ago. (Erick Chedd Ricardo/Special to Stripes)
The Panthers and Cobras appear to be the odds-on favorites, Yokota having gone 24-4 and the Cobras 19-2. But King has in its last five games, including a loss to the Panthers in the American School In Japan Kanto Classic earlier this month.
Yokota coach Byron Wrenn says one can throw out anything that’s happened before; Far East is like turning to a brand new page.
“Everybody goes back to 0-0” at Far East, “and then you have two new seasons, pool play and the single-elimination playoffs,” Wrenn said. “You have to bring your ‘A’ game every game.”
Even Daegu, which lost all 10 Korea regular-season games, found its winning formula in the Korea post-season tournament, going 2-3, then splitting a pair of friendlies last week.
“They’ve worked hard for this,” Warriors coach Susan Oltmer said. “Their skills have gotten better. Getting in position, passing, rebounding, willingness to take shots, it’s all gotten better.”
Just as the D-II tournament could be more of a horse race than in past years, so, too, is the Division I tournament “wide open,” says Ed Manalac, coach of Kadena’s girls team which went 7-8 this season. Kubasaki hosts the D-I tournament.
“We have to respect everybody,” Manalac said, though he did single out ASIJ as a possible favorite, with their junior scoring specialist Alice Phillips. “Everybody has to take into account where she is at all times, no matter what defense you run.”
As the Korea tournament benefitted Osan – which won the championship en route to a 5-11 regular season – the ASIJ tournament gave the Japan and Okinawa teams in attendance “insight into what adjustments you make” going into Far East, Manalac said.
Bottom line, it’s up to each team whether it shows up or not on game day, coaches say.
“At anytime on our best days, we can challenge any team,” Henry said.
“You never know who’s going to go in and be ready to play,” Oltmer said.
