Fourteen-year-old Munehiro Miyashita, a student at St. Mary’s International School, played an important role in helping his basketball team win the Kanto finals. The game was close from beginning to end, and with only 20 seconds left, his three-point shot tied the score and gave St. Mary’s a chance to take the win. “When I saw Mune’s shot go in, it gave the whole team new energy,” said teammate Ryohei Endo.
Before that shot, ASIJ had been winning. They were up by three points and had the ball. They didn’t need to score, they just needed to hold on to their lead until the buzzer. St. Mary’s players were under pressure but didn’t give up. As ASIJ tried to pass the ball in, Donovan stole it and ran quickly toward the basket. Two defenders blocked him, so he passed the ball to Munehiro. Munehiro stepped back behind the three-point line and took the shot. It went in. The crowd reacted right away, and the noise in the gym grew louder. The shot was a game-changer, tying the score with only a few seconds left.
Now the score was tied, and there were only seven seconds left on the clock. ASIJ called a timeout. For the first time all night, they seemed unsure. They had been in control throughout most of the game, but the pressure was now on them. After the timeout, ASIJ came back onto the court and rushed to take one last shot. But St. Mary’s defense stayed strong. They pressured ASIJ’s ball handlers, forcing them into a bad pass. The ball was stolen again, and this time, Donovan ended up with it.
He ran down the court at full speed and got into position to take the game winning layup with only 0.2 seconds left on the clock, he released the ball just as the buzzer sounded. The layup went in, and the gym erupted in cheers. St. Mary’s had done the impossible, defeating the undefeated ASIJ team in the final seconds of the game.
The players on the St. Mary’s bench jumped up and ran onto the court. They had beaten ASIJ, a team that had not lost a single game all season. Now, St. Mary’s was the Kanto champion. The game was fast, close and competitive from start to finish. In the last few seconds, St. Mary’s stayed calm and made the right plays, showing how important teamwork and focus can be, even under pressure.
“I just wanted to give it everything I had,” said Donovan after the game. “When I saw the ball go in, I couldn’t believe it.” Mao, another teammate, said, “We worked hard all season. This was the best way to end the season.”
Even though not many people expected St. Mary’s to win, the team stayed focused and played well together. They showed that teamwork, effort, and good decision-making under pressure can lead to success even against a team that everyone thought would win. The win not only earned them the Kanto Trophy but also proved that hard work and belief in each other can make a huge difference in any game.
