Basketball: Zama turns last year's disappointment into triumph

American School In Japan's Maja Greenqvist dribbles upcourt, during Saturday's girls varsity basketball game, against Zama's Aika Davis. Zama won the game and the tournament title. MAYU ONO/SPECIAL TO STRIPES

Basketball: Zama turns last year's disappointment into triumph

Stars and Stripes

January 27, 2020

TOKYO – They were the last team to enter the tournament, but they exited at the head of their class.

Most Valuable Player Chloe Sterling scored 16 points and Kirari Smith added 12 and Jessica Atkinson 11, to power Zama’s girls basketball team to a 42-39 victory Saturday over host American School In Japan in the title game of the 4th Kanto Classic.

“Redemption. It’s what we came here for,” coach Daisy Whitaker-Hayes said of her Trojans’ finish. Zama came in fourth a year ago, and Whitaker-Hayes said she and her players vowed to make amends this time around.

It was not easy. The Trojans suffered a near-scare in their opener on Friday, edging Okkodo of Guam 52-50, then had to hold off a pesky St. Paul Christian squad from Guam 50-42 earlier Saturday before getting all they could handle from Kadena.

Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/1.616224

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