TOKYO – Koki Wiley five three-pointers in the second quarter -- four in the final 90 seconds before halftime – as American School In Japan ended Kubasaki’s 27-game winning streak, 76-68, Friday in an inter-district boys basketball game.

“I was trying to keep shooting because I hit a couple and my teammates kept finding me with the ball,” the sophomore forward said after finishing with 25 points.

It didn’t hurt, he said, that the basket appeared the size of a hula hoop. “It looked pretty big.”

As a team, the Mustangs hit 12 first-half three-pointers and roared in front 49-27 at halftime.

“That’s as hot as we’ve been all season shooting,” coach Brian Kelley said of his Mustangs (8-3 overall), who are unbeaten and in first place in the Kanto Plain at 6-0.

“I’m very proud of the way we played in the first half, and in the second half … we didn’t fold. The team believes in each other. Good spirit and chemistry.” Kelley also thanked the Dragons, the reigning Far East Division I champs, for making their first trip to Mustang Valley since 1981.

“It’s good to play Kubasaki in our gym,” Kelley said. “They’re a good team. Next time, we may be in for it.”

Skye Wood added 23 points and Ian McGuire 16 for the Mustangs, who led 59-37 late in the third quarter, only to have the Dragons use a 22-2 run to get within two points with four minutes left. But it was as close as Kubasaki got.

Skylor Stevens led Kubasaki with 22 points and added five rebounds. Matt Ashley had 21 and seven, and Imani Washington five boards.

“We weren’t ready to play,” said coach Jon Fick of Kubasaki, which fell to 17-1 overall with the loss. “And finally, we played a team that wasn’t going to let us turn it on and off.” Kubasaki rebounded later against Division II champion Yokota, winning 70-62 in a game originally scheduled for Saturday but moved up to Friday due to worries about possible snow overnight. The Dragons are set to play Saturday at noon vs. St. Mary’s at Seisen, instead of ASIJ.

Blackhawks capture first Korea Blue title in Humphreys school historyCAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – With victories Thursday over Seoul American and Friday over Yongsan International School of Seoul, Humphreys’ boys basketball team captured its first Korea Blue Division regular-season title in any sport in the school’s three-year history.

Freshman Jackson Taylor hit a three-pointer from the right side with six seconds left to give the Blackhawks their only lead Thursday in a 64-63 win over the Falcons. Omar Lopez had 13 points to lead four players in double figures in Friday’s 52-35 home win over the Guardians.

“We were exhausted from the night before and the magnitude of that game, but we pulled it out,” Blackhawks coach Ronnie Merriwether said. The Blackhawks improved to 10-1 on the season and are assured of the top seed in next week’s Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference Blue Division Tournament.

“We still have a lot of work to do,” Merriwether said. The KAIAC tournament, “is only Part I.”

ornauer.dave@stripes.com

Migrated