CAJ’s Misaki Matsuoka, the girls D-2 tournament MVP, drives past Perry’s Elieza Mae Cuaco and a pick set by teammate Annabelle Rudd. (Aeven Jace Tapang/Special to Stripes)

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan – Watch out for No. 11, the mantra went according to opposing coaches entering this week’s Far East High School Girls Division II Basketball Tournament.

Those words proved prophetic for junior point guard Misaki Matsuoka and Christian Academy Japan.

Matsuoka led the Knights with 16 points and Naya Cummings added 12 and CAJ’s defense locked down host Matthew C. Perry 31-22 in Wednesday’s final at Perry’s Samurai Gym. Matsuoka was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

“We knew we had to guard her. And she was very hard to guard,” said Samurai coach Joshua Henry, who entered the contest 23-1.

It didn’t help that the Samurai missed several inside chances, particularly in the first half, when CAJ’s defense held Perry to just two points.

“We got to the basket, but we missed a lot of layups,” said Henry, adding that the Samurai were also missing one of their top scorers, freshman Carmella Sudo, who was away on family business.

“She’s been our highest scorer in all the games,” Henry said. “We knew we were going to miss her the last couple of games. We were hoping she could get us to a good spot on Wednesday and we could carry it forward. But we couldn’t match up with CAJ and No. 11.”

The Samurai rallied briefly in the third quarter, outscoring the Knights 11-6, but it wasn’t enough in the end.

This was the second DODEA-Pacific Far East championship for basically the same group of Knights girls this school year, on the heels of their Far East D-II volleyball title at Misawa Air Base in October.

“They’re special,” CAJ athletics director Caleb Cummings said.

Perry’s Elieza Mae Cuaco drives around CAJ’s Misaki Matsuoka. (Aeven Jace Tapang/Special to Stripes)

CAJ defenders Annabelle Rudd and Mia Sakaguchi held Perry to just two first-half points. (Aeven Jace Tapang/Special to Stripes)