From left, Fukuoka Seika Girls' High School basketball players Honoka Goto, Rune Kishizoe, Mei Takano, Kanna Takahashi, Yuua Ando and Buba Aisha Ezzine share a happy moment after winning the NBA Rising Stars Invitational on June 28, 2026, in Singapore. (©NBA Rising Stars Invitational)
The Fukuoka Seika Girls' High School basketball team overwhelmed Taiwan's Yangming High School in the second half of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational final on Sunday, June 28 in Singapore.
Leading 43-39 at halftime, Seika outscored Yangming by 43 points in the second half.
Seika captured the 12-team girls tournament title with a 106-56 triumph in the final of the second annual NBA Rising Stars Invitational, a showcase event for top teams in the Asia-Pacific region.
A Tone-Setting Performance
Nigerian-born star Buba Aisha Ezzine, a 190-cm center, paced Seika with 53 points on 23-for-38 shooting and 35 rebounds in the championship game at OCBC Arena. Three teammates also scored in double figures.
Ezzine was named Girls Finals MVP and the Defensive Player of the Tournament.
Seika's Honoka Goto and Ezzine were named to the all-tournament team.
For Seika captain Chinatsu Uchiyae, the NBA Rising Stars Invitational was an enjoyable competition. She also noted that there were fun opportunities for culture exchange.
In the final, Uchiyae said she and her teammates learned a lot.
Such as?
"It was a tight game," Uchiyae said, "especially so mentally, and it's something we can definitely bring back [as a shared experience as teammates]."
The captain added, "Overall, it's been a good experience to be able to talk to people from all over the world."
South Korean School Tops Tottori Johoku in Boys Basketball Final
Led by twins Jiwon Yoon and Jihoon Yoon, who combined for 60 points, South Korea's Kyungbock High School beat Tottori Johoku High School 82-72 in Sunday's boys basketball tournament final.
Philemon Talmon and Yuya Harimoto were Johoku's top scorers, finishing with 16 points apiece. Talmon, who was named to the all-tournament team, also grabbed 22 rebounds. Captain Genji Fukumoto added 15 points.
Kyungbock made 28 of 50 2-point shots, with the Yoon twins making 23 of 36. Jihoon Yoon ignited the offense with 13 assists.
The Korean champs held Johoku to 13-for-43 shooting from 2-point range.
"Well, as a team, I think we lost out on the physical side of things today," Fukumoto said. "Because we were outmatched physically, they kept beating us to the rebounds.
"It makes me realize that we need to train much harder, both in terms of physicality and our mental approach to the game. I really felt that the difference in physicality was the biggest factor."
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Motorcycle Racing
Ogura Becomes 1st Japanese MotoGP Winner in 22 Years
Ai Ogura, who rides for the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team, triumphed in the Grand Prix of the Netherlands on Sunday, June 28 in Assen, Netherlands.
Ogura completed the 26-lap race in 40 minutes, 21.905 seconds, finishing 2.004 seconds ahead of teammate Raul Fernandez.
As a result, the 25-year-old Ogura became the first Japanese MotoGP rider to win a race since Makoto Tamada at the 2004 Japanese Grand Prix.
"It's fantastic, I don't have much to say but I'm really very happy," Ogura said, according to BBC Sport. "Many thanks to my team."
Ogura is in his second season racing for SuperFile Trackhouse in the MotoGP World Championship.
Sunday's event was the 10th race of the 2026 season.
Baseball
Hanshin's Takahashi is NPB's 1st 10-Game Winner
Hanshin Tigers southpaw Haruto Takahashi tossed six innings of three-run ball in a 12-3 road victory over the Hiroshima Carp on Sunday, June 28.
Takahashi (10-0) became NPB's first pitcher to reach double digits in wins in the 2026 season.
In 12 starts, Takahashi, who has a sparkling 1.29 ERA, has allowed 57 hits in 90⅔ innings. He's walked 10 and struck out 85.
Takahashi, 30, had a career-best five wins in 2020, his third season with the Tigers.
Hanshin pulled ahead with three runs in the seventh inning, breaking a 3-3 tie to put Takahashi in position to earn the win. The Tigers added six more runs in the ninth.
"I really have nothing but gratitude," Takahashi said of his teammates' contributions on offense, according to Nikkan Sports. "We've had quite a few games like this, so while pitching today, I realized I still have a long way to go — there were a lot of tough moments — so I feel like I need to work even harder."
Also Sunday, Tigers outfielder Shota Morishita whacked a two-run home run in the first inning. He finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs.
The Tigers improved to 37-31-1. Hanshin and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows are tied for second in the Central League, a half-game behind the Yomiuri Giants (37-30-2).
NPB teams had the day off on June 29. They return to action on the final day of the month.
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Blue Jays' Okamoto on a Hitting Tear
Toronto Blue Jays newcomer Kazuma Okamoto hit at a .210 clip for the month of May.
The former Yomiuri Giants slugger has had a much stronger performance at the plate in June, hitting .310 (26-for-84).
In his last seven games, Okamoto, who turns 30 on June 30, has three homers, eight RBIs and a .333 average.
For the season, Okamoto has a .238 average, 19 homers and 53 RBIs in 82 games (through June 28).
"There are still many games left to play, so I want to stay prepared and avoid injury as I move forward," Okamoto said, according to Kyodo News. "I approach every day wanting to produce good results."
Okamoto led American League third basemen in the first phase of fan balloting (2,125,588 votes) for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, which will be held July 14 in Philadelphia.
As a result, Okamoto's name will appear on the ballot for the second phase of voting along with the second-place vote-getter among AL third basemen, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays. The second phase ends on Thursday, July 2.
Not surprisingly, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was the leading vote-getter among MLB players for the first phase (3,341,257 votes). That earned him the starting designated hitter assignment for the National League.
Ohtani is also expected to pitch in the Midsummer Classic.
For more info on the All-Star Ballot, check out MLB's news release.
Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
