Representing Japan, Saso, 22, shot a 2-under 68 Sunday and was exceptional down the stretch, making four birdies and just one bogey to post a 3-under 32 coming in and claim the title with a 4-under 276.

Saso won the tournament in 2021 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif., while representing the Philippines, the country of her mother, before switching her national allegiances to Japan, the country of her father, a few months later.

“It feels great,” an emotional Saso told NBC’s Tom Abbott at the prize ceremony. “I think winning in 2021 I represented the Philippines. I feel like I was able to give back to my mom. This year I was able to represent Japan, and I think I was able to give back to my dad. I’m very happy that I was able to do it. It’s just a wonderful feeling that I was able to give back to my parents in the same way.”

Saso made back-to-back birdies on the 163-yard, par-3 12th, and the 518-yard, par-4 13th, as well as the 453-yard, par-4 15th and the 232-yard, par-4 16th.

After driving 283 yards into the right rough on the 13th, Saso’s third shot from the fairway found the green just under three feet from the hole for an easy birdie.

Another strong approach all but secured the win on the 15th, as Saso hit her second shot within six feet of the hole before draining the birdie and taking a two-shot lead at 4-under.

Before her strong showing on the back nine, Saso double bogeyed the 164-yard, par-3 sixth with a four-putt. She went on to make five consecutive pars before closing out strong.

“I think just following my routine makes me focus more on what I have to do, so I think that helps a little bit to make myself focus, stay focused,” Saso said.

The win is Saso’s first win since her last U.S Women’s Open victory in 2021 and earned her a $2.4 million winner’s check.

“Since 2021 I haven’t won after that,” Saso said when asked about her emotions following the win. “I think it just makes it special because after a long wait, and I wasn’t expecting to win the U.S. Women’s Open, every time I — last time, too, I wasn’t expecting it, and this time, too, I wasn’t expecting it. I think that’s why it made me a bit emotional.

“Winning just makes you look back in all the things that your family and your team and my sponsors, they supported me throughout good or bad.”

While Saso was exceptional on the back nine, the three co-leaders after 54 holes faltered on Sunday.

Minjee Lee from Australia, the 2022 champion, birdied the 419-yard, par-4 first before the round started to slip away.

Lee posted a 2-over 37 on the front nine going out, before bogeying the 435-yard, par-4 10th and finding even more problems at the troublesome 12th; the same hole that effectively ended Nelly Korda’s tournament chances when she shot a 10 there on the first day.

Lee’s tee shot hit the low end of the green before rolling down the slope and into the creek. Her next shot from the drop zone landed on the green 19 feet from the hole and then she two-putted for a double bogey.

After beginning the day at 5-under, Lee closed out the round with an 8-over 78 and a final round score of 3-over 283 to finish tied for ninth.

“ I think I did a lot of good things but obviously didn’t play very well today and I’m disappointed that I didn’t do better,” Lee said. “Yeah, I feel like — obviously I’m going to acknowledge my disappointment and then come back stronger, take the positives out of the week, you know. It’s a lot of pressure on the last day, so wasn’t my best performance but I’m sure there will be many better performances ahead.”

Andrea Lee, who also entered the day tied for first at 5-under, shot a 5-over 75 to finish the tournament tied for third at even par 280. Lee made just one birdie on the 12th, five bogeys and one double bogey.

Andrea Lee finished tied for third with Ally Ewing at even par 280.

“It was tough out there,” Andrea Lee said. “Obviously didn’t have my best right from the start. I was pretty nervous, but yeah, just didn’t have great shots out there. I had a couple of drives that really cost me, especially the double on (hole) 4.

“But I tried to fight my way back, especially on the back nine with a birdie on 12. I felt like I was still in it. I really grinded out there. I tried to come back, but yeah, it was tough. I just didn’t have my best today.”

Thailand’s Wichanee Meechai, the third and final player who entered Sunday tied for first, finished in a three-way tie for sixth at 2-over 282 after shooting a 7-over 77 in the final round. Meechai had just one birdie on the 232-yard, par-4 16th, but made five bogeys and one double bogey.

“I played pretty bad today, but I feel like I can play better,” Meechai said. “It’s the U.S. Open; the pins were so hard today. I’m just so excited today. Sometimes you can play bad golf on one day, but I’m kind of proud of myself that I can handle this week pretty good.

“I finished top 10, which means next year I can get in and play next year, which I’ll try to come back stronger and play better.”

Japan’s Hinako Shibuno finished in second place with a 1-under 279 after shooting a 2-over 72 on Sunday. Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol placed fifth with a 1-over 281 after scoring a 1-under 69 Sunday.

Asterisk Talley, Catherine Park and Megan Schofill all finished tied for the low amateur with a 12-over 292.

Aris Rodriguez, who scored a team-high 16 points for the Red Knights, foretold at the start of the season that playing his senior year with his lifelong friends was going to be like a movie.

The scene Saturday night proved that he was right.

“I told you it was gonna be a movie,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a blessing, especially doing it with my brothers. I’m speechless at this point.”

With Reading High down two in overtime, like something out of a blockbuster script, Yadiel Cruz came up clutch.

Cruz made both ends of a one-and-one with 1:24 left to tie it at 56-56. He then made the front end of a one-and-one with 1:05 left to give the Red Knights (32-1) the lead for good.

Nick Chapman capped it with a steal in the final seconds and Rodriguez’s picturesque dunk as time expired cued the credits.

FINAL

Reading High 63
Roman Catholic 56

The Red Knights are your 2023 PIAA Class 6A boys basketball champions. #Berksgameday pic.twitter.com/3lp78rt0eJ

— Andrew Heller (@aHellerReading) March 26, 2023

After adding a state title to its county, district championships, Reading High blissfully stormed the court in celebration.

“I don’t even know; it doesn’t feel real,” said guard Ruben Rodriguez, who finished with eight points and nine rebounds. “You know, it’s just a blessing to be here and beating a team like that. They’re the Catholic League champions and we took them down; it goes to show what Berks County is about.”

For Ruben Rodriguez, the two-time Berks Player of the Year, four-time District 3 gold medalist and two-time state champion, the night was a storybook sendoff for himself and his fellow seniors.

“I’m done man, I’m done,” Ruben Rodriguez said. “My high school career is over and I’m happy it ended like this.

“It feels unreal (winning with the senior class) because, literally, in third grade we were talking about when we get to be seniors, we’re going to win states. And to finally do it, it doesn’t feel real.”

A dreamlike end almost turned into a nightmare late in the fourth quarter.

With the Cahillites (27-4) down by one and less than 10 seconds to go, Aris Rodriguez missed the front end of a one-and-one. Roman’s Xzayzier Brown, a Saint Joseph’s commit, was fouled by Amier Burdine with 1.7 seconds left while driving the lane.

Brown had made 9-of-11 foul shots to that point, but with the largely pro-Reading High crowd roaring, he missed the first, but sank the second to tie it. Brown finished with a game-high 23 points, including going 12-of-15 on free throws.

“God was here, I felt God,” Red Knights coach Rick Perez said on Brown going 1-for-2. “God came in. He already told me, He said ‘Listen, I need you for four more minutes, like faith over sight.’ No.1 (Brown) on the line, you think, you know, God was here. He just wanted a little more entertainment.

“God is just saying something and I just need to continue to listen, all these young men need to continue to listen. God has taken us to beautiful places, so He’s doing things that you can’t see and then you know, sometimes we don’t listen and we don’t pay attention but He shows you that He’s at work and that was on display today.”

The relentless defense that propelled Reading High throughout the season was on display all night. Up by three after Aris Rodriguez sank two from the line to make it 59-56 with 24 seconds left in OT, senior All-Berks guard Myles Grey came up with a steal before being fouled.

Grey calmly made both shots with 11.4 seconds left to all but put the game away. He finished with 14 points, three assists, four rebounds and was 4-of-5 from the line.

“Everybody was confident on the bench,” Grey said of the play down the stretch. “We work on free throws all the time so it paid off.

“This is wonderful, man. I’ll tell everybody, we’re giving all the glory to God right now. We’ve been praying, talking to Him throughout the whole game, without Him none of this possible. I’m just so thankful.”

In addition to his steal in the final seconds of overtime, Chapman came up big in the fourth quarter as the junior drained a corner 3-pointer to put Reading High up 49-47.

Brown had completed a three-point play on the Cahillites’ previous possession to give Roman Catholic its first lead since early in the second quarter. Reading High led 23-19 at the half and 43-39 at the end of the third.

Chapman, the younger brother of 2021 state champion Joey Chapman, finished with nine points, including seven in the fourth quarter, and made two free throws that put the Red Knights up 53-52 with 26.8 seconds left.

“You hear Nick Chapman, you hear Joey Chapman,” Aris Rodriguez said, “They run in the same blood, we knew Nick Chapman was going to come and do his thing.”

Though this senior class will surely be missed by Perez and company, the Red Knights are confident in the underclassmen to successfully defend their numerous crowns.

“Don’t think because we’re leaving, Reading is going to stop being a powerhouse; we’re always gonna be that powerhouse,” Ruben Rodriguez said. “And you know, everybody, shoot, they’re coming back with state champion experience. So you know, when you have that much experience, it makes the game easier.”

“We have a great junior class and a great sophomore class,” Grey said. “We got a lot of great underclassmen to come up who will play a huge piece next year. And I have no doubts in my mind; they already have all the time in the world. As long as they pull it together and continue to play hard and continue to buy into Coach P’s culture, they’ll be great.”

With no more minutes to be played, Reading High can ride off into the sunset knowing that a golden generation of Red Knights achieved the greatness they always imagined.

“Ruben told me in the beginning of the year, he said, ‘Are you ready to coach your greatest basketball team ever?’ ” Perez said. “I said, ‘Okay, well you’re going to have to do some crazy stuff to be the best ever.’ “

Thirty-two wins later, Perez had a profound message for his team to take away from a glorious season.

“Remain selfless, remain humble, remain vulnerable,” Perez said, “God is always at work.”