The Jets high school boys’ basketball team visited the Gyeongnam Samcheonpo gym for the SKAC Finals hosted by Gyeongnam International Foreign School (GIFS) on Feb. 28. Seven varsity and JV teams crashed down for an intense day of competition: DIS, GIFS, Busan Foreign School (BFS), International School of Busan (ISB), Handong International School (HIS), Atherton International School (AIS), and Global Prodigy Academy (GPA). 

As a small campus, GIFS outsourced the space for the tourney. The rented basketball court and the overloaded schedule proved an issue for the rushed tournament with 17 matches packed in a day. Each game lasted 26 minutes with 13-minute halves. Additionally, the hardwood floor lacked traction, and the three-point lines failed to meet the standardized high school range.

Despite the setbacks, varsity jumped into their first game against BFS, a previous KISAC opponent. The Sharks did not stand a chance against the Jets as DIS won 31-6. Captain Dylan Wang dropped 13 points and grabbed 8 boards.

Next up, the squad faced HIS, a team shrouded in mystery. No SKAC team faced them up to this point in the season. And due to the confusion in the schedule, DIS hoopsters showed up late with not enough time to warm up for this second match. Tensions escalated as the 190+ cm center stepped onto the court for Handong. As a common stereotype of basketball players, ironically height meant nothing for their big man, Josiah Collier. HIS failed to live up to expectations, and DIS crushed with the final score 24-15. 

Subsequently, the schedule included a round-robin matchup against ISB. However, under the coaches’ agreement, the two teams headed straight into the finals as they secured the top one and two seeds of the tourney. 

The long-awaited battle began. Both sides locked down on defense and pushed each other to their limits. The Bears fought aggressively, but the Jets found their footing and struck back with greater force. The game came down to just two points with 15.5 seconds left on the clock: 19-17 DIS in the lead. Shooting guard Justin Son sunk a free throw to make it a three-point game: 20-17. With the clock remaining in the Bears’ paws, ISB chucked up a three-pointer in hopes of a swish. The ball rimmed off the hoop and the varsity wore gold for the first time in a decade.

Watch the highlight video for all three varsity matches of the SKAC Finals:

“Elated, I felt very excited for all the players because of the time that we put in. A year ago or even two or three years ago, we didn’t have basketball for multiple years during Covid. Last year our teams were not all that successful. All the players have put in lots of time before and during the season so I was elated for them to get the championship,” said Mr. Kaschub, DIS coach.

JV also performed to their best. They progressed without any defeat even with their biggest struggle against GPA. JV declared first in the round-robin and advanced to the finals. The last face-off brought the Jets a rematch against GPA. They gave it their all, but physical disadvantages posed a significant challenge. The game ended with 14-10 on the board: a silver for junior varsity. 

In the end, Dylan Wang, Juan Cortez, and Ethan Rossmeisl received all-tournament team medals along with the gold and the trophy, which all members of the varsity earned. The end of the 10-year drought marked the season finale. DIS basketball looks to hold the title next year as defending champions. Strong underclassmen will return as varsity stars in December 2024.

Gallery • 21 Photos

Nadia Woo

Impossible to hide their excitement, Juan Cortez (number 19) and Dylan Wang (number 1) sprint in exhilaration. Integral to the victory, the two seniors led the team all throughout the tournament.