The high school girls’ basketball teams ventured to two Jeju campuses, Saint Johnsbury Academy (SJA) and North London Collegiate School (NLCS), to compete in the Korea International School Activities Conference (KISAC) tournament from Feb. 14 to 15. After a series of contested games, varsity finished sixth out of seven schools, while the junior varsity (JV) team placed last.

Varsity tipped off against the NLCS Orcas with Apple Jun (7) as point guard, Lily Lee (4) as small forward, Minori Kojima (9) as shooting guard, Leewen Wang (1) as power forward and Nayoung Kim (14) at center. They carried the momentum from a hard-fought season opener and began with high hopes. Although the Jets took the lead in the first half, they hit a roadblock when key player Kojima suffered a leg injury. 

As a result, a hole in the defense in the latter half allowed the Orcas to edge ahead, which resulted in a narrow loss (22:25) “I was very frustrated and stressed out when I had to just watch our team play. I wanted to go in, but Mr. Park didn’t let me, which I think was a good decision looking back,” said Kojima.

The injury of their starting shooting guard disrupted their rhythm in the next match against Branksome Hall Asia (BHA), leading to a narrow defeat (11:15). Sophomore Ellen Cho (0) stepped up to fill Kojima’s shoes, shouldering significant responsibility. “I was worried because I felt like I was responsible for a very important position,” said Cho.

To make matters worse, intense plays on the court led to another challenge when Jun suffered an injury, hitting her head on the ground during a fierce battle for possession of a loose ball. “I couldn’t remember what happened at the end of our game, and I was just really confused,” said Jun.

The two star players’ injuries, coupled with an aggressive attitude by the opposing coach, intensified the match. “A lot of the coaches at KISAC were really aggressive, yelling at the referees, and I feel like that made us mad. I just wished that coaches would be a little bit more respectful,” said Kojima.

Despite these challenges, they remained resilient. After reviewing their performance in a team meeting that night, they returned on the second day with a rejuvenated spirit. The Jets began with a match against Korea International School Jeju (KISJ), and adjusted their strategy. The switch to a three-to-two defense applied more pressure on the slower guards. 

The adjustment proved effective, holding the Dragons to just 11 points in the first half, but scoring remained a completely different challenge. KISJ’s impenetrable defense and physically stronger forwards, stymied the team from progress, which ultimately led to a defeat with a score of 28:14.

Although they failed to win the ticket to the semis, they continued to battle for 5th place. In their rematch against the Bears, Jun’s first basket ignited the offense. While the first half remained tight, the Jets took the lead after the guards delivered key buckets and they clutched a 13:3 victory. “I think DIS had a really good offense. It was a valuable experience playing with them,” said BHA starter Hyoyeon Lee.

In their final match for fifth, the girls struggled to tip off against Fayston Preparatory School (FPS). Although they started strong with fast-paced attacks, failures to defend against swift ball handling and three-pointers led to their downfall. After a tough 28:17 loss against FPS, varsity settled at 6th. 

JV began the tournament with starters Grace Cho (7), Belle Kim (12), Amy Kim (17), Dana Lee (23), and Reina Li (21). Overall, the squad finished in 5th place, and secured one win against BHA with a score of 13:3. 

Coach Park led varsity at the SJA campus. The late replacement with Dr. Willette as JV coach led to confusion about strategy. The miscommunication affected both the offense and player substitutions. Grace Cho, the JV captain, said, “It was very tough because we didn’t get any kind of advice or instruction while we were playing.”

They struggled in their first game as some players swapped their positions from forward to guard. Their lack of cohesion led to a tough loss of 8:20 against SJA. The weak momentum persisted, which led to turnovers due to communication errors. 

The girls managed only one basket against KISJ, falling to a score of 2-15. However, the squad ignited some hope as they finished with their first victory (12 to 10) against the Bears. “I think we still tried our best and made a lot of shots, which was good,” said captain Cho. 

After three tough matches on day one, they became more adept at ball handling. Nevertheless, they faced a loss (35 to 6) against the only undefeated team, NLCS.

As they reached their final game of KISAC, DIS set their sights on fourth place. Their final game against the Bears seemed smooth at first, until the final quarter, when a series of foul calls accumulated against them. 

At the final moment, the referee granted BHA a total of four free throws. The score stood at 10 to 9 with just under a minute on the clock… and then, swish. Two perfectly-executed shots from the Bears flipped the script, and the Jets finished in last place. “I totally didn’t expect that. I was so disappointed that about 4 points BHA made were from the free throws,” said starter Reina Li. 

Despite the tough loss, the tournament highlighted both team’s challenges and individual standouts. Varsity and JV struggled with shooting, with an 8% field goal percentage. However, sophomore Ellen Cho won the all-star tournament award, and played a critical role throughout the journey. Initially, guard Cho’s potential did not fully unfold until the second day. “I think because Minori was hurt and I had a lot of burden, I was intimidated on the first day. But later on, I was more energized and ready to play,” said Cho. 

Although the Jets ended on a low note, they showcased significant progress. ‘We took care of the ball better than last time, but I think we still have a long way to go and obviously need more practice. Fundamentals are the most important thing,” said coach Park. The team now prepares for the final tournament, SKAIS (South Korea Associations of International Schools) Finals at Busan Foreign School, on March 1.

Gallery • 8 Photos

Hailey Tzou

Freshman Sarah Cho (number 13) navigates the court with precision, scanning for the perfect opening to attack. Her sharp footwork keeps the defense on high alert.