The middle school girls’ basketball teams traveled to Fayston Preparatory School (FPS) for varsity and Korea International School of Jeju (KISJ) for junior varsity for the Korean International School Activities Conference (KISAC) tournament from May 15 to May 17. Varsity finished in last place, while JV claimed the bronze.
At FPS, varsity kicked-off day one against KISJ with Akari Kojima (9) as point guard, Olivia Park (17) and Luisa Silva (34) as shooting guards, and Ellie Park (20) and Minju Koo (99) as post players.
Although they fought strong with efficient ball movement and wide spacing, KISJ’s full-court press disrupted their momentum. Despite the girls’ tight defense in the paint, the Dragons’ fast breaks and fortified defense led to a 2:8 loss.
“Since it was our first game we didn’t expect the Jeju schools to be really strong. But we progressed over the game and tried to work on our defense, which we lacked a lot,” said Silva.
For the second round-robin, they faced Saint Johnsbury Academy (SJA). This time, the squad found better offensive rhythm through fast breaks and sharper passes. While the girls held a strong lead early, SJA came back in the final quarter, edging DIS out 12:17.
Day two began with a match up against the home team FPS Eagles. While they worked hard to adjust their zone defense to close out on shooters, the Eagles’ polished field goal percentgage and quick ball movement proved difficult to contain.
Despite a few mid-range jumpers by Koo, they lost 6:17. “We underestimated the team, but they were mostly taller than our players, and they were also very aggressive,” said Koo.
For the tourney’s final game, they fought against Branksome Hall Asia (BHA). They improved in defensive tactics, with tighter pressure and stronger rebounding. However, scoring opportunities remained low due to the Bears’ impenetrable defense. As a result, the game ended in a 3:15 loss, wrapping up varsity’s run in last place.
JV hit the court against North London Collegiate School (NLCS) with Sophia Sung as point guard, Grace Oh (45) and Sally Park (16) as shooting guards, and Mary Kong (19) and Daisy Chae (3) as post players.
The Jets struggled to find space inside the paint, and the Orcas capitalized on turnovers to run up the score. They only managed a single basket, resulting in a tough 2:28 loss. “It was hard with NLCS because they played really well. We made open spots sometimes, and they were able to do a free lay-up,” said Sung.
They continued with a match against SJA where they played more cohesively with better ball distribution. With tighter defense and faster transitions, the Jets took a close 17:16 victory. “We were behind by two points at the last thirty seconds and we got one basket that saved us,” Lumin Crewe said.
In the final game of day one, DIS faced KISJ in an evenly skilled matchup. Although both sides showed similar skill levels, a key turnover and missed pass by KISJ gave DIS an opening. They capitalized with big steals and smart ball movement to secure a narrow 12–8 victory, closing out the day with a record of 2 wins and 1 loss.
In their final round-robin match, they faced BHA. Although the team fought hard and stayed within reach, they ultimately fell 10:17. “It wasn’t a fair game because BHA made lots of fouls, but the referee didn’t call any. Coach Vis was also frustrated by that but she made everyone calm down,” said Chae.
Day two opened with a rematch against Branksome Hall Asia, as DIS looked to settle the score. However, missed box outs led to second-chance points for the Bears, widening the gap in the second half and resulting in a 10–20 loss.
With one more shot at redemption, the Jets advanced to the semifinals against KISJ. They maintained composure throughout the game, and Kong executed clean fast breaks that allowed them to edge out a 14:10 victory. “KISJ’s defense is really good but their offense wasn’t as good. But they were very aggressive and cursed at us so we had to box out harder on them,” said Dana Lee.
In the final game of the tournament, the girls faced off in a rematch against SJA. Building off their semifinal momentum, the team played strong. Sung added to the lead with a layup during a fast break and sealed a dominant victory (10:4), claiming third place. “We got some foul shots during the game that helped us in the lead,” said Kim.
Although JV consisted of mainly sixth graders, they showcased potential for future seasons. “It felt really good and I was really proud of my teammates. Sophia and Mary carried the team and they were really good, so I’m really thankful for them. It’s my first year, but I got 3rd place so I was really happy,” said Chae.
Looking ahead to the SKAIS tournament on May 22, both varsity and junior varsity prepare to take the court with renewed focus. The Jets aim to showcase their progress and put their hard-earned experience into play.
