The middle school varsity girls’ basketball team traveled to Busan Foreign School (BFS) to compete in the Korean International Activities Conference (KISAC) tournament, while junior varsity competed at home from May 15-16. After a series of fierce competition, JV finished in first place with an undefeated streak, while varsity finished in fourth.

The varsity girls started with a matchup against the BFS sharks. As the whistle blew, the varsity girls pushed forward with quick crossovers and disrupted the sharks’ offense. While the game remained neck to neck throughout the first half, the Sharks’ relentless full-court press forced several turnovers and shifted momentum away from the Jets, leading to a tough 18:26 loss.

Despite the initial setback, the team regrouped for a redemption match against the BHA Bears. With renewed strategies, the girls applied constant pressure on their opponents and maintained their lead throughout the game, rallying with a dominant 20:13 victory.

Riding high, the girls looked to continue their momentum against the KISJ Dragons. Despite their relentless drives and fast-paced play, the Dragons’ tight closeouts and lockdown defense prevented dribble penetration and limited scoring chances, handing DIS a 6:9 defeat. “I think we could’ve done better at making shots because there were some chances where we could make those shots but failed,” eighth grader Minju Koo said.

On the next day, the girls opened against FPS with an adjusted defensive lineup focused on quicker rotations and stronger perimeter coverage. The strategy paid off as the girls knocked down back to back shots from deep and ultimately secured their 18:11 victory. 

However, due to the round robin tournament style, the girls failed to redeem themselves on day 2 and earn a ticket to the semis. In the final match against the Bears, the team executed quick ball movements to break down the defense and create open lanes. Although both sides fought fiercely for possession, key rebounds in the closing moments turned the tides in the Jets’ favor, allowing them to secure a hard fought 10:9 victory, earning a fourth place finish.

Meanwhile at the Jetnasium, the JV team began the tourney with a crossover against the BFS Sharks. Just minutes into the game, aggressive defense created several turnovers that led to fast-break opportunities as the Jets cruised to a 21:14 victory. “The first game was light and it was like a warm up for us. We did great passing to each other and getting shots in but we did have a hard time getting rebounds due to tall players on the other team,” sixth grader Irene Lee said.

Next up, the girls matched up against Branksome Hall Asia (BHA) 1. Disciplined half-court offense allowed the team to consistently find open looks, while tight defensive pressure sealed off open space and prevented penetration to the basket. “We were a little panicked at first, but after calming down and focusing on defense, our man-to-man coverage helped us play much better,”  point guard Sophia Sung said.

With these strategies, DIS secured a 14:10 win and remained undefeated. “There were a lot of tall and aggressive players. They were purposely grabbing and shoving our players but our team stayed positive and confident we could win, so that confidence helped a lot in our success,” said eighth-grader shooting guard Isabel Bae. 

On day 2, the Jets faced BHA 2 for their last round-robin match. With staunch defensive pressure and seamless communication among the forwards, they maintained control throughout the game. DIS completed a 8:0 shutout victory, earning a ticket to the finals. 

“The game against BHA 2 was very similar to the games against BHA 1 but by that time we were already prepared and knew what it would be like. They were still really strong and bigger than us, so that was a bit of a challenge,” Bae said. 

With the championship on the line, the girls rematched against BHA 1. Although the team struggled to finish possessions, they kept up with the momentum and patiently controlled pace from the opening tip, finishing off the day with a championship victory (22:10). 

“The finals went better than expected. We made a lot of shots and played great defense and some key assists led to important baskets at crucial moments. Without that teamwork and assists, I don’t think we would have won the tournament,” Sung said.

The JV girls capped off an undefeated run with a championship title, while the varsity finished just short of the podium. As the season continues, both teams will now prepare for the upcoming South Korea Association of International Schools (SKAIS) tournament on May 21. 

Gallery • 5 Photos

Sally Lee

Center Tracy Kim (1) drives past a Bears’ defender while controlling the ball in transition. Kim attacks the lane as teammates move into position to create scoring opportunities for the Jets.