NO BRICKS, JUST BASKETS
Lightning struck again at this year's ASAC Senior Basketball tournament. Eyewitnesses returned home stunned after the first evening. "It was one of the best games I've seen them play all season - it was full of intensity and passion and the desire to win," says Ms. B. The other players interviewed said similar things, praising the iron wall of defense and the players' energy.
"Lit OP, the defense played well," says Merica, delight choking her vocabulary to roughly 10 words.
Our winning streak carried on to Saturday morning. Although the girls admitted that they were initially sluggish (although let's be honest - everyone on the court was sluggish then), the subs came through and played hard. In the words of one of the players, "bench team OP! They really came out and dominated." Logos managed to persevere and both the guys and girls won their morning games.
bench team OP! They really came out and dominated.
The tension amped up when our boys played against ISHCMC. According to eyewitnesses, it was "intense, physical - we really brought our A-game." Another described it as "pretty lit - the last few plays were pretty good." The general consensus seems to be that there were many clean plays. "It was a little rough on the edges, we played scrappier - we didn't start out well but got motivated at the end." It was a tough game because ISHCMC was "the most skilled" amongst the teams.
The Logosians who went watched the riveting struggle with rapt attention. Faces set, grim, and determined, the players' desperation rose to a crescendo in the last 30 seconds as they clung onto their 3-point lead, eyes intent on the ball like lions going in for the kill.
The boys won the game, 36:32.
It eventually boiled down to who wanted to win more, and we did it.
The girls' game against VSTC was relatively less intense. Despite the other team's valiant efforts, our girls gracefully won by a large margin. The boys' game against VSTC played out on a similar note: although both teams were playing well, the energy levels remained relatively constant. There were a few moments filled with heart-stopping seconds as the ball danced between the outstretched fingers and the rim, and there were good three-pointers from the other team, who put up a good fight. Despite that, it was a relaxed game, and we won.
Our very last game on Saturday was against ISHCMC, and the stakes were high even before we started. Both our teams and theirs were undefeated, and there was a constant level of intensity from both teams. A bystander pointed out that the fact that Logos was taking easy shots showed our tenacity and will to win - not because we were playing it safe, but because we were playing it on familiar territory. There was an almost frantic frenzy in the energy flow of both teams. Despite the apparent exhaustion of our players, the determined glint in their eyes shined through. They were "making buckets in the first half - like, shot after shot going in."
Even though we were tired, we had already beaten Vinschool and CIA so we really wanted to finish the day strong and keep our winning streak.
The girls won the game, 31:22.
The final day of the tournament started out with Logos boys going against Wells. This was the match to find out who will remain undefeated. Wells was taking the lead when Logos boys caught up. Although they made a brilliant effort, the boys lost the game, 28:29
The girls then played Wells. We initially had a nice lead, but they took it from us. Their lead eventually became an anxiety-inducing gap - don't worry, we eventually were able to close it. Despite that, the struggle was anything but easy: bad calls were made and many fouls were called. Whether they were unfair was also a question that hung in the air as the tension rose.
Both teams were strong, and the mutual desire to win was evident. With one second left on the clock, Sihaneath made a bold shot from about half court and scored! Everyone was shook. Our wigs were snatched. Although we lost, 28:29, the defeat was momentarily forgotten in light of that one-second lightning strike.
After a long lunch break, our boys played against ISHCMC again. They played well, although the hype was relatively relaxed by the assurance of victory. They won, moving onto finals.
The girls played Wells again, and this time the stakes were raised even higher. The tension on the court was palpable: this win would assure our advancing to finals. A tight game ensued as both teams fought for the lead. Our girls came out victorious, adrenaline high as Logos vyed for double champions.
The boys stepped on the court for the championship games to play against Wells. We were off to a good start, but Wells eventually took our lead and maintained it as we tried to catch up. Despite the effort, the game ended with the Logos boys winning 2nd and Wells taking the championship. "Overall, it was a great tournament," said one of the players. "We had little mistakes on defense and were consistent with our offense, and I feel like everyone made an effort."
All eyes were on the girls' final game, as this was the last game of the season. We started off with a strong lead until the last minute, when NISC caught up and they had to go overtime. The audience watched with rapt attention. The tension was thick in the air. Everyone's heart was pounding as the last two minutes stretched out into what felt like an achingly painful eternity of fouls... and then, a triumphant release as Logos scored an extra four points in overtime. Our girls won!
It doesn't feel real! I'm high on happiness right now. We didn't expect to win because we didn't want to [prejudge] other teams, but we came in with a winning mindset!
- Merica
All the games were stressful today, I believe the girls played well and kept their composure, despite the wrong calls and fouls. After winning the championship, I felt like I was free because I felt trapped by tension before.
- Ms. C
