One Step Forward: Varsity Boys Basketball Ranking Tournament
The season of the basketball tournament has returned. Last Saturday, held at Canadian International School, the Logos Boys A Basketball team competed against HIS, CIA, and NISC with improved proficiency and teamwork, demonstrating their growth potential.
Logos' first game was against their traditional rival, Hope International School. Before the game started, our players stood together resolved to pay back their two-point defeat in the previous game against HIS. Our coaches, Mr. Beck and Mr. Webb constantly reminded the players there was nothing new in their strategies and that if we could carry out solidly our practiced plays with confidence and patience, it wouldn't be a keen competition.
But Hope player's sequential hits disconcerted Logos players in the beginning, as they scored six go-ahead points in the first quarter. However, our players were not discouraged or lost their concentration. They kept trying, making efficient passes with clever movements, which resulted in successful baskets. Their defense also improved significantly, with a highly successful full-court press. Running the plays effectively, Logos players have turned the table during the third quarter.
In the last few minutes of the fourth quarter, our players were easygoing and composedly ran their plays by using efficient spacing and making appropriate passes to the players who were open or cutting straight into the basket. The result was our solid victory: 29-22.
After an hour of rest, Logos faced their next opponent, the CIA International School. As Logos players have played against them before, they were aware of their intense physical offensive dispositions and good hustle plays. It was their rough and aggressive plays and our player's fluster that resulted in the previous defeat against them. So the coaches made sure that our players played at the same level of physicality as the CIA players.
Yet, no one on the team doubted our victory against them. They played rough and performed good hustle plays. But this time, we were playing ahead of them. With systematic ball movement, equivalent or rougher plays, and a relatively firmer defense, our players enjoyed their second victory of the tournament: 32-13.
Our last game was against the previous tournament's defending champion, Northbridge International School Cambodia. Their skillfulness and proficiency were well-known, and their offense style was similar to that of ours, only a bit more advanced. Mr. Beck instructed the players to be ready for their backdoor cuts and rough plays.
Throughout the first quarter, Logos players maintained the equivalent level of competence and patience against NISC. Bold offensive attempts were made. Thomas and Reister's crazy reverse lay-ups were appreciable.
But from the second quarter onwards, our defense began to crumble as NISC players penetrated the key and shot tough pull-up jump shots confidently, making a considerable portion of them. This eventually led them to take the lead and gain a massive gap victory of 21-42.
Throughout the tournament, our players have achieved and presented eye-opening progress in both offense and defense. On offense, the paint-zone shooting percentage and overall field goal percentage improved, with a significant decline in turnover rates. Our full-court press worked relatively well against Hope and the CIA. Also, the players' ardent endeavors and eagerness to gain victory were applaudable. These virtues of the team led to the team's improvement and gain solid victories against the teams that we've lost previously, thanks to the advice and encouragement of Mr. Beck and Mr. Webb throughout the practice.
As a passionate member of the basketball community at Logos, I was proud and impressed with our team's great performance during the tournament. Indeed, we still have a lot to work on. But observing our team's ardent endeavors and visible progress, I am happy to inform the readers of Logos that our basketball team is a team of great potential.