GISST boys Basketball team Highlights
Varsity Boys:
Our Varsity Boys Basketball team traveled to Berlin to compete in the annual GISST tournament, where eight teams battled for the championship title. Despite having a roster of just eight players and no seniors, our team showed incredible determination from the start. We opened the tournament with an impressive 10-point victory over pretournament favorite Franconia International School (FIS), setting the tone for a strong run.
Lead by our solid nucleus of Leo Steinmetz, Assan Turdiyev and Santiago Ramirez Forero, our boys went undefeated and advanced to the gold medal game, where they faced FIS once again. It was a hard-fought rematch and though we were battling through injuries and foul trouble, our players gave everything they had on the court. While FIS found their rhythm offensively, we struggled to get shots to fall at key moments. In the end, we fell by 10 points, earning a well-deserved silver medal.
Although we came up just short of the championship, the team’s resilience, toughness, and unity were evident throughout the tournament. Their efforts were rewarded not only with a second-place finish, but also with promotion to Division I for next season. I am incredibly proud of the way our players competed and represented our school. Along with Leo, Assan and Santiago, ISF was represented by Omar Turdiyev, Jesse Daubenmire, Steven Song, Felix Zerfass and Jaerim Uhm.
U14 Boys:
Our U14 Boys Basketball team traveled to Hannover to compete in a 10-team GISST tournament, finishing in 5th place. Due to injuries and other commitments the boys only suited up seven players for the competition. The tournament began with a tough loss to defending champions BBIS, who dominated every opponent, but the boys responded well with wins over STGD and Ulm. A narrow 41–44 defeat to BERIS in the final game of the first day secured us the 3rd seed in our bracket.
On day two, we faced 2nd-seeded Stuttgart and, after a slow start due to fatigue and injuries, found ourselves down by 10 points with just two minutes remaining. The boys showed incredible resilience, using a full-court press to force turnovers and score quickly. In a dramatic finish, Dowoo Kim grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with three seconds left to tie the game and send it to overtime. Despite a strong start in OT with a quick basket by Alex Dai, Stuttgart hit two key three-pointers to seal the win and end our medal hopes.
In the 5th-place game against FIS, the boys once again demonstrated their determination. Trailing 4 to 9 after the first quarter, they adjusted by reapplying the full-court press, holding FIS to just four more points for the rest of the game. This defensive intensity led to a dominant 42–13 victory, allowing the team to finish the tournament on a high note. I am extremely proud of their effort, teamwork, and perseverance throughout the competition. Along with team captains Dowoo Kim, Alex Dai and Yuma Kajino, ISF had Fynn Kuhl, Tristen McDonald, Siddhant Mulay and Jaden MaCharrie competing for ISF.
Mike Colvin
ISFSports Academy Coach
