Varsity Girls Basketball Makes Gains at ACSC
Written by Jim Milliken, Varsity Girls Basketball Head Coach
The YISS varsity girls basketball team entered the 2025–26 season determined to build on both success and disappointment from the previous year. While the season typically begins with November tryouts, this year’s journey truly started in February 2025. The team had celebrated a Red Division championship and promotion to the Blue Division, juxtaposed with the bitter taste of three close losses at ACSC to finish in eighth place. Returning players, led by captains Grace K. (12) and Eva H. (11), were hungry and focused on raising their level and improving their performance at ACSC.
Throughout the season, the team emphasized a “long view” mindset: improving each week, practice, game, quarter, and possession. That approach proved especially important when an ankle injury sidelined Grace for much of the season, forcing the team to adjust while continuing to pursue its goals. Key areas of focus included improving free throw shooting—particularly in late-game situations—strengthening rebounding, and limiting turnovers. Goals are great, but early blow-out losses to SFS and SIS and falling to CI on a buzzer-beater proved that just wanting is not enough.
Rather than losing confidence, the girls regrouped and steadily improved. They defeated CI in a rematch and swept GSIS late in the season to finish fourth in the Blue Division. They also narrowed the gap with third-place SIS, losing by just four points. Those standings held in the KAIAC Tournament. YISS defeated CI before falling to league champion SFS and dropping another close four-point game to SIS. Eva H. (11) earned All-Conference and All-Tournament honors, while Elaine A. (11) was named 2nd Team All-Conference.
Heading into the ACSC tournament, the team knew close games often came down to execution—especially free throw shooting. The odds were not in YISS’s favor at ACSC. The tournament in Manila began with a challenging schedule: a game against defending champions ICS Bangkok, followed immediately by a game with Morrison in the tropical heat.
Against ICS Bangkok, our varsity girls team trailed by 12 points with four minutes remaining before launching a late comeback. However, a 12–2 run cut the final margin to just three points—a respectable finish. The team carried that momentum into its game against Morrison, breaking open a tight contest with an 8–2 run in the final minutes.
Day two marked a major step forward. YISS secured its first multi-win ACSC tournament in six years with victories over SPH and ICS Hong Kong—teams that had narrowly defeated them the previous season. Although a three-point loss to SPH prevented the team from competing for third place, YISS delivered a strong finish in the fifth-place game against Dalat. Down four points, the team closed with a strong 8–0 run, making six of eight free throws to secure a 4–3 record and fifth place.
Eva H. (11) was named All-ACSC and Tournament Best Defender after averaging 6.3 steals per game. Grace K. (12) returned as a key contributor during ACSC and led all participants with a 71% free throw percentage, helping raise the team’s tournament average to 50%. It was a great way to finish and a testament to the team’s efforts throughout the season.
