On January 31st 2026, the day of the Middle School Kanto Basketball Tournament, the St. Mary’s International School A-Team took on the St. Maur A-Team in a game no one in the crowd would forget. From the opening tip, St. Maur played with confidence, speed, and chemistry, putting St. Mary’s under pressure right away. For most of the game, St. Mary’s was behind on the scoreboard, and as time went on, it started to look more and more like they were heading toward a pretty rough loss. The feeling in the gym was tense as spectators watched St. Mary’s struggle to keep up. Instead of letting frustration take over, they stayed composed, trusted one another, and kept battling for every rebound, pass, and possession.
As the game continued, St. Mary’s slowly began to find its rhythm. As one of the A-teams key players, Kazuho(‘30) says that “Rui(‘30) or my three is what gave us the good momentum” and also mentions that “I just tried to play like myself and did what I’m best at: to help Mikel, and to also help the team come back”. Their defense tightened up, their passing became sharper, and their energy seemed to grow with every play. Also, team captain Mikel(‘30) says that when the coach said, “Slow down one shot at a time”, he said he knew exactly what to do, and it helped him get in the zone. The team worked together at both ends of the court, forcing mistakes and creating new scoring opportunities. What had once seemed like a certain defeat started to become something very different. On top of this, Rui, who is also a very key player, says that “Some leaders in the teams told us to not give up and keep our heads up”, and he said it helped him bring the team up with his energy. Little by little, St. Mary’s closed the gap, and the momentum on the court began to shift. The crowd could feel that the game was turning. By the final moments, St. Mary’s had completely changed the story, pulling off an exciting comeback that stunned the spectators and became one of the most memorable wins of the season.
The team had already built a reputation as one of the strongest squads in the region, with leaders such as Kazuho, Mikel, and Rui setting the tone for the group. But this game showed that St. Mary’s was more than just a talented basketball team. Their determination, teamwork, and refusal to quit under pressure became the real story of the tournament. As team captain, Mikel says “Taking responsibility for the mistakes and knowing we are a team. Encouraging one another and helping lead them by starting plays” was one of the key importance of the whole game. Rather than falling apart when the game got difficult, they responded with discipline and belief in themselves. In the end, the victory mattered not only because of the final score of 36-35, but also because it revealed the team’s power. It proved that trust and hard work can overcome even the hardest challenges.