Rising stars show their class and style

"I can't believe we made it to the semis. Those girls are really good, and it was really hard to defend them."

Reflecting on lessons from the match, she added: "The key was sticking with my team — we played as a team, but never dropped our heads, which we almost did in that game. But, we stuck through it, so that was good.

"Probably the most important thing was just working as a team and staying positive."

China's Tsinghua University High School sent both its boys' and girls' teams to compete in the invitational tournament.

Point guard Wu Shaohao from the boys' team emphasized that the competition provides valuable learning opportunities, as facing diverse opponents helps players identify and work on areas that need improvement.

The team's coach Wang Zeqi broke down their tournament experience, noting how each opponent presented its own unique challenges.

He particularly recalled the semifinal against Australia's Berwick College as "an absolute battle in the paint, with extremely physical play".

He contrasted this with matches against Japanese and Korean teams, where he noted "their perimeter shooting was more precise", and that their ball movement saw Tsinghua's "height advantage actually become a disadvantage".

"This tournament provided exceptional developmental value for our players," Coach Wang stated.

"The technical and mental challenges they faced while competing against teams with fundamentally different approaches to the game were invaluable for their growth."

xingwen@chinadaily.com.cn