“The format really lends itself to close games. In just 16 minutes, a lot of things can happen,” says Austin Lehn, the girls varsity coach, describing the round-robin games at Saturday’s GCDS Basketball Invitational Tournament. The challenge brought out the best in both GCDS teams. “It was a great day for us because playing four games demands depth, and what was obvious was that we had 11 girls who were all playing hard and making plays to help us win," says Coach Lehn.

Bench strength was especially important for the boys team, which played short-handed due to two injuries. “On Saturday, every member of the team contributed—everybody had a moment that made a meaningful difference in one or more of the games,” says Jon Bates, the boys varsity coach. Their hustle and talent paid off. The girls team went 3 -1, taking second, and the boys team continued their strong season record (18 - 1), winning the tournament and their second trophy this season.