Between Friday, Dec. 16, and Sunday, Dec. 18, the 60th annual Paul “Frosty” Francis Kingswood Oxford Invitational Tournament brought basketball teams from 13 schools all across New England together for one weekend of competitive play.
This piece of KO history stays special for Wyverns year after year. “It is one of the few athletic traditions that the student body holds onto past graduation,” Director of Athletics Josh Balabuch said. “The Friday night of KITs is something that will never change.”
Taking the win this year in the girls bracket was Wilbraham and Monson Academy over KO in the finals on Sunday night. KO lost 69-40 after an undefeated weekend. For the boys’ bracket, KO beat King 70-40 in the final game.
“For the third tournament in a row, our girls and boys teams both made the finals,” Mr. Balabuch said. “This was the third win in a row for the boys team and their sixth straight championship appearance.”
One of the most intense games in the girls tournament was the consolation bracket semifinals between Hopkins and Hyde. “They were going back and forth with the lead all game, and into overtime,” Mr. Balabuch said.
With the KO girls team being so young, their mental strength was tested by the tournament. “Finding the strength to go into each game with high energy three days in a row is intense, but I believe we handled it well,” junior guard Co-captain Olivia Stevens said. “There’s a lot more mental weariness than physical while playing basketball, but our confidence is improving game after game.”
In the boys bracket, Balabuch said the quarterfinals game between Greens Farms and Hyde was also competitive. “GFA kept creating turnovers on defense, but Hyde kept them from scoring,” he said. Hyde won the game 68-64.
The KO boys faced a challenge in their Saturday game against Capitol Prep. Even though they walked away with an 80-46 win, it was their most intense game. “It was more physical than the other games,” senior small forward and Co-captain Gavin Griffiths said, “but everybody on the team is unselfish and just wants to win.”
The excitement of this unique tradition brought many Wyverns to the stands to support their friends and classmates. Griffiths appreciated the packed Wyvern Den at the KITs this year. “At home games, it’s really cool to have all the fans there cheering you on,” he said. “It definitely helps a lot when you’re having a tough game.”
Stevens agreed and added the importance of being able to rely on her team. “The more energy the fans bring, the more energy we have,” she said, “but a lot of support comes from each other. We stay positive with each other and encourage one another throughout the game.”
Boys Head Coach Brad Seaman also recognizes the importance of supporting the team. “They look anywhere, they’re going to find people that they trust, but it’s unique to the player,” he said. “Some will turn to their coaches, some will turn to parents, and some will turn to significant others.”
Heading into the peak of their seasons, both teams have set goals, using the experiences at the KITs as a model to improve their performance. “Our decision-making is improving as the season goes on,” Stevens said. “I believe if we keep working on the mental part of the game, we will continue to be successful.”
“We’re doing a pretty good job this year of sharing the ball, moving without the ball, and everybody attacking the rebounds, but you can never be too good at that,” Griffiths said. “Those are things we can always improve on.”
Coach Seaman looks not just at improving the technicalities of his team’s playing, but also towards maintaining a sense of enjoyment in the sport. “Our goal, obviously, is to keep winning,” he said, “but I think by adding a little bit of freedom, that will allow them to have fun.”
As both teams look ahead to the rest of their seasons, they aim to apply the progress made at the KITs to their next games. The girls face Cheshire Academy this Friday, and both the boys’ and girls’ teams will take on Greenwich Country Day School on Saturday.
