HD’s vs. Ishizuka’s: Dining Hall Joke to Overtime Thriller

When Groton students enter the Schoolhouse on any given day, they might see a few sweatshirts and jackets lying around, some stray papers, or even a scooter or two. But entering the Schoolhouse on Saturday, September 26, we were instantly greeted by a sea of blue and red AI-generated posters.

Upon closer inspection, students could make out the announcement: “Ishi’s vs. HD’s Basketball Game.” Right under that were fellow classmates Nicco Samson ’27 and Raphael Aberbach ’27 wearing their dorm’s jerseys and fierce expressions. These posters were hung in classrooms, student areas, on the floor, and the biggest poster, created with 36 regular size sheets, was hung from the bridge in the Forum. The message was clear: something big was coming.

The HD’s versus Ishizuka’s basketball game was held on Saturday, September 26. The event was enormous, encompassing dozens of posters around the school, multiple all-school emails, white-out and black-out sections, two referees, multiple faculty attendees, a national anthem, announcers, a halftime show, and live music. For those in attendance, the game certainly lived up to the hype.

HD’s Dorm, starring Jordan Zhang ’28, as well as Sixth Formers Ronny “Michael” Jordan ’27 and Nicco Samson ’27, started off strong. Spurred by Zhang’s scoring, HD’s quickly led by double digits. But after Ishizuka’s supporter David Akhidime swished a half-court shot during the halftime show, the tide quickly turned. Led by Sixth Formers Samuel “Skim” Kim ’27, Davis “Savid” Meng ’27, and Raphael “Raph” Aberbach ’27, Ishizuka’s took a commanding lead, but a buzzer-beating shot by Zhang cut that lead to just one heading into the fourth quarter.

Ishizuka’s led for most of the fourth quarter, but some costly turnovers down the stretch, multiple three pointers from Jordan, and two clutch free throws from Zhang tied the game back up. After a long three pointer from Zhang for the win missed, the game headed to overtime.

Each team scored quickly, but the game remained tied until the final 30 seconds, when Zhang brought the ball up the court for HD’s. Zhang dribbled the ball on the right wing before driving and scoring a layup. With only three seconds left, Ishizuka’s called a timeout. Head Coach Leighton Matney ’28 drew up a play for Meng, who received the ball all the way at the other end of the court. As he went up for a potential game-tying shot, he was fouled by Zhang.

However, after protests by the HD’s players and supporters, referees Archer Daniels ’27 and Rory Christopher ’28 turned to the replay review via video taken by a spectator. After analysis, the referees overturned their call, giving HD’s the ball with little time left. Instead of playing the final second, Ishizuka’s players walked off the court in protest. HD’s was presented with a trophy as the dorm celebrated together. The crowd wearing white exploded with applause and the crowd wearing black joined their team in a not-so-silent protest.

The players feel that this game was the start of something new and exciting. Both Jordan and Nicco believe there should be more healthy competition between dorms. Currently, dorms compete through Spring Fling, Lip Sync, and Spirit Weeks, but the general consensus, as gathered through interviews, is that the community wants more uncensored competition. What started as a joke in the dining hall between Raphael and Nicco turned into an afternoon of spontaneous fun. If the turnout is representative of anything, it’s that Groton’s community will always support each other.

What was most unexpected for fans in attendance was the number of faculty that made the trek out to the AC in the rain. Interviews with the teachers present reveal that they came for a variety of reasons. Some came to ensure safety and sportsmanship, others were looking for entertainment for their small children, and several had personal connections to the dorms or players. Luke Tichi cheered his temporary dorm on, while Azmar Williams, PhD, received a personal invitation from his two advisees: Davis Meng and Jordan Zhang.

The game raised many discussions of starting a dorm basketball league. However, some players’ felt that particular game was so special because of the impulsive nature and equal skill level of the teams. Is it possible that if the pick up league becomes something more required will it just be added to the list of responsibilities we have in a day as Groton students? How, if a weekly league is the solution, can we ensure the teams are equal? Regardless of whether there’s ever another dorm rivalry that compares to HD’s and Ishizuka’s, this is certainly a memory to bring us all closer together.

We close this article with a note from HD’s members Dean Ali ’27 and Nicco Samson ’27: “Thank you for your support!”