The moment Isaac Takahashi leapt toward the hoop, Cory Grant reacted without hesitation. Launching upward at the same time, his right hand arced like a blade, swiping at the ball.
Isaac spotted him in the corner of his vision. Panicked, he shoved extra power into his layup to avoid being blocked—but not enough.
Cory's fingertips brushed the leather.
BANG!
The ball clanged off the rim. Missed.
Cory landed, planted his body between Isaac and the ball, and secured the rebound cleanly. Isaac lunged to recover, but Cory's positioning held him off.
He wasted no time, pushing the ball out to Nick Okamoto.
Okamoto dribbled up the floor, wary this time. "Charles! Pick-and-roll!"
Charles Ackerman lumbered up, setting a towering screen. Okamoto zipped around his frame, shaking off Mark Ito.
Ichiro Sato rotated over on the switch—but Okamoto was too strong in the chest, bulldozing his way past to the right elbow.
As Charles rolled to the basket, Okamoto lasered the pass.
Charles secured the ball against his body like a fortress—no one was prying it loose. Ito tried harassing from behind, but Charles was simply too big, too strong.
With a roar, he spun left, shoulders colliding hard into Ito, and rose.
SLAM!
The rim rattled viciously. The gym popped with the violence of it.
Freshmen up, 2–0.
Landing, Charles pounded his chest with a primal roar. His teammates cheered wildly. In that moment, he was no longer the nervous kid of Kitamura Middle. He was a gorilla standing tall in the paint.
Even the seniors had to pause—facing the raw dominance of his dunk.
From the sideline, Coach Anderson sipped calmly from his thermos, expression unreadable.
"DEFENSE!" Charles bellowed, overcome by adrenaline. Inspired, the freshmen snapped into tight man defense.
The seniors regrouped. Mark Ito probed from the top, then split a pass inside to Owen Suzuki.
Owen was 6'1", but his 220 pounds made him a wrecking ball. He immediately bulldozed Kyle Yamamoto, nearly tossing the rookie aside.
Turning toward the hoop, Owen's bulk prevented any real lift—he relied on simple layups. He spun slowly, winding up a soft shot—
But Charles had rotated. Sliding across, he timed it perfectly.
SMACK!
His right palm crushed the ball off the glass for a thunderous block.
"Not today!" he shouted.
The ball bounced free. Owen, heavier, boxed Charles under and jostled for the rebound. Their bodies slammed—Charles nearly lost balance. But adjusting quickly, he reached over with his long arms and snatched it first.
He ripped down the rebound, hitting Okamoto again on the outlet.
The sequence repeated. Okamoto drove off Charles's screen, drew defense, and dished to Big Ackerman rolling inside.
SLAM! Charles hammered another dunk.
The first-year center had taken over. On offense, he was unstoppable. On defense, he stacked three more rejections in rapid sequence, scaring the seniors away from the paint entirely.
Within minutes, the freshman squad ballooned to a double-digit lead. Energy surged with every bucket.
Daniel Irving, captain of the seniors, gritted his teeth. "Timeout!"
Gathered in a circle, Daniel looked at his seniors. They were sweating and pale, morale sinking.
"You don't want to lose to these rookies, do you?"
"Never!" they shouted in frustration.
"Then listen—if we want to win, we have to shut down Charles Ackerman. Double-team him on every touch. Offensively, Ichiro—you pull him out from under the basket. Drag him away so we can attack inside without his shadow. Understood?"
"Understood!"
The seniors clapped hands, rallying their spirits.
When play resumed, they were sharper. Ichiro Sato dragged Charles out high, running a screen. That left the lane open. Daniel cut hard backdoor, catching a pass and finishing with a clean layup.
Finally—points for the seniors.
On the next possession, Okamoto lobbed it to Charles inside. Immediately Isaac Takahashi doubled down, trapping him.
Charles stretched his long arms to hold the ball high, refusing to force it—just like Cory had instructed.
"Here! Charles, here!"
Cory's voice rang out. He had slipped into the corner pocket, wide open.
Charles whipped the ball cross-court.
Isaac twisted—late.
Cory rose, calm.
Swish. Three points.
"Great pass, Charles!" Cory shouted, slapping his teammate's palm.
"Great shot, Cory!" Charles grinned back.
The freshmen's One Star, Four Shooters system clicked in beautifully.
Next sequence, Charles absorbed the double and kicked it to Justin Tanaka. He nailed the jumper.
Now the lead stretched closer to twenty. Frustration mounted for the seniors. Their shots turned rushed, their rhythm cracked, and turnovers multiplied.
The freshmen strung passes like vets, each bucket stoking their fire higher.
Soon, the scoreboard gap was enormous. Nearly 20 points separated the two sides.
The senior squad's morale plummeted.
Daniel called another timeout, sweat dripping. His teammates breathed heavy, eyes doubting.
"This rookie group… they're too damn strong!"
"Captain, what do we do?!"
Daniel's jaw clenched. Deep inside, a thought sparked—a problem he had just recognized.
"…Wait. I see it now."
His gaze hardened. He had spotted something. If they could exploit it, maybe—just maybe—they could turn the game.