The "new strategy" Coach Anderson unveiled at halftime?
The One-Star, Four-Shooters system.
Cory Grant almost laughed out loud. Shouldn't I charge royalties? This is literally the same tactic I introduced last week in practice. Coach really is just cruising in "retirement mode."
Still, the reminder gave Shohoku clarity, and Anderson's rare words of encouragement lit fuel under the whole bench. Morale surged.
Charles Ackerman's eyes blazed renewed fire. The gorilla within was awake again.
Across the court, Coach Tian was not idle. Whiteboard in hand, he sketched furiously.
"We need to stretch the gap wider in the second half," he barked. "Set a small goal—let's be 30 points ahead by the end."
Even though this was billed as a "friendly," Tian had zero interest in keeping it close. He wanted sheer dominance to prove Ryonan was in another league.
Second Half Begins
Shohoku's adjusted lineup hit the floor:
Center: Charles Ackerman
Power Forward: Daniel Irving (undersized at 183 cm)
Small Forward: Justin Tanaka
Shooting Guard: Cory Grant
Point Guard: Nick Okamoto
Four freshmen plus the captain. A shooting-heavy group built to execute the one-star scheme.
First possession: Okamoto dribbled confidently across half court.
Asahi Matsushita pressed hard, but Nick wasn't Ito—he braced wide, used his thick frame, and neutralized the pressure instantly.
"Charles!" he barked, calling Ackerman to set a pick.
Charles rolled up, massive frame planting a wall. Okamoto dribbled free, drew the switch, and lofted a high entry pass.
Charles caught, hands raised high over the smaller Matsushita, and thundered a two-handed dunk.
BOOM. The rim rattled as Shohoku cut the gap back to single digits. The cheer from the bench reignited their confidence.
Next play, Ryonan worked fluidly—passes zipping like quicksilver until Oribe Sasaki found daylight. He rose—but Cory Grant leapt into his lane, fingertips brushing the ball.
Smack! Intercepted!
Daniel Irving scooped the loose ball and fired it forward. Cory sprinted the length of the floor, caught in stride, and without hesitation pulled up from three.
Not here, not now, thought Ozawa, but he was too late.
Swish! The net snapped white.
The gym roared—Shohoku pulled within 5 points.
Cory exhaled heavily. That was dumb. I don't have a 90+ Three-Point stat yet… that was pure instinct from my old-world habits. I'd better not spam those unless I want to tank my efficiency.
With spacing improved from the four-out scheme, Shohoku suddenly looked alive.
Charles dominated the paint, pulling double coverage. Cory and the shooters spaced properly, punishing rotations. Even Daniel Irving, though undersized, hit a mid-range jumper when left open.
The gap closed possession by possession.
But Ryonan was too disciplined to collapse. Every Shohoku make was answered swiftly—Ozawa draining a jumper here, Matsushita penetrating there.
The game sharpened into a knife fight.
Scores climbed in quick alternation. The crowd noise built to fever pitch.
"Fight! Fight!" both benches roared in chorus.
In the stands, Hannah Ackerman's eyes sparkled. Her brother—dominating the inside with sheer force. And Cory—hitting moves she'd never seen before.
This is the first time I've seen Nori so commanding… he looks amazing out there. Pride bloomed hot in her chest.
Time ticked fast. Before anyone realized, only one minute remained.
The scoreboard blared:
Shohoku 74 – Ryonan 76.
Within two points.
Everything was about to come down to the wire.