A week passed in a blur of drills and scrimmages. Now the Bayview Junior Hoops were gathered in the team room, the air thick with the smell of sports drink and fresh laundry. Coach Anderson stood at the front, clipboard in hand.
"Alright, here's the starting five for Saturday," he said, scanning the room. "Point guard: Kenny. Shooting guard: Daren. Small forward: Marcus. Power forward: Eli. Center: Troy."
Daren gave a small nod. Eli, the vice‑captain, leaned back in his chair, unreadable.
Darius and Malik sat side by side, neither looking disappointed. They'd only been here a week — starting wasn't even on their radar yet.
The Next Morning – Hustle System Wake‑Up
A faint chime pulled Darius from sleep. The Hustle System's panel hovered in his vision:
PRE‑GAME PREP – STRETCHING REQUIRED Time: 6:00 AM
Darius groaned. "Oh, come on. It's not like I'm even going to play."
Still, he swung his legs out of bed and started stretching lazily. The System pulsed again:
REMINDER: Proper stretching prevents injury. Always be ready.
"I know," Darius muttered. "But this only matters if I get a chance to play."
RESPONSE: Anything can happen. Preparation is never wasted.
Darius sighed, then committed to the stretches properly.
Waking Malik
A little while later, he padded over to Malik's bed and shook him. Malik groaned, rolled to face the wall, and pulled the covers over his head.
"Come on, man. Wake up. We have to go."
"It's still early. Go shower first, then wake me when you're done," Malik growled.
"Bruh… I'm already showered!"
"You're lying!" Malik yanked the covers down, saw Darius still in his pajamas, sucked his teeth, and rolled back over.
"Still, get up! Coach said we gotta be there by nine."
"Would you chill? It's seven. I've got time. Give me thirty more minutes."
"Whatever, man." Darius gave up and left him.
By 8:45, the bus pulled up to the arena. The place was buzzing — people packed around the court, cheering for the game already in progress.
Darius slowed, eyes drawn to the action. A teenage boy on the court moved with swagger, dribbling toward the other team's half. The crowd leaned in, phones raised.
He toyed with his defender, quick changes of direction, then a sudden move that sent the defender stumbling to the floor. The crowd erupted. Without breaking stride, the boy sank the shot cleanly and jogged back, calm as if nothing had happened.
Darius's eyes stayed locked on him until—
"Yo!" Malik's voice cut in. "Are we going or what?"
They found their assigned locker room empty.
"Where's everybody?" Malik asked.
"I don't know."
"You see? You made us arrive early just to wait! We could've had more sleep."
"Chill. Better early than late."
"Yeah, whatever."
Coach Anderson walked in, eyebrows raised. "You two are earlier than I expected."
Malik shot Darius an I told you so look.
"Yeah, Coach," Darius said. "Better to be early, you know."
"That's good. I like the enthusiasm."
The rest of the team trickled in. Soon they were on the court warming up. Darius noticed the stands weren't as full as before.
"Where is everyone?" he asked Malik in line for lay‑ups.
Malik shrugged. Daren, behind them, chuckled. "They only came to watch Jace Carter. He's huge on TikTok. How do you not know him?"
"I do have social media," Darius said, "but I don't know him."
"Well, you should. If we want to win the JSC, we'll probably have to go through him."
After warm‑ups, both teams headed back to their locker rooms. Coach Anderson stood in front of them, Assistant Coach George at his side.
"This is our first real test," Anderson said. "Play smart. Play together. And no matter what, keep your heads up."
The team roared in agreement.
Starting Line‑Ups
Bayview Junior Hoops
PG: Kenny
SG: Daren
SF: Marcus
PF: Eli
C: Troy
Riverside Hawks
PG: Shawn Eagle
SG: Damien Cole
SF: Malikson Reed
PF: Tyler Brooks
C: Andre King
The referee's whistle cut through the noise. Players from both teams took their positions, and the ball was tossed into the air for the opening tip. From the bench, Darius leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, eyes locked on the court.
The first few possessions were careful, almost like both sides were testing each other. Kenny, Bayview's point guard, dribbled the ball up the court — controlling the pace — before passing to Daren on the right side. Daren quickly swung it to Marcus, who was standing just inside the painted area near the basket. Marcus rose for a short, controlled jump shot. The ball arced high and dropped cleanly through the hoop. 2–0 Bayview.
Riverside responded immediately. Their point guard, Shawn Eagle, used a quick burst of speed to slip past Kenny. Once he was close to the basket, he laid the ball gently off the backboard, where it bounced in. 2–2.
Bayview came back down the court. This time, Eli — the vice‑captain — caught the ball close to the rim. A Riverside defender slammed into him, but Eli powered through the contact, forcing the ball up and in. 4–2 Bayview.
Then came Riverside's shooting guard — Damien Cole. He caught the ball on the left side of the court, just outside the scoring area. The crowd's volume rose instantly. Damien dribbled hard toward the basket, then stopped so suddenly that Marcus, who was guarding him, slid forward off balance. Damien rose smoothly and released a mid‑range shot over Marcus's outstretched arm. The ball dropped through without touching the rim. 4–4.
The game settled into a rhythm. Bayview scored. Riverside answered. 6–6. Then 8–8. Every basket was matched by one at the other end, neither team giving an inch.
From the bench, Darius's eyes tracked every movement — the way players cut toward the basket, the timing of each pass, the small gaps in the defense. In his head, he was already playing, imagining what he'd do in each situation. He could feel the momentum shifting with every possession.
Then Bayview found their opening. Kenny read a pass before it left the opponent's hands, darted into the lane, and snatched the ball away. He sprinted down the court with a defender chasing him. Just before reaching the basket, he passed to Daren, who was running alongside him. Daren caught it in stride and laid it in off the glass. 12–10 Bayview.
On the next possession, Bayview moved the ball quickly around the perimeter. Marcus spotted Daren standing unguarded beyond the three‑point line — a full step behind the arc. The pass zipped into Daren's hands. He set his feet, rose, and released. The ball spun perfectly, dropping through the net without touching the rim. 15–10 Bayview.
The bench erupted, players jumping to their feet. Darius clapped hard, feeling the surge of energy ripple through the team. For the first time all game, Bayview had a cushion — and the momentum was theirs.