Scoreboard: Bayview 45, Riverside 30 — 1:30 left in the first half
Riverside called timeout. Bayview's players jogged to the bench, crowd noise trailing behind them like a wave.
Coach Anderson crouched over his clipboard, sketching out adjustments. The starters leaned in.
Darius and Malik sat off to the side, still in their warmup gear. The only two not dressed to play.
Malik leaned back, arms crossed, eyes drifting. Darius sat upright, pretending to listen, but his focus was locked on the court.
The crowd wasn't huge, but it was loud. Every cheer, every stomp, every whistle — it all fed the pulse in Darius's chest.
Bayview returned with the same fire they'd started with. Riverside tried to push the pace, sending their fastest player down the middle. Eli met him early, body squared, arms wide, forcing a rushed shot that clanged off the rim. Troy grabbed the rebound and turned quickly, scanning for options.
Kenny took the ball up the court, eyes darting. He passed to Daren on the left wing, who faked a shot and drove hard toward the baseline. The defense collapsed. Daren stopped short and kicked the ball out to Marcus, who was waiting near the top of the arc. Marcus caught it clean, rose with confidence, and dropped the jumper through the net.
Bayview 47, Riverside 30 — 1:02 left
Riverside came back fast. Their guard tried to shake Kenny with a crossover, but Kenny stayed in front. The shot came off awkward, bouncing long. Eli boxed out and grabbed it.
Bayview slowed the tempo. Kenny passed to Daren, who spotted Eli cutting behind the defense. The pass was sharp. Eli caught it in stride and laid it in off the glass, barely breaking motion.
Bayview 49, Riverside 30 — 0:38 left
Riverside tried again. One of their forwards drove into the paint, but Troy timed his jump perfectly and blocked the shot with both hands. The ball bounced to Kenny, who took off down the sideline.
Kenny passed ahead to Daren, who lobbed it softly toward the rim. Eli jumped, caught it mid-air, and dropped it in with a flick of his wrist.
Bayview 51, Riverside 30 — 0:12 left
The crowd roared.
On the bench, Darius's leg bounced uncontrollably. He didn't even notice until Malik nudged him.
"Damn bro, you need to chill out. You look like a drug addict when you're shaking like that."
Darius chuckled. "Man, I just wanna play ball."
"You know damn well we ain't playing today. So you better sit bench warm." Malik laughed.
"Screw you."
Malik kept laughing. Darius went quiet again, eyes locked on the court.
Another clean shot. Another cheer. The lead stretched wider.
The buzzer sounded. Bayview jogged off the court, heads high.
In the locker room, Coach Anderson stood in front of the team, arms folded.
"You're doing well," he said. "Smart plays. Good energy. Keep it up."
Darius sat with his head down, leg still bouncing. Coach noticed.
He smirked. "Malik and Darius — get yourselves ready. You might get a few minutes today."
Both boys looked up at the same time.
Darius's heart jumped. His face lit up. Malik blinked, surprised.
"No promises," Coach added. "Only if the game stays like this. I don't want to throw you into something messy for your first match. So pray your teammates don't ruin your debut."
The team chuckled.
Daren pointed at them. "Come on, Coach. You know us better than that. We'll make sure they get their shot."
Bayview came out swinging. Kenny took the ball up the court, eyes scanning. He passed to Marcus, who curled around a screen and caught it near the elbow. One step, one rise, and the shot dropped in clean.
Bayview 53, Riverside 30
Riverside answered quickly. Their guard slipped past a screen and got to the rim, laying it in before Troy could rotate.
Bayview 53, Riverside 32
Bayview didn't flinch. Daren slowed the pace, calling for movement. Marcus drifted to the corner, caught the ball, and let it fly. The shot arced high and fell through untouched.
Bayview 56, Riverside 32
Riverside pushed again. Jace Carter got the ball on the wing and attacked. Eli stayed with him, but Jace stopped short and hit a tough jumper over the top.
Bayview 56, Riverside 34
Bayview kept control. Kenny drove into the lane, drew two defenders, and dropped the ball off to Troy, who powered through contact and finished strong.
Bayview 58, Riverside 34
The crowd was starting to lean in. Every possession felt heavier. Every movement had weight.
Coach turned to the bench.
"Malik. Darius. You're in."
Darius stood fast. His chest was tight, but not from nerves — from adrenaline.
Coach pulled them aside. "Don't try to do too much. Catch and shoot. Move into space. Keep the ball moving. Got it?"
They nodded.
As Darius stepped toward the court, the Hustle System flickered to life:
MATCH OBJECTIVES – ACTIVE
Make 2 successful passes
Contest 3 shots
Score at least once
Avoid turnovers XP Potential: High
Darius was slotted in as the floor leader — the one who sets the pace and makes decisions.
The game slowed down for them. Malik looked stiff, unsure. Darius moved with purpose, but something felt off.
He saw things before they happened — where the ball should go, where defenders would shift. But his teammates didn't. He'd cut early, but the ball wouldn't come. He'd rotate, but no one followed.
It looked like he was out of sync.
It wasn't that he didn't know what to do. It was that he knew too much.
Frustration built. But he forced himself to adjust.
They're not college players, he reminded himself. They're high school kids. Learn them.
So he slowed down. Watched. Adapted.
On the next play, he passed to Marcus on the left wing. Marcus swung it to Troy inside, who turned and scored with a soft touch.
Bayview 60, Riverside 34Objective: 1 successful pass – complete
Next possession, Darius waited for movement, then passed to Malik cutting across the top. Malik kicked it to Daren, who hit a jumper from the elbow.
Bayview 62, Riverside 34Objective: 2 successful passes – complete
On defense, Darius stayed in front of his man and forced a rushed shot that missed the mark.
Objective: 1 contested shot – complete
Malik boxed out and grabbed the rebound.
On offense, Darius found space near the free-throw line. He caught a pass, rose for a jumper — missed.
Next trip down, he got the ball again, this time on the right side. He set his feet, rose, and hit it clean.
Bayview 64, Riverside 34Objective: Score once – complete
On defense, Darius contested another shot, then poked the ball loose for a turnover.
Objective: 2 contested shots – completeObjective: Avoid turnovers – maintained
Malik, meanwhile, was moving better. No points, but his passes were clean. His defense was solid. He wasn't shining, but he wasn't dragging either.
Assistant Coach George leaned toward Anderson. "They're good. I won't lie."
Anderson nodded. "Yeah… they started slow, but they're settling in. I'm happy with this group."
He narrowed his eyes on Darius.
"You know Darius…"
"What about him?"
"There's something about him. I don't know what it is, but I've got this feeling in my gut. He's something special. Don't you think so?"
With just under a minute left, Bayview slowed the pace. The ball found Darius near the top of the arc, and for a moment, everything around him felt still. He scanned the floor, reading the defense, then pointed toward the left wing, guiding Marcus into position.
The defender in front of him hesitated, unsure whether to follow the motion or stay planted. Darius used that hesitation. He took a single dribble to his right, just enough to create space, then rose into his shooting form — balanced, calm, deliberate.
The shot left his hands clean, spinning with perfect rotation. It climbed high, cutting through the gym's noise like a thread through fabric, and dropped straight through the net. No bounce. No rim. Just the sound of mesh and the sudden eruption of the crowd.
Darius didn't celebrate. He turned and jogged back on defense, face composed, but inside, his chest was thumping like a drumline. He'd waited months for this moment — not just to play, but to belong. And now, with one shot, he'd carved his name into the rhythm of the game.
Bayview 67, Riverside 34
''Maybe, we'll have to see.'' George grinned.