The arena felt different today. Louder somehow, even though it wasn't more packed than usual. Maybe it was the stakes. Quarterfinals. One loss and the season was over.
Darius stood on the sideline in his warmup tracksuit, hands tucked into the pockets, watching both teams line up for introductions. Malik stood next to him, quiet for once, arms crossed tight over his chest. They weren't starting. Again.
The announcer's voice boomed through the speakers.
"Starting at point guard, number seven, Kenny Williams!"
Kenny jogged out, slapping hands with the guys on the bench. Confident. Steady. He'd earned that spot.
"At shooting guard, your captain, number twelve, Daren Mitchell!"
The crowd got louder. Daren ran out with that easy swagger he always had, red hair catching the gym lights. He pointed toward the student section and they went wild.
"At small forward, number nine, Marcus Green!"
Marcus came out smooth, nodding to both sides of the court. Focused.
"At power forward, number four, Eli Carson!"
Eli walked out slow, no theatrics, just cold determination in his eyes. The vice captain didn't need to hype anybody up. His game did that for him.
"And at center, number twenty-three, Troy Henderson!"
Troy came out last, tall and long, arms swinging loose. The starting five dapped each other up at half court, forming a tight circle.
On the other side, the Cascade Striders were being announced too. Darius watched them carefully, noting their body language, their spacing, the way they moved even during introductions.
"At point guard, number ten, Julian Hayes!"
A lean guard with cornrows jogged out, moving with this smooth efficiency that reminded Darius of a metronome. Nothing flashy, just precise.
"At shooting guard, number five, Cameron Wells!"
The stocky kid from warmups. Thick build, low center of gravity. Defensive minded for sure.
"At small forward, number fourteen, Mason Lee!"
Tall and wiry, with long arms that seemed to reach halfway across the court. Darius recognized the type. Versatile. Could guard multiple positions.
"At power forward, number eight, Andre Simpson!"
Strong, physical, but not slow. He moved like someone who'd been playing organized ball since elementary school.
"And at center, number twenty-one, Derek Grant!"
Not the tallest center Darius had seen, but built solid. Good hands. Smart positioning.
The Striders formed their own circle at half court, and even from the sideline, Darius could see it. They weren't hyping each other up with loud talk or chest bumps. They just stood there, hands in, quiet confidence radiating off them like heat.
Coach Anderson gathered Bayview one last time before tip-off.
"Same principles," he said, voice calm but firm. "Move the ball. Get back on defense. Communicate. They're disciplined, so we have to match that discipline. Understand?"
"Yes, Coach!" the team responded in unison.
But Darius could see it in some of their faces. They didn't really understand. Not yet.
The referee blew the whistle. Troy and Derek stepped into the center circle for the jump ball.
The ref tossed it high.
Troy got a hand on it, tipping it back toward Kenny. Bayview had first possession.
Kenny brought the ball up slow, surveying the floor. Julian Hayes picked him up at half court, not pressing, just staying in front. Kenny dribbled right, then crossed back left, looking for an opening.
Cameron Wells was already rotating toward Daren. Mason Lee stayed home on Marcus. Andre Simpson shaded toward Eli. Derek Grant anchored the paint.
Kenny tried to drive the lane, but Julian cut off his angle. Kenny kicked it out to Daren on the wing.
Daren caught it, took one dribble, and pulled up for a mid-range jumper.
Cameron Wells contested with a hand up, not biting on any fakes, just staying vertical.
The shot clanged off the front of the rim.
Derek Grant grabbed the rebound clean, not even jumping, just boxing out Troy and securing it with two hands.
Before Bayview could get set, the Striders were already pushing.
Julian took the outlet pass and drove up the right side. Kenny backpedaled, trying to stay in front, but Julian wasn't attacking him. He was reading the floor.
Mason Lee sprinted up the left wing. Andre Simpson filled the middle. Cameron Wells trailed on the right.
Julian drove toward the baseline, drawing Eli's help defense, then kicked it to Andre in the middle of the lane.
Andre caught it in rhythm and laid it up soft off the glass.
Striders 2, Bayview 0.
"That's alright, that's alright!" Daren clapped, jogging back. "Let's go, next play!"
Kenny inbounded to Daren, who brought it up this time. He tried to establish some pace, slowing down at the top of the key. Marcus set a screen on the right side. Daren used it, rubbing his defender off and attacking downhill.
But Mason Lee was already there, rotating from the weak side. Daren kicked it back out to Marcus in the corner.
Marcus caught it, squared up, and shot the three.
It rattled in and out.
Troy went up for the rebound, but Derek Grant had position. He tipped it out to Julian, who grabbed it and immediately looked up court.
The Striders didn't sprint this time. They jogged into their half court set, everyone spacing out evenly. Julian dribbled at the top, calm, methodical.
He passed to Cameron on the right wing. Cameron swung it to Mason on the left. Mason drove baseline, then kicked it back out to Julian, who had drifted to the left elbow.
Julian caught it, faked a shot, and drove middle. Kenny helped off his man. Julian dumped it to Andre, who caught it and immediately swung it to Derek under the basket.
Derek laid it in with his left hand, untouched.
Striders 4, Bayview 0.
Coach Anderson leaned forward on the bench, elbows on his knees. Assistant Coach George stood next to him, arms crossed.
"They're moving the ball like water," George muttered.
"European style," Anderson said quietly. "Everyone's a passer. Everyone's a cutter. No hero ball."
Bayview tried to respond. Kenny pushed the pace, got into the lane, and kicked it to Eli on the left block. Eli backed down Andre Simpson, using his strength advantage.
But the moment Eli turned to shoot, Derek Grant slid over from the weak side, contesting without fouling.
The shot missed.
Mason Lee grabbed the rebound.
Striders pushed again. This time it was Cameron who drove, then passed to Derek rolling to the rim. Derek caught it and finished with a dunk.
Striders 6, Bayview 0.
Darius sat forward on the bench, his jaw tight. He wasn't nervous. He was analyzing. Every possession, the Striders were making the right read. Every pass was on time. Every cut was purposeful. They weren't faster than Bayview. They weren't more athletic. They were just sharper.
On the court, frustration was starting to creep in.
Kenny dribbled up, trying to force something. He drove into traffic and threw up a wild floater that didn't even hit the rim.
Derek grabbed it and immediately kicked it out to Julian.
The Striders ran another set. Pass, cut, pass, screen, pass. Andre got an open layup.
Striders 8, Bayview 0.
Coach Anderson called timeout.
The Bayview players jogged over, breathing hard, frustration written all over their faces. Daren was shaking his head. Eli looked pissed. Kenny stared at the floor.
"Alright, settle down," Coach said, voice firm but not panicked. "You're rushing. They're making you play their game. Slow down. Execute."
"Coach, they're everywhere," Marcus said, breathing heavy. "Every time we drive, someone's rotating."
"That's what they do," Coach replied. "So stop driving into traffic. Move the ball. Make them rotate too much. Find the open man."
Daren nodded, trying to lock in. Eli clenched his jaw.
The whistle blew. Time was up.
As the starters walked back onto the court, Darius watched them, his mind already running through what he'd do differently. He wasn't frustrated that he wasn't out there. Not yet. But he could feel it building.
The Striders were a problem. A real one.
And Bayview didn't have an answer yet.