Ryonan's starting lineup:
Center: Uozumi, No. 5, 3rd year
Small Forward: Sendoh, No. 7, 2nd year
Power Forward: Ryoji Ikegami, No. 6, 2nd year
Shooting Guard: Koshino Hiroaki, No. 8, 2nd year
Point Guard: Tomoyuki Uekusa, No. 9, 2nd year
Tsukubu's starting lineup:
Center: Nango Koichiro, No. 15, 1st year
Small Forward: Izumi Takashi, No. 5, 3rd year
Power Forward: Mine Kenta, No. 8, 3rd year
Shooting Guard: Godai Tomokazu, No. 4, 3rd year (Captain)
Point Guard: Natsume Hiroshi, No. 7, 3rd year
Thump… thump…
Uozumi and Nango leaped simultaneously, their long arms stretching toward the ascending basketball.
Clap!
The ball wobbled in the air, caught between two immense forces.
Ryonan's bench widened their eyes in surprise.
Aida Hikoichi muttered, "He's evenly matched with Uozumi-senpai?"
Coach Taoka Moichi's eyebrows twitched. He hadn't expected Nango, nearly ten centimeters shorter, to contest the jump ball so evenly. Nango's explosiveness and jumping ability far exceeded what the stats suggested.
Akashi, sitting calmly on the bench, showed no surprise. He had already analyzed Nango's muscle coordination and athletic potential—this outcome was predictable.
The ball descended, and a Tsukubu player stepped ahead to secure it. Natsume Hiroshi, the point guard, controlled the ball with composed precision despite Uekusa's defense.
Thump… thump… The basketball danced deftly in Natsume's hands. Two sudden direction changes disrupted Uekusa's balance. Spotting a gap, Natsume drove forward cleanly, completing a sharp breakthrough.
What a quick change of direction… Uekusa thought, impressed.
Yet compared to Akashi, he was still far behind.
Meanwhile, Tsukubu's offense flowed seamlessly. Sendoh quickly moved to intercept Natsume's passing lane. Reacting instantly, Natsume slammed the ball to the floor, rebounding it precisely to Nango in the paint.
Nango pressed his back into Uozumi, shouting arrogantly, "Get out of the way… Get out of the way…"
As he spun and leaped for a layup, Uozumi roared:
"You're so annoying, you stinky brat!"
With a powerful leap, Uozumi swatted the ball down. It bounced to Mine Kenta, who, seeing Sendoh approaching, passed immediately to Izumi Takashi on the perimeter.
Ryoji Ikegami rushed to block, but Izumi flicked a smooth pass to Godai Tomokazu. Tomoyuki Uekusa lunged but was half a step too late.
Swoosh!
The ball arced perfectly into the hoop.
Ryonan 0 – 3 Tsukubu
The stands erupted in thunderous cheers. Tsukubu fans waved their arms, chanting in synchronized rhythm.
On Ryonan's bench, murmurs of concern arose.
"What a fast pace."
"Their passing and dribbling… incredible."
"They're different from anyone we've faced."
Coach Taoka nodded appreciatively. "Shorter players, but extremely fast and coordinated. Their offensive rhythm is excellent."
Aida Hikoichi scribbled notes frantically. "Final Four-level team indeed. Ryonan's in for a tough battle if this pace continues."
Taoka, however, smirked. "Tough battle? Heh… for the old Ryonan, maybe. But now…" He glanced briefly at Akashi, calm and collected, then back to the court.
The game intensified. Uozumi let out a roar, slamming the ball into the hoop with thunderous force.
Clang!
Ryonan 2 – 3 Tsukubu
Tsukubu's players were stunned. Their fast-break offense had been met with an equally aggressive counter. Even Nango, flushed with indignation, felt the force of Uozumi's dunk.
"Don't underestimate them," Godai whispered to Nango. "Ryonan is not like any opponent we've faced."
Nango nodded, wary now.
The game continued. Both teams quickly adapted. Tsukubu adjusted from pure speed to more varied passing; Ryonan tightened defense, becoming proactive rather than reactive.
A fierce tug-of-war ensued. Tsukubu's players darted like fish, threading through defenses with precise passes and clean shots. Godai Tomokazu's outside shots remained deadly accurate, Natsume Hiroshi's mid-range jumpers were consistent, and Nango's dunks shook the court.
Yet Ryonan held firm. Uozumi, trained by Akashi, used his body and positioning to frustrate Nango repeatedly. Sendoh's versatile offense—drives, fakes, and jump shots—kept Tsukubu from focusing solely on the inside.
Back-and-forth attacks, each play sharp and dangerous, had the crowd on edge. The scoreboard ticked up:
8 – 12, 17 – 18, 28 – 30…
With five minutes left in the first half, it read: 38 – 39, Tsukubu barely ahead.
On paper, Tsukubu should have been pulling ahead with their three-point offense. But Ryonan's targeted defense and rapid counterattacks kept them tied. Godai Tomokazu was visibly tiring, and his accuracy began to falter.
Tsukubu's coach, Kawasaki Kazumi, saw the issue.
Beep!
Tsukubu called a timeout.