Chapter Forty-Seven: Fake Handoff
"Hanagata! Hanagata! Great shot!"
Yagami looked at Hanagata. Witnessing a nearly six-foot-six tall center complete a fadeaway jumper—the sight was truly impressive.
Uozumi belonged to the power center category, that went without saying. But the soft touch Hanagata displayed, even Shohoku's Akagi Takenori would likely struggle to match.
He inbounded to Uekusa, who cautiously dribbled across halfcourt.
"Coach, is Shoyo using man-to-man half-court defense?" Aida asked, notebook in hand.
"No," Coach Taoka calmly observed the court situation. "They're using man-to-man tactics approximating zone defense. Look carefully—except for Fujima, all Shoyo players are collapsed inside the three-point line."
"Ah, really!" Aida had a revelation. "Their players have packed the interior space. This makes it extremely difficult for Sorato and Sendoh-senpai to penetrate..."
"Correct. Shoyo is using their players' tall frames to occupy the interior, forcing us into perimeter offense." Coach Taoka continued. "Looking at the results, our situation is quite similar to facing Yosen before."
"What?" Aida recalled the difficult situation being suppressed by Murasakibara in the interior. "Will today be another tough battle?"
On court, Uekusa passed under Fujima's pressure.
After Sendoh caught the ball, his defender Nagano remained collapsed inside the three-point line, clearly employing a "concede the shot, prevent the drive" strategy.
Sendoh launched a three-pointer without hesitation. Nagano leaped with full effort to contest.
"Not good!" Aida shouted worriedly. He could now judge whether some shots would go in.
Though the shot wasn't touched, Sendoh's opening touch was also poor. The first three-pointer bounced off the rim.
"Rebound!"
The paint instantly descended into chaos. Shoyo's tactics executed decisively—still Nagano and Takano combining to box out Uozumi, creating rebounding space for Hanagata.
"GRAHHH—!"
Uozumi roared, using his powerful frame to simultaneously push away both defensive players, leaping with effort and relying on slight height and wingspan advantages to bat the ball out!
"You guys, don't look down on Ryonan!" Uozumi's roar echoed through the arena. The humiliation experienced in Akita absolutely could not repeat on Kanagawa's court!
Ikegami grabbed the ball, quickly passing back to perimeter Sendoh.
"Swish!"
This time, the three-pointer swished through the net, hitting cleanly!
Ryonan 3 - Shoyo 2
"Wow! That big guy's intensity is scary!"
"That's Ryonan's Uozumi Jun! Three people couldn't stop him!"
"This guy..." Takano felt shaken internally. The instant he'd been bumped away, he'd had absolutely no ability to resist—this was an absolute gap in strength.
"Stay calm, Takano." Fujima's voice carried reassuring power. "Uozumi's formidability was already in our expectations. Execute the established tactics. I believe you can do it."
"Yes!"
Offensive transition. Shoyo organized offense.
After receiving the ball, Fujima quickly advanced. A clean crossover blew past Uekusa, pulling up for a jumper near the free throw line.
The basketball traced a beautiful arc, swishing through.
Shoyo scored 2 points.
Ryonan 3 - Shoyo 4
"Beautiful response! Shoyo quickly reclaimed the lead advantage..."
Yagami looked toward Coach Taoka on the sideline. The two exchanged a glance. The coach nodded slightly.
"Uekusa-senpai," Yagami said running past Uekusa, "leave defending Fujima to me. I have the height advantage."
"Alright." Uekusa responded briefly. He understood the gap between himself and Yagami wasn't merely height.
Offensive transition. Ryonan's offense.
After Uekusa dribbled across halfcourt, following tactics he gave it to Yagami, then began off-ball movement himself, trying to occupy the defense.
However, Fujima made an unexpected decision—he directly abandoned Uekusa, joining Hasegawa to immediately trap Yagami!
Yagami reacted extremely quickly, unhesitatingly passing back to the open Uekusa.
"Great opportunity!" Aida shouted excitedly. He knew how comfortable receiving such passes felt.
Uekusa caught the ball beyond the three-point line. Open space stretched before him.
But he hesitated.
Previously both Yagami and Sendoh's outside attempts hadn't looked ideal. Uekusa lacked confidence in his own long-range shooting.
The open opportunity passed in a flash. Fujima quickly rotated back.
"Swoosh!"
Finally, Uekusa passed to right-wing Sendoh.
After catching, Sendoh accelerated on the drive, immediately drawing help defense from Nagano and Takano.
Facing the double-team, he calmly kicked to corner Ikegami.
"Clang!"
Ikegami's mid-range shot also missed the rim.
But this time, interior space had opened. Uozumi overpowered Hanagata for the rebound.
Landing, immediately rising again, forcefully hammering the ball through the rim!
"Boom!"
After scoring, Uozumi let out a low roar, forcefully pounding his chest, fighting spirit blazing.
Ryonan 5 - Shoyo 4
"Uekusa, that guy—"
Though the team successfully scored, Coach Taoka on the sideline frowned tightly, clearly dissatisfied with Uekusa's earlier hesitation. In his view, facing such obvious open opportunities, players must possess the confidence to shoot decisively.
Ryonan 22 - Shoyo 24
The first quarter concluded amidst fierce offensive-defensive exchanges.
Both teams performed evenly matched, the score alternating upward with neither able to truly pull away.
Ryonan's perimeter touch warmed up, the interior also not falling behind relying on Uozumi's tough performance. Meanwhile Shoyo responded with Fujima's orchestration threading the needle and Hanagata's precise mid-range shooting.
Both sides played to their characteristics while testing each other's limits.
After the brief intermission, both teams returned to the court, the air thick with heavier atmosphere.
"Hmm? Sendoh's not playing second quarter?" Maki Shinichi in the stands keenly noticed Ryonan's lineup adjustment, frowning slightly. "Facing an opponent like Shoyo, Ryonan still maintains this rotation... Isn't that somewhat overconfident?"
"Looks like Coach Taoka is cultivating that first-year as an ace too." Jin Soichiro said.
Ryonan's second quarter featured Yagami organizing offense with the ball, Koshino serving as shooting guard, Ikegami's position changing to small forward, interior substituting in Fukuda, with center still Uozumi anchoring.
Play began. Shoyo's possession.
Fujima played noticeably more cautious facing Yagami's defense. His opponent's height and defensive technique brought considerable pressure, several attempts failing to find comfortable shooting space.
After patiently observing teammates' movement, Fujima found opportunity, lobbing to Hanagata calling for the ball in the low post.
Hanagata backed down against Uozumi but didn't rush to attack.
At this moment, Fujima suddenly initiated a basket cut. Hanagata understood immediately, making a hand-off passing motion.
"Don't jump out!" Yagami chased Fujima tightly while shouting loudly to Uozumi.
But Uozumi's defensive inertia made him subconsciously move one step toward Fujima's direction, trying to form a trap with Yagami.
However, the basketball remained in Hanagata's hands!
Uozumi's step gave Hanagata precious space. He quickly spun, easily rising for a one-handed layup.
Ryonan 22 - Shoyo 26
"Beautiful fake handoff!" The announcer shouted excitedly.
"Hmm? What's the announcer shouting?" Aida looked confused.
"Fake handoff—'fake hand-off coordination.' Shoyo just used this trick to fool Uozumi." Coach Taoka's gaze toward Fujima filled with appreciation. "Hanagata receiving in the low post naturally draws Uozumi's defense. Then Fujima suddenly cuts to the basket with very obvious intent, using the highly threatening offensive motion to force the interior defense to react."
Simultaneously, Maki was also explaining this tactic to new team members.
"This fake's sole purpose is adjusting Uozumi's defensive position."
"Both Fujima and Hanagata are extremely strong scoring options. Neither can be left open. Precisely because of their massive threat, this simple fake becomes so effective."
"Uozumi's defensive judgment still isn't refined enough," Coach Taoka couldn't help sighing quietly.
Ryonan had lost to Shoyo numerous times in the past. Perhaps for Uozumi, who relied more on physicality and fighting spirit, cooperation like Fujima and Hanagata's—depending on superior basketball IQ and years of chemistry—was the type he struggled most to handle.
Offensive transition. Ryonan's offense.
Yagami suddenly accelerated, easily blowing past Hasegawa's defense.
Just entering the interior, Fujima had already judged the position, quickly stepping up to form a trap.
Yagami didn't force it. His vision swept, kicking to open perimeter Koshino.
"Clang!"
Koshino's mid-range attempt also missed!
The basketball traced a flat arc before heavily hitting the back rim and bouncing up.
"What's happening? Ryonan's outside shooting is abnormally cold today!" The announcer's voice rang out.
"Probably affected by Shoyo's interior. Difficulty getting offensive rebounds after shots creates invisible pressure for shooters." The experienced commentator analyzed. "Moreover, with four six-foot-three-plus players dominating Shoyo's interior, Ryonan's players must adjust arc and rhythm different from usual when shooting, invisibly increasing shooting difficulty."
Amid multiple players battling under the basket, Hanagata secured this defensive rebound.
After landing, he didn't hesitate, immediately launching a fast break with a precise long pass, the basketball flying toward the frontcourt.
Fujima caught the ball near midcourt. Yagami already blocked his front.
"First-year, no matter what you say, I'm one of Kanagawa's top two guards!"
Fujima's dribbling rhythm suddenly changed. He actually executed two consecutive crossovers successfully shaking Yagami, charging straight to the basket.
"Sorato got beaten?!"
However, Fujima's fast break was also delayed briefly. Fukuda and Ikegami had quickly retreated to the basket, forming a double-team defensive line.
Facing the two ready defenders, Fujima's speed didn't decrease at all. A graceful behind-the-back dribble connecting to an extremely swift between-the-legs crossover—movements like a butterfly through flowers—in a flash he threaded through the gap between them!
"What?!!"
After completely escaping all defense, Fujima jumped easily, flicking his wrist to steadily send the ball through the rim.
Ryonan 22 - Shoyo 28
"Fujima! Fujima!"
Fujima's flowing individual performance ignited enthusiastic cheers throughout the venue.
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