Because of Uekusa's earlier turnover, Sendoh didn't choose to post up inside this time. Instead, he worked a quick hand-off pass with him beyond the three-point line.
Facing Maki's defense, Sendoh made a sharp change of direction, drove to the wing, and pulled up for a jumper. But the shot clanged off the rim, and Kosuge pulled down the rebound.
Rukawa stared intently at the play. Mitsui, beside him, frowned.
"Sendoh's release was lower than usual. He's getting tired."
"Who isn't?" Miyagi replied casually. "At this point, it's just a matter of who can hold out longer."
Nango nodded. "True… but Maki is still attacking the basket and finishing strong. Ryonan can't stop him now. Their only chance is to keep finding ways to score."
Everyone on the bench turned their eyes to Ryonan's side.
Coach Taoka already had the same idea. He prepared to substitute Echizen in for Uekusa, using Echizen's quick drives and stamina to keep Kainan's defense under pressure.
"Miyamasu, start warming up. Be ready to go in at any moment."
Across the court, Coach Kouzu made his own move. He wanted his two most reliable shooters on the floor with Maki, both to create spacing and to give their ace as much support as possible.
Kainan called for a timeout, both to make substitutions and to buy precious seconds for Maki to catch his breath.
The players huddled up.
Kano, sitting in the stands, was a little distracted. The game was intense, but she wasn't familiar with most of the players. Her excitement wasn't the same as the others'. After all, she was only here for Nango.
Nango leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "It'll be over soon. Start thinking about what we'll eat later."
Kano's eyes lit up instantly. She smiled, "Okay~!"
Though they spoke softly, the guys around them noticed.
"Tch, what a lucky guy…" Miyagi muttered sourly.
"I'm jealous too… When will I get to be like that with Haruko-san?" Sakuragi whined, nearly tearing up from envy.
The other straight-laced players weren't much better off. Only the ever-cold Rukawa remained unmoved.
Timeout over. Kainan inbounded.
After a short rest, Maki's stamina was back. As soon as he touched the ball, he unleashed two quick crossovers to create space and drove straight into the paint.
Sendoh gave chase but got clipped by Takasago, leaving Maki once again facing the towering Uozumi.
Uozumi hesitated—reach out and risk fouling, or let him through? Maki was ready to exploit that hesitation.
But Echizen, impatient and eager, suddenly left Miyamasu and rushed over. Maki immediately whipped a pass sideways.
Miyamasu caught it in stride and rose for a jumper right on the three-point line.
"Oh no!" Coach Taoka's heart sank.
The shot wasn't pretty, but it swished clean through. The gap shrank to just 5 points.
"Miyamasu, nice shot!" Kiyota roared from the bench. Coach Kouzu clenched his fist, fired up.
To keep height on the floor, he had swapped Kiyota out for Miyamasu. For now, it looked like the right call.
Ryonan was under pressure. Their offense had stalled, and turnovers gave Kainan all the momentum.
All eyes turned to Sendoh. If Ryonan was going to answer, it had to be through him.
No more touch shots. No more hesitation. A direct drive—just like Maki.
Sendoh signaled to Echizen, who stepped forward to set a screen. The target was Miyamasu.
Maki read it and rushed ahead to cut him off.
But Sendoh suddenly spun the other way, shaking Maki off completely. It wasn't just skill—it was calculation.
Two long strides into the lane, then he rose up. Kosuge and Takasago both jumped to meet him.
Is he really going to force it here?
No—Sendoh wasn't reckless.
He scooped the ball high, arcing it over their fingertips. The ball kissed the air and dropped cleanly into the basket.
Coach Taoka exhaled hard. I thought my heart was going to stop…
"Sendoh! Amazing! So reliable!" Hikoichi was jumping up and down with joy.
Coach Kouzu, though, could only sigh. He had known this substitution would create defensive mismatches, but there was no choice—he could only gamble.
The ball was back in Maki's hands.
Seven points down. To close that gap, Kainan needed stops, not just baskets.
This time, Echizen stuck to Miyamasu like glue, refusing to repeat his earlier mistake.
Maki glanced at Fukuda, who was breathing heavily. He signaled to Kosuge, who darted out from inside.
Fukuda?
Ryonan's players didn't understand. If Maki wanted points, why not target Uozumi, who already had four fouls? Why go after Fukuda?
There was no time to think. Maki used a screen to step right in front of Fukuda.
Fukuda hesitated. His defense was weak, but fouling Maki would be worse.
Sendoh closed in to help, creating a double-team.
That was exactly what Maki wanted.
Without even looking, he flicked the ball backward.
Kosuge caught it in rhythm, rose for a three before Ikegami could rotate—
Swish!
The crisp sound electrified Hainan's bench. Coach Kouzu nearly leapt out of his seat. For a second, he wanted to hug Kosuge… or maybe himself for making such a brilliant substitution.
He roared at his team: "Defend this possession! Don't let them score!"
"Roar!" The Kainan players echoed, switching into a full-court press.
They poured everything into their defense, but Miyamasu's stamina was fading. Echizen shook him off, took the inbound, and charged across half-court by himself.
"Echizen, stop!" Sendoh barked.
"Calm down!" Coach Taoka yelled, panic in his voice.
At the last second, Echizen stopped outside the three-point line.
But Maki didn't. He closed in like a storm, body pressing into Echizen, nearly swallowing him whole.
Miyamasu rushed over to trap, and Echizen froze. With no dribble left, he hugged the ball tightly.
Sendoh darted forward, hand out for the pass.
But Maki ripped it free with brute strength. Veins bulged across his forehead as he roared—
"Attack!!"
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