Before Sendo stepped to the line for the bonus free throw, the Veteran Team called a timeout.
The Freshman Team's surge had been relentless. If this continued, the veterans risked losing control of the game entirely. They needed to regroup—and more importantly, they hoped the pause would cool the rookies' scorching momentum.
Back in the lounge area, Maki spoke first.
"We have to change something. Does anyone have a better idea?"
Seeing that everyone was already keyed up, the assistant coach chose to stay silent, allowing the players to adjust on their own.
"I'll take the ball and play isolation," Kawata said. "But don't clear out too far. If they double me, I need passing lanes."
Tsuchiya frowned slightly and shook his head.
"Maki, Mikio's guarding me. Let's run pick-and-rolls. He can't keep up. As long as we hit our mid-range shots, our offense won't collapse."
The idea was solid, but Maki hesitated. His own mid-range jumper wasn't something he fully trusted right now.
Moroboshi immediately caught on and stepped in.
"Then I'll run the pick-and-roll with Tsuchiya. Maki, conserve your energy. When Morishige Hiroshi comes back in, you can attack the paint."
Maki nodded after a moment.
"Alright. For now, we'll focus on Moroboshi–Tsuchiya pick-and-rolls. Kawata, if you see an opening, go one-on-one—but pay attention to spacing."
He paused, then asked the most important question.
"And defensively… how do we deal with Nango?"
The room fell silent.
Everyone knew the truth: Nango was the problem. Solve him, and everything else would follow.
After a long moment, Tsuchiya spoke.
"Double-team him. One-on-one is meaningless."
Having just experienced it himself, he knew there was no other option.
"I'll help Tsuchiya," Fukatsu said at last, finally finding his chance to speak.
Maki looked around.
"That means leaving Sakuragi open."
"Yes."
"We'll have to gamble."
"It's the lesser evil."
Everyone agreed. Compared to the others on the Freshman Team, Sakuragi was the least threatening option.
After the timeout, Sendo calmly sank the bonus free throw.
The gap shrank to just two points—a single possession.
Off the court, Morishige Hiroshi frowned deeply.
Are they putting on a show for me?
The moment I sit down, they go on a scoring run. When I'm on the court, they play like they're half asleep.
With limited basketball experience, he couldn't see the deeper reasons. For now, he could only be a general—not a commander.
Maki crossed half-court and handed the ball to Moroboshi. Tsuchiya simultaneously pulled away from the paint.
Little Kawata didn't follow him, instead drifting toward his brother. Sakuragi, however, immediately picked Tsuchiya up.
This was all by design.
Nango had anticipated the veterans targeting Mikio, so he assigned Sakuragi to perimeter defense while Little Kawata stayed home to protect the rim.
Moroboshi came off the screen—only to see Sakuragi already waiting. At the same time, Sendo fought through Tsuchiya's body to close in.
A double-team again.
With no choice, Moroboshi swung the ball to Tsuchiya, who drove inside. From the wing, Rukawa Kaede abandoned Maki to help.
Maki instantly slipped into the restricted area.
Tsuchiya read it perfectly and made the pass.
Nango, who had been guarding Fukatsu, slid toward the paint as well, ready to reinforce the interior.
Maki gathered, jumped in front of Little Kawata—and forced him to commit.
In the next instant, a behind-the-back pass flashed beneath Mikio's arms.
Kawata caught it cleanly under the basket and laid it in off the glass.
Nango had reacted late. He'd been wary of Maki lobbing to Fukatsu—or taking the shot himself. Maki's pass caught him off guard.
On the next possession, Nango went straight to the low post.
As soon as he put the ball on the floor, Fukatsu abandoned Sakuragi and rushed over to double.
Nango wasn't surprised.
Without hesitation, he kicked the ball out.
Sakuragi caught it, steadied himself for a split second, then rose for a mid-range jumper.
"Swish!"
Exactly as expected.
Every time Nango posted up, the double-team came—and he already knew who would be left open.
Over the next several possessions, both power forwards became focal points.
Tsuchiya's combination of scoring and passing stabilized the Veteran Team, while Sakuragi capitalized again and again, pouring in 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
The scoreboard read 48–49.
Freshman Team down by one.
One minute left before halftime.
Freshman possession.
The Nittaidai players arrived at the gym, and seeing the Youth Team's scrimmage, Hyuga Yuichi and the others instinctively slowed their steps.
With his teammates shouldering the scoring load, Nango had quietly recovered his stamina.
He dribbled beyond the three-point line as Little Kawata crossed half-court.
"Mikio!"
Nango pointed sharply at the floor.
Little Kawata hurried up without hesitation. Unlike Morishige Hiroshi, he never questioned instructions.
Using the screen, Nango easily shook Fukatsu and rose immediately from beyond the arc.
No one was in front of him.
Kawata Masashi had already sunk into the paint, completely unprepared for this adjustment.
"Swish!"
The three-pointer dropped cleanly.
Freshman Team takes the lead.
Maki grabbed the ball, looking to respond—but Nango met him with full-court pressure.
Forced to slow down, the Veteran Team fell back into half-court offense.
Tsuchiya came up to set a screen.
Maki burst free, dropping his center of gravity and accelerating to full speed. He didn't want to wait for Sakuragi and Nango to close in.
A sharp shoulder fake sent Sakuragi off balance.
Maki drove hard into the paint.
Little Kawata stepped up, arms straight up—no attempt to block. Just as Nango instructed: be the final wall.
Maki rose, drawing Mikio fully into the play.
In midair, he slipped the ball behind Mikio's back.
Kawata Masashi caught it and exploded upward for a two-handed dunk.
"Slap!"
Nango flew in from behind and smashed the ball against the backboard.
The ball dropped—right back into Kawata's hands.
He went up again.
"Slap!"
Blocked again.
Still, the Freshman Team couldn't secure the ball. Tsuchiya grabbed it, but before he could reset—
Sendo ripped it away.
He didn't rush.
Only after the veterans gave up on the steal did he pass to Nango.
Nango slowed the game deliberately.
This possession was meant to kill.
Tsuchiya guarded him tightly at the arc. Kawata shielded his brother, ready to help. Maki, Moroboshi, and Fukatsu watched intently.
Ten seconds.
Nango exploded forward, using his low center of gravity to blow past Tsuchiya.
The entire Veteran Team collapsed.
At the free-throw line, Nango jumped—and fired the ball to the perimeter.
Sendo caught it beyond the arc and raised the ball.
Moroboshi sprinted at him.
Sendo didn't shoot.
He swung it to the corner.
Rukawa Kaede caught, planted lightly, and rose in one smooth motion.
"Swish!"
The buzzer sounded.
Anzai Jitsurei smiled faintly to himself.
Nango… congratulations on securing a starting spot on the Youth Team.