Everyone on Toshigawa's team collapsed onto the bench, breathing heavily, overwhelmed by the relentless full-court pressure that Yokonan had applied.
"Goddammit!!" Noboru shouted in frustration, slamming his water bottle onto the ground.
"These guys are the real deal… I didn't imagine they'd be this tough," Takahiro muttered, still struggling to catch his breath.
Hayato wiped the sweat from his face. "Even without Kayano and Kogure, these guys are a challenge for us. And if Keichiro were here, they'd be absolutely trouncing us," he thought, his hands clenching into fists.
Shino sat at the end of the bench, his head hanging low. "I'm so useless. I can't even help the team when they need me. We're going to lose, and it's all my fault," he whispered, his eyes welling up with tears.
Yukio stood up, determination burning in his eyes. "The game is not over. It's just the first quarter, and as long as there's time left, we still have a chance. So wipe those sad looks off your faces and concentrate! We can do this!" he said with a commanding presence.
"Who said anything about giving up?" Hayato smirked, pushing himself up. "I'm just getting started."
Noboru scoffed. "It's so frustrating, using so much energy just to turn the ball over. You guys are holding me back! You better have some grand plan, Fukazawa."
"Well, I wouldn't call it grand," Nanaho admitted, looking over at Tetsuo, "but it's our best option, and it will definitely work."
Kogure, watching from the sidelines, shook his head. "I guess Yukio was just bluffing. Besides him and number four, the rest of the team is either too basic or has zero experience. This team stands no chance of making it to the Inter-High."
Nanaho clapped her hands. "Does everyone get what they need to do?"
Noboru frowned. "Uh… I don't really get it."
"Just run to their basket."
"Oh. Okay, I'll just do that."
"We've got seven minutes left in the first quarter. Let's make them count!" Yukio rallied, and the team shouted in response.
"Tetsuo, you're in. Shino, sit down."
Shino lowered his head as he took a seat. Nanaho patted his shoulder. "It's okay, Shino. Don't be discouraged. You just started learning the game, and you did well. Watch and learn from the match."
Haruko clenched her fists. "They're down by fourteen, but with Tetsuo on the court, they might be able to close the gap."
"Toshigawa subbed a player? Let's see how this turns out," Kogure muttered to himself.
Coach Arimoto smirked. "Good work, everyone. Keep up that same formation and score more points."
"Yes, Coach!" the Yokonan players responded, adjusting their jerseys.
Hayato glanced at Yukio. "You should inbound the ball."
Yokonan immediately set up their full-court press again, suffocating Toshigawa's players.
"All of this is unnecessary," Kogure mused. "It won't make a difference—they can't win."
"Alright… break!" Yukio shouted, and Noboru and Takahiro sprinted down the court.
"Go cover them! Deny them the ball!" Eiji commanded as he stayed locked onto Hayato.
As Noboru and Takahiro sped toward the other side, Tetsuo suddenly set a screen for Hayato, catching Eiji off guard.
"Damn! I let my guard down!" Eiji growled, scrambling to recover.
At that moment, Yukio saw his opportunity. He swiftly inbounded the ball to Hayato, successfully breaking through Yokonan's press.
Tetsuo immediately bolted down the court, making himself an option. Without hesitation, Hayato launched a long pass his way.
"He caught it! What will he do now?" Haruko whispered, watching anxiously.
Tetsuo landed, took one dribble, and without breaking stride, he smoothly elevated into a jump shot from beyond the arc.
Ryuu scoffed. "Rebound that," he ordered, pushing Takahiro out of the way with his size.
"Damn it! He's too big!" Takahiro gritted his teeth, struggling against Ryuu's frame.
"There's no way you can out-rebound me, so just—" Ryuu's thoughts were cut short as the ball swished cleanly through the net.
"He did it!" Yukio grinned.
"Great work, Tetsuo! Five more of those, and we're back in it!" Hayato called out.
"Hey, great shot, number eleven!" a spectator cheered.
Nanaho exhaled deeply. "Finally, they scored a point. I was really starting to worry back there."
"Tetsuo's presence makes it so much easier for us to bring the ball up the court," she noted. "He can handle the pressure surprisingly well, especially for his first game."
Haruko's eyes sparkled. "They finally scored more points… That was so cool, Tetsuo."
"Don't mind that shot! It was just a fluke!" Eiji barked as he inbounded the ball to Manabu.
Manabu, guarded by Noboru, executed a quick pump fake. Noboru bit, leaping into the air.
Manabu smirked. "Got him."
But as he went up for his shot, a hand came out of nowhere—Tetsuo's hand.
With impeccable timing, Tetsuo swatted the ball mid-air.
"What the hell?! He was so far away, and how does he jump that high?" Manabu gasped, stunned.
"Manabu, quit spacing out! Get back on defense!" Eiji shouted.
Tetsuo quickly recovered the loose ball. He faked a drive to the rim, drawing Ryuu in, but it was a setup. He stepped back, creating space, and fired another three-pointer.
"Please go in," Haruko whispered, closing her eyes.
The ball arced gracefully through the air and sank into the net with a flawless swish.
"He made another one!" Kayano murmured, intrigued.
"Nice one, Tetsuo! That's what I like to see! We're finally at double digits!" Nanaho grinned.
"Nice shot, Tetsuo-se—" Haruko caught herself, blushing. "Wait, did I just call him by his first name out loud? Oops…"
Manabu snapped out of his daze, only to see Eiji signaling for the ball.
"Manabu, the ball!!"
"Huh? Crap!" Manabu fumbled, and Tetsuo immediately capitalized, stealing it cleanly.
"I messed up!" Manabu cursed as he chased after Tetsuo.
Tetsuo drove towards the basket, forcing two defenders to collapse on him. In an instant, he kicked the ball out to Hayato, who caught it in rhythm and pulled up for a mid-range jumper.
The shot swished through the net.
"It went in! Six more points to go!" Hayato cheered.
"Get back on defense!" Yukio commanded, his team already sprinting back.
Momentum was shifting.