Will he score again?

In the eyes of Westerners, the East has always been a place full of mystery, especially for those who have never traveled abroad.

They were indeed having such thoughts at this moment.

Cahoon let out a long sigh of relief.

O'Riaqi wasn't stupid; he knew he had a height advantage, and this change was good news for UConn.

The situation on the court began to enter a stalemate.

The other players on Washington State University's team didn't have much talent. After UConn intensified their defense, scoring wasn't as easy for them as it was at the start.

However, after Walker was primarily guarded by Thompson, he also had very few scoring opportunities, only managing to score off O'Riaqi's occasional offensive rebounds.

The two teams had played for over five minutes, and UConn maintained a double-digit lead of 49 to 39.

At this point, Washington State University called a timeout.

"Tang, get ready to go in," Cahoon called Tang Tian over.

After the timeout, Tang Tian came onto the court, replacing Smith, and he continued to play the small forward position.

On Washington State University's possession, Thompson led Tang Tian around the half-court line, and their guard drove directly to the basket.

O'Riaqi attempted a block at the rim, but the guard didn't avoid him and went straight up.

The referee's whistle blew from the sideline, signaling a foul on O'Riaqi's arm.

After making both free throws, the home team narrowed the gap to under 10 points again.

On the other end, Lamb's shot missed, O'Riaqi grabbed another offensive rebound, and passed the ball to Walker. Walker drove hard and also drew a foul on Thompson's arm.

He also made both free throws, and the point difference returned to 10 points.

The stalemate continued.

"Deng deng!"

"Go! Cougars!"

"Deng deng!"

"Go! Cougars!"

The home DJ rallied the crowd, and the home fans continued to cheer for their team.

"The score has been maintained at 10 points. We'll see who can be the first to find a way to break the deadlock," the announcer said, watching the game.

"Washington State University is already making adjustments," the guest commentator chimed in.

The announcer turned his head in confusion and followed the guest's gaze towards the frontcourt.

Washington State University's guard once again drove recklessly, drawing a foul on O'Riaqi.

O'Riaqi received two consecutive fouls, bringing his total to 3.

"Alex, watch your foul count," Ollie shouted from the sidelines, reminding him.

After two possessions, UConn had realized the opponent's adjustment. Bena saw O'Riaqi's advantage on the offensive boards and wanted to force him off the court.

O'Riaqi heard Ollie's reminder and became very careful in the subsequent plays. However, Washington State University's execution was strong, and they kept attacking, leaving Orland's help defense unable to keep up.

Despite being as careful as possible, due to his slower speed, he picked up his 4th personal foul ten minutes into the second half.

In the NCAA, five fouls result in disqualification. With ten minutes left in the game, Cahoon didn't dare risk keeping O'Riaqi on the court any longer and replaced him with Forsyth.

Forsyth was faster than O'Riaqi but much shorter. With O'Riaqi off the court, their offensive rebounding advantage disappeared.

On UConn's offense, Tang Tian actively set a screen for Walker, forcing a switch in defenders.

Walker seized the opportunity to drive to the basket.

However, Thompson ignored Tang Tian and double-teamed Walker.

Walker didn't pass the ball in the double-team but chose to force a shot, which ultimately missed.

"Bena is truly an excellent coach. After taking UConn's O'Riaqi out of the game, their defensive pressure has significantly decreased," the guest commentator said after this play.

"Yes, Tang has no offensive ability, so they can double-team Walker with impunity. The stalemate has already been broken," the announcer replied.

"Old man, should we substitute Tang out?" Ollie asked Cahoon. Tang Tian couldn't score, making it a 4-on-5 situation on the court, which severely limited Walker's performance.

Cahoon didn't speak. When the players returned to the half-court, he shouted to Walker, "Kemba, focus on passing."

Walker, prompted by Cahoon's shout, remembered Tang Tian's instructions from halftime.

He had forgotten those reminders earlier because Thompson was guarding him one-on-one. Cahoon's shout brought him back to his senses.

On Washington State University's offense, Thompson was locked down by Tang Tian, and the other players on Washington State University couldn't score. Forsyth secured the rebound.

62 to 56, the score difference was 6 points.

Walker dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, and Tang Tian set another screen for him. Walker drove inside again.

Thompson let go of Tang Tian to double-team.

Walker looked back and only then realized Tang Tian had dropped to the three-point line.

Tang Tian hadn't shown any three-point shooting ability before, but he knew Tang Tian's basketball IQ.

Tang Tian would actively come up for the screen, and landing in that position meant he was confident.

He chose to trust Tang Tian and flicked the ball out of the double-team.

The ball landed in Tang Tian's hands.

A completely open shot.

"What a shame," the guest commentator couldn't help but say, seeing this. Tang Tian doesn't have any offensive ability. If the screener had been Smith or Lamb, this would have been a great opportunity. Walker's pass also meant UConn's strategy for the past ten seconds had been for nothing.

The fans in the arena also cheered, thinking Tang Tian couldn't score. Getting the ball to him was a complete waste of offensive time.

Ollie also pouted helplessly. Cahoon hadn't listened to him. If Smith had been subbed in earlier, this shot might have gone in.

Cahoon, however, looked at the court with anticipation.

After receiving the ball, Tang Tian chose to shoot directly!

This was his first three-point attempt on the NCAA court!

Everyone was surprised because it conflicted with their understanding of him.

Was it a shot born out of necessity?

Most people had this thought flash through their minds. With such a large opening, it would have been awkward not to shoot!

But very soon, their thoughts vanished.

Jump, raise arm, straight arm, flick wrist.

Tang Tian's shooting form was just as textbook as Thompson's!

It was even just as fast!

The ball spun through the air, tracing a long parabolic arc, and to everyone's stunned gaze, it fell directly towards the net.

"Swish!"

A crisp sound echoed through the arena.

Tang Tian's three-point shot went in cleanly!

He had scored his first basket in the NCAA!

The point difference widened to 9 points again!

Everyone in the arena was stunned.

"Beautiful!" Cahoon was the first to react. The anticipation in his eyes turned into a hint of joy, and he couldn't help but shout, waving his fist.

UConn's bench erupted the next moment.

The shot was smooth as silk, incredibly satisfying to watch.

"He can score too?" The guest commentator, having underestimated Tang Tian once again, couldn't help but ask in astonishment.

"It seems so," the announcer said with a wry smile.