Assistant Coach

4-2, Georgetown University took the lead again.

Cahoon stood up and walked to the sideline, his expression not relaxed.

He had originally hoped to use Tang Tian's speed advantage to help defend. Tang Tian was also playing smartly, but because of the absolute disparity in his matchup with Monroe, it didn't achieve the desired effect.

On UConn's offense, Walker's jump shot in the mid-range after a drive still missed, and Monroe grabbed the defensive rebound again.

Monroe's presence in the paint was too intimidating, forcing UConn to shy away from drives and concentrate more of their offense on mid to long-range shots.

But they happened to run into Walker having an off night.

Turning the tables, Monroe went directly to the low post and received a pass from a teammate to back down O'Riaqi.

After consecutive spins, he shot off the glass. O'Riaqi was at too much of a disadvantage in the physical matchup, offering only limited interference.

The ball hit the glass and went in. Georgetown University led 6-2.

The points weren't increasing quickly, but because of Monroe's presence, the gap was being widened little by little.

It was like a millstone; it didn't have a sharp edge, but it could grind things down, wear them away, bit by bit.

About ten minutes into the first half, Georgetown University led UConn by 8 points, 17-9.

Not many points, not a big gap, but they just couldn't catch up.

Since the start of the game, Georgetown University had suffocated UConn, leaving them breathless.

UConn called a timeout. Cahoon held the tactical board, silent for a moment.

He had prepared a lot before the game, including Tang Tian starting at the power forward position and a 2-1-2 zone defense, but in the face of the absolute difference in interior strength, none of these things had worked.

"Coach, how about we double-team Monroe?" Ollie suggested, seeing Cahoon's silence.

"Monroe can pass," Cahoon shook his head.

If he were just a dominant interior player, he would have had a hundred ways to deal with him. But Monroe, like Georgetown's predecessors Ewing and Morning, was an all-around center who could score and pass. If you double-teamed him, Georgetown's entire offense would come alive.

The best way to defend Monroe was to have someone who could match him physically, but unfortunately, UConn didn't have that right now.

Ollie's suggestion was rejected, and Cahoon remained silent. UConn's timeout was about to be wasted for nothing.

"We can shoot three-pointers," Tang Tian said at this moment.

His words immediately drew everyone's attention.

The coaches were discussing tactics; players generally couldn't interject, and if anyone did, it was usually a team core like Walker.

However, the gazes directed at Tang Tian at this moment were mostly not of blame, but of question.

In the past, whether against Marquette University or Washington State University, Tang Tian had shown some talent for coaching.

"Are you talking about running a new tactic?" Cahoon understood Tang Tian's meaning.

Although he hadn't spoken earlier, he had actually been considering it, but the risk was considerable because the new tactic wasn't yet proficient.

Tang Tian nodded. Monroe's strength was only in the paint; he couldn't defend all the way out to the three-point line. With Monroe dominating the paint, a three-point strategy was the best option.

However, UConn's only consistent three-point shooter was Tang Tian. Walker and Lamb were inconsistent, so if they were to run it, it had to be a new tactic.

"But this still doesn't solve the defensive problem," Ollie reminded him.

"A three-pointer is always worth one more point than a two-pointer, isn't it?" Tang Tian said with a smile.

Cahoon nodded after listening. In the current situation, not trying was a slow death. If they tried, and the outside three-pointers started falling, UConn would still have a chance to regain the initiative.

After the timeout, neither team made any roster adjustments.

"It seems Cahoon is also out of options against Monroe," the commentator couldn't help but say upon seeing UConn make no substitution changes.

"Even the best cook can't make a meal without ingredients," the guest commentator sighed beside him.

The situation was unfavorable, and the arena DJ started to rally the crowd to cheer for the home team.

"Deng deng!"

"Go, Connecticut!"

"Deng deng!"

"Go, Connecticut!"

The crowd's cheers did have an effect; the UConn players on the court visibly seemed to have a boost in morale.

Tang Tian set a pick and roll for Walker. After the ball split, Walker faced the opposing power forward.

Georgetown University offered no help defense, allowing Walker to drive inside. They had absolute confidence in Monroe.

However, at this moment, UConn launched their second tactical offensive.

Tang Tian moved along the three-point line towards the right corner. Lamb, who was originally at the right elbow, suddenly came over to set an off-ball pick and roll for him.

This screen effectively blocked the player guarding Tang Tian.

The tactic was initiated very suddenly, and Georgetown University was caught slightly off guard. The guard didn't follow, and by the time Tang Tian reached the corner, he was wide open.

Walker whipped a pass.

Tang Tian caught the ball and shot without hesitation.

The moment the ball left his hands, the audience's attention was instantly drawn to it.

This was UConn's first three-point play since the start of the game, and whether it went in was crucial.

"Swish!"

A crisp sound echoed through the arena.

Tang Tian's open three-pointer went straight through the net!

The crowd erupted in cheers.

This three-pointer was exactly what they needed!

UConn immediately narrowed the point difference to 5 points!

Tang Tian high-fived Walker as he jogged back on defense.

The "Open Three-Pointer" skill was fixed, but the player was adaptable. While his off-ball movement wasn't as good as Thompson's, he could still create opportunities when running plays.

After all, even Novak, when he joined the Knicks, had a career peak after head coach Mike D'Antoni designed plays for him.

This ability depended on the strategy, but with the right strategy, he could be lethal.

Not to mention, he was much faster than Novak.

Cahoon couldn't help but clench his fist. Tang Tian truly performed just as well on the court as he did in practice!

On Georgetown University's offense, UConn still didn't double-team, allowing Monroe to go one-on-one.

Monroe drove to the basket but was fouled by O'Riaqi.

With the foul count between 7 and 9, Monroe was sent to the free-throw line for a 1-and-1.

The arena was filled with jeers.

Monroe dribbled the ball and took a deep breath before shooting.

"Bang!"

His season free-throw percentage was just over 60%, not very stable.

O'Riaqi grabbed the defensive rebound, and Georgetown University's offense ended up being fruitless.

The home crowd's cheers surged.

After the timeout, they saw a glimmer of hope for their team's momentum.

Walker brought the ball up the court and signaled for a new play.

Cahoon had prepared multiple plays during the timeout, specifically to prevent the opponents from figuring them out too quickly.

Lamb cut in from the right corner, with Tang Tian and O'Riaqi setting a double screen for him.

After a struggle under the basket, Lamb finally broke free with great effort.

However, just as Georgetown's defense was drawn to Lamb, Tang Tian suddenly turned and ran towards the right wing at a 45-degree angle.

No one paid attention to him at this moment. By the time he reached the three-point line, he was wide open again!

Walker immediately passed the ball.

Tang Tian caught it and shot again.

Just you wait and see, I've prepared thoroughly this time. If things develop normally, this book will definitely exceed 3 million characters.

Also, yesterday's recommendation votes were just over 1000. Please vote more for recommendation tickets. That way, I'll have more justification to post three updates a day, won't I