Twin Guns

"Defense! Defense!"

As the Marquette University players retreated to their half-court, the cheers from the crowd turned into shouts for defense.

The momentum was immense, and Butler's last shot had completely ignited the home crowd atmosphere.

You could clearly feel the overall defensive intensity of Marquette University had increased.

Butler's mental attributes were simply off the charts.

After UConn's timeout, Lamb was the primary focus of their offense, but Butler stuck to him like glue. Lamb couldn't find an opening even after multiple screens, and his hurried shot after finally receiving the ball was contested and missed.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

UConn had Tang Tian, and they had Butler!

They weren't afraid of a one-on-one defensive battle!

"Go! Golden Eagles!"

The home fans started cheering for their team, Marquette University was truly gaining momentum!

Butler continued to post up Tang Tian in the low post, his confidence boosted by the previous play.

He backed down, turned, and shot. As he released the ball, he felt he hadn't fully shaken off Tang Tian. In the next second, he was already looking at the backboard.

But as the ball left his hands, a hand appeared above him.

"Slap!"

Tang Tian, learning from the previous play, timed his block perfectly this time, denying Butler any chance at an offensive rebound.

With a resounding block right in his face, Tang Tian dove for the loose ball.

Butler reacted and dove for it too, but Tang Tian had already flicked the ball to Napier.

Napier controlled the ball, and Marquette University's offensive possession ended fruitlessly.

The crowd buzzed.

Tang Tian's block and hustle play were textbook. The momentum Marquette University had finally built was instantly stifled.

Napier didn't rush the fast break, dribbling the ball slowly past half-court.

UConn set up a play in the frontcourt. Lamb was still being tightly guarded by Butler.

However, at this moment, Tang Tian cut from the left corner to the right 45-degree angle, getting open for a three-pointer off a screen from O'Riaqi.

Butler was focused on defending Lamb, and Lamb's movement drew the attention of Marquette's defense. Tang Tian's cut, therefore, went somewhat unnoticed.

This was the typical defensive level in NCAA. Teams had a defensive focus, but it was hard for them to cover both ends effectively. This was also one of the reasons Duke and Kentucky were so strong – they had too many players who were NBA-caliber, often forcing opponents to choose between defending one threat or another.

Napier's offensive aggression was far less than Walker's, but his passing skill was superior. He quickly found Tang Tian on this play and threw the pass.

Tang Tian caught the ball without hesitation and immediately pulled up for an open three-pointer.

The shot was incredibly smooth, and the arc was perfect.

"Swish!"

With a crisp sound, Tang Tian hit UConn's first three-pointer of the game!

12-6, UConn took a six-point lead!

The crowd was in an uproar. The momentum that had started to build was first halved by Tang Tian's block and then completely extinguished by this three-pointer!

UConn's bench erupted with whistles and cheers.

The previous three-game losing streak had dampened the team's morale, but this game had brought back all the lost spirit!

Without the crowd's cheers, Tang Tian's offense and defense in this sequence had clearly raised UConn's defensive intensity on the court.

Butler had no opportunity against Tang Tian's tight defense, and his pass was anticipated by Napier, resulting in a steal.

Napier stole the ball and went for a fast break, with Lamb and Tang Tian both immediately following.

Tang Tian stopped at the three-point line in advance. As Butler moved to defend him, Napier made a beautiful behind-the-back pass in stride to Lamb, who was also trailing.

Lamb also stopped at the three-point line. He faked a shot, making the defender guarding him bite, and then pulled up for a three-pointer.

This was his third three-point attempt of the game; he had missed the previous two.

The arc on his shot was excellent.

"Swish!"

With a crisp sound, the ball went straight through the net.

First, it was drives, then floaters, then mid-range jumpers, and now three-pointers. Lamb had opened up his entire game!

"Beautiful!" Ollie couldn't help but stand up from the bench and shout with a clenched fist.

He loved seeing Lamb play like this!

Walker also had a smile on his face.

As everyone knew, Lamb had great talent and performed well during their ten-game winning streak, but something always felt missing.

It wasn't apparent before, but now it was clear: it was his carry ability, his willingness to be the core player.

Now that Lamb had this kind of responsibility, he had truly come into his own.

Once he returned from his injury, UConn would have two offensive threats, plus Tang Tian, a top-tier 3-and-D player. They might actually be able to go toe-to-toe with super-powerhouses like Kentucky, Duke, and North Carolina.

It seemed his injury wasn't entirely a bad thing.

Of course, he also knew that all of this was Tang Tian's doing. Things can take a turn for the better or worse in an instant, and Tang Tian's violent attempt earlier had forcefully turned a bad situation around.

A teammate like this truly couldn't be found even with a lantern.

The game on the court continued. Allen's mid-range jump shot finally gave Marquette University a breather.

But then, Tang Tian got another opportunity on the perimeter. He showed the same accuracy he had against Georgetown, rising up and hitting another three-pointer.

Butler was having an especially tough time.

If he guarded Tang Tian, Lamb would score. If he guarded Lamb, Tang Tian would score.

Tonight, Lamb and Tang Tian felt like the Twin Guns on the perimeter for UConn, making it impossible for him to guard anyone effectively!

In the end, despite Butler's all-out effort on defense and his constant attempts to encourage his teammates, Lamb's performance that night was too good, and coupled with Tang Tian's perimeter threat, Marquette University could never turn the tide.

70 to 60, UConn won on the road against Marquette University, ending their three-game losing streak.

Their ten-game winning streak started against Marquette University, and their three-game losing streak ended here too. UConn had truly become Marquette University's nemesis.

For Marquette University, Butler had a hollow 20 points and 6 rebounds, shooting only 6-of-22 from the field. He already had a hard time against Tang Tian's defense, let alone expending so much energy on defense in this game.

For UConn, O'Riaqi had an outstanding performance with 10 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Napier also had a solid stat line with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists. However, UConn's victory tonight still came down to Tang Tian and Lamb's Twin Guns.

Tang Tian shot 5-of-7 from three-point range for 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Lamb shot 11-of-20 from the field, including 2-of-6 from three-point range, to score a game-high 26 points and 5 rebounds.

After the game, the UConn players couldn't help but shout and yell as they walked towards the locker room.

Losing streaks felt awful, but ending one felt incredibly satisfying!

Thank you to long1358, Blue Wind and Snow Mark, Fang Yunling, Star Peak Dawn Night, Little Building Talks of Night Rain, ky185, aYaBYa, MCYM, and Five Elements Not Lacking Love for your support and donations over the past week. I see every one of your donations, and I am extremely grateful!