He instinctively pulled back the arm he had been about to use, avoiding Lei Tian Zhenglun's block.
At that moment, Aiwa Gakuin's other players also began closing in on Yueye Hongming. A double-team was about to take shape, but Yueye Hongming did not panic. With a flick of his wrist, he quickly passed the ball to Fukuda Kicchou, who had already run free on the other side.
Fukuda!
Yueye Hongming shouted as the basketball flew straight toward Fukuda Kicchou under his control.
Fukuda Kicchou had long anticipated Yueye Hongming's passing intent. Taking advantage of Aiwa Gakuin's players focusing their attention on Koshino, he quickly cut into Aiwa Gakuin's paint and found himself wide open.
Hearing Koshino's shout, he immediately stretched out his hand and caught the pass securely. Without breaking stride, he stepped into Aiwa Gakuin's interior, on the verge of entering the restricted area for an easy layup.
But just as Fukuda Kicchou was about to step into the paint, a massive figure suddenly slid over from beneath the basket. Like a moving mountain, he blocked Fukuda Kicchou's path—it was Aiwa Gakuin's center, Koizumi Chun.
The difference in build between Koizumi Chun and Fukuda Kicchou was obvious at a glance. Koizumi Chun stood nearly two meters tall, broad-shouldered and thick-backed, carrying the solid heft unique to an interior player. Fukuda Kicchou, at 188 centimeters, was considerably smaller.
Koizumi Chun spread his arms wide, his broad shoulders and long arms forming a natural barrier that completely sealed off Fukuda Kiccho's routes to either side.
Fukuda Kicchou had originally planned to capitalize on the opening with a powerful dunk, but faced with Koizumi Chun, who was like a mountain before him, he found himself at a loss for a moment. He tried a small change of direction, seeking a gap to