In the 333rd episode, the numbers on the electronic scoreboard changed once more, the bright red digits especially eye-catching.
Ryonan 106, Aiwa Academy 90. The whistle sounded, and Aiwa Gakuin called a timeout.
Aiwa Gakuin's substitute, Tanabe Kenichi, stood at the sideline with an extremely grave expression. Dense beads of sweat covered his forehead. Even though the arena's air conditioning kept blowing, it could not dispel the scorching turmoil in his heart—a mixture of anxiety and helplessness.
He had been frightened by the sudden shift on the court. Everything had happened too quickly; even he, the coach, had failed to react in time. If they continued losing points like this, defeat would be Aiwa Academy's only possible ending.
This timeout was entirely a helpless measure for him. He had no new tactics to arrange, and he did not even know how to say something that would steady the team's morale.
Tanabe Kenichi's mind was in chaos. The give-and-go tactics he had planned earlier had been easily dismantled by Ryonan, while the strategy of double-teaming Chi Tong had left glaring holes at every other position.
He repeatedly considered every possible response, yet he could never come up with a tactic that could effectively target Chi Tong and Sendoh.
He raised his head and swept his gaze across the dejected Aiwa Academy players walking off the court.
Then, he looked toward Ryonan's bench.
Tanabe Kenichi shook his head in distress, his face filled with hesitation.
In all his years of coaching, he had never seen an opposing pair work together with such seamless coordination.
Chi Tong's defense was like an impenetrable wall. His steals were precise, his help defense timely, and he always disrupted Aiwa Gakuin's offense at critical moments.
Sento's offensive organization was equally versatile. He could break through and score