Compared with the showdown between Hakata Shodai and Shohoku in Basketball Gym No. 4, Ryonan's match against Meihou Industrial High School in Basketball Gym No. 3 was clearly the bigger talking point.
These two teams had made the biggest waves at this year's National Tournament, so naturally, they attracted more attention.
Inside the venue, the stands were already packed, and even the aisles were crowded with fans standing on tiptoe.
As tipoff drew closer, the atmosphere inside the venue grew increasingly tense, like a string being pulled tighter and tighter.
Just as that tension approached its peak, a sizable commotion suddenly broke out at the back of the stands.
First, someone let out a startled cry. Then the commotion rippled forward, and the eyes that had been fixed on the court all swung toward the entrance.
Following everyone's gazes, one could see that the teams from Sannoh Industrial High School and Hainan had arrived, one after the other.
Sannoh's players wore their signature off-white uniforms. Every one of them stood tall, their faces largely expressionless, yet they carried a presence that could not be ignored.
Hainan's players were in their familiar yellow uniforms. Maki Shinichi led the way, his hands in his pockets as his sharp eyes swept over the venue.
With their usual composure, neither team lingered at the entrance or interacted with the surrounding spectators. Led by their respective captains, they headed straight to the middle section of the stands, found empty seats with a clear view, and quietly waited for the game to begin.
Compared with the match between Hakata Shodai Affiliated High School and Shohoku in Gym No. 4, they were clearly more interested in Ryonan's game against Mingpeng Industrial.
Hainan's team had barely settled into their seats before Kiyota Nobunaga craned his neck toward the