With Sendoh no longer holding him back, Sawakita Eiji was completely unleashed.
Like a wild horse breaking free of its reins, he drove straight into Ryonan's basket area with the ball.
Yu Zhu had long since abandoned his coverage of Wada Iwao. His massive body stood beneath the hoop like an iron tower, arms spread wide, his blocking range nearly covering the entire basket.
Facing Yu Zhu's ironclad defense, Sawakita Eiji neither dodged nor retreated. Instead, he suddenly accelerated and charged straight at him.
Just as the two were about to collide, Sawakita Eiji suddenly changed his footwork. He first made a quick between-the-legs crossover, luring Yu Zhu's center of gravity slightly to the side. Then his body spun like a top, completing an unbelievable double-clutch in midair.
Yu Zhu's block hit nothing but air. He watched in disbelief as Sawakita Eiji slipped beneath his armpit, his hand unable to even touch the edge of Sawakita Eiji's jersey.
The next moment, Sawakita Eiji flicked his wrist lightly, and the basketball, as if enchanted, dropped steadily into the hoop.
The crisp swish of the net rang out, and the numbers on the electronic scoreboard finally changed: Ryonan 0, Sannoh Industrial High School 2.
Nearly five minutes had passed since the start of the game, and Sannoh Industrial High School had scored the first basket.
"I'm sorry. It was all my fault."
Xiangtian Yanyi lowered her head, her voice full of self-reproach.
She knew clearly that if she had not been fooled by Fukatsu Kazunari's feint and missed the chance to support Chi Tong, Sawakita Eiji would not have broken through their defense so easily and taken those crucial two points.
Seeing this, Sento slowly walked over, patted her shoulder, and comforted her in a relaxed tone. "Don't blame yourself. This isn't