The next second, for the first time, clear surprise appeared on his ever-indifferent face, mixed with a trace of disbelief.
Because in the corner on the other side of the court, Matsumoto Minoru was holding a basketball.
That bounce just now had been made when he caught the pass.
It turned out Eiji Sawakita's sudden cut had been a feint from the very beginning. Fukatsu Kazunari's true passing target had been Matsumoto Minoru, whom everyone had overlooked.
Matsumoto Minoru did not hesitate at all. The instant he caught the ball, he had already adjusted into his shooting form.
Facing the panicked figure of the Ryonan defender rotating over, he raised the basketball high without hesitation, snapped his wrist, and fiercely launched it toward Ryonan's basket.
Chi Tong's gaze followed the ball's trajectory blankly as he watched the orange sphere carve an unbearably glaring arc through the air, carrying Sannoh's hopes and Ryonan's despair as it slowly fell toward the hoop.
A crisp swish rang out. The basketball passed through the net without suspense. Three-pointer!
The electronic scoreboard updated immediately: Ryonan 120, Sannoh Industrial High School 127. The gap was instantly pushed back to 7 points, with only the final minute remaining.
A 7-point gap with one minute left was practically a death sentence for the trailing side in a basketball game.
At that instant, it was as though someone had hit the mute button in the noisy gymnasium, and an eerie silence descended over the venue.
The basketball that had decided their fate rolled across the floor, its hurried, heavy bouncing seeming to hammer against every Ryonan player's heart. At last, it slowly came to a stop, and silence returned.
Everyone on Ryonan stood frozen in place, still holding their defensive stances. Expressionless, their eyes hollow, they stared at the