Rukawa... beautifully done! Ryota Kudo's spirits soared. Rukawa's successful isolation play meant so much!
Time ticked away, reaching the 11th minute of the second half, the 31st minute overall.
Score: 65-58. Sannoh Industrial High School led by seven.
Although Akagi's return had steadied the interior, and Sakuragi's midrange shots and rebounds and Rukawa's tenacious isolation plays kept cutting into the deficit, Sannoh Industrial High School's overall strength and depth remained terrifying.
Masashi Kawata still scored at will beneath the basket, exploiting Akagi's limited footwork to repeatedly power his way to baskets or draw fouls.
With Rukawa keeping Eiji Sawakita occupied, Sawakita reduced his individual attacks, but his passing and playmaking remained lethal. He always found an open teammate.
Reserves such as Minoru Matsumoto and Satoshi Ichinokura, who rotated into the game, also maintained exceptional efficiency on both offense and defense.
That was especially true when Mikio Kawata-Masashi Kawata's younger brother, whose enormous body resembled a mountain of flesh-took the court.
Although he moved slowly, his positioning and screens beneath the basket were excellent, providing Sannoh with a solid human shield and second-chance opportunities.
For Shohoku, Ryota Kudo remained the undisputed centerpiece.
He constantly attacked the paint off Akagi's screens, sought midrange opportunities through pick-and-rolls with Sakuragi, or created chances for teammates after drawing double-teams.
Almost single-handedly, he sustained Shohoku's offensive firepower under the combined pressure of Kawata, Nobe, and Sawakita.
However, the relentless attacks and efforts to break double-teams had pushed his stamina to its limit!
The taste of blood was so strong that he wanted to vomit. Every breath brought a burning pain in his lungs, the black spots at the edges of his vision kept expanding, and his body felt as heavy as lead.
Hisashi Mitsui sat on the bench, wrapped in a towel, his eyes fixed intently