As soon as the second half began, Ryonan found themselves in trouble as Kainan started frantically closing the gap.
Coach Taoka was so anxious that a few more wrinkles appeared on his face, but there was nothing he could do.
Ryonan had too few cards left to play, and they had no three-point shooter who could break the game open.
Even the best cook could not make a meal without ingredients. Experienced as Coach Taoka was, all he could do now was rely on his ace, Akira Sendoh.
On the court, Akira Sendoh did not disappoint Coach Taoka. Even with Kainan Team swarming him, he stubbornly managed to score through individual plays.
Even with two teammates helping him trap Akira Sendoh, Shinichi Maki could not shut him down completely.
The game gradually became a stalemate. Kainan were indeed closing the gap, but their pace slowed as Akira Sendoh steadily brought the situation under control.
In the stands, Ryota Kudo looked at his Shohoku Team teammates beside him with a little relief. Without them, his road to conquering the nation might have been an extremely difficult one, too. Having to go all out in every game would have been exhausting.
Meanwhile, Ayako Inoue kept taking notes. Shohoku would face Ryonan tomorrow, and every weakness Kainan had uncovered was something they could exploit.
As the game continued, more problems emerged for Ryonan. Coach Takato also spotted Kiccho Fukuda's defensive shortcomings.
Shinichi Maki and Nobunaga Kiyota began attacking Ryonan inside. Kiccho Fukuda's defense was practically nonexistent, allowing Kainan Team to score easily.
On top of that, Jun Uozumi shouldered all the pressure of Ryonan's interior defense, and he found himself in foul trouble as Shinichi Maki drew his fourth foul.
That made Jun Uozumi hesitant on the court, leaving Ryonan's interior defense even