Dai Moroboshi's eyes were firm, showing no intention of giving way, completely unlike someone who had just been tackled from behind.
bass!
Shirasawa didn't feint at all; he jumped directly towards Dai Moroboshi, deftly switched hands in mid-air, and lobbed the ball into the basket! Once again, he scored right in front of Dai Moroboshi.
Dai Moroboshi wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes growing even colder. He knew perfectly well that the team's marksmen had lost their touch, and that wasn't something that could be easily regained. Now, he could only rely on himself. "You, Shirasawa, can single-handedly create a surge, but I, Dai Moroboshi, am no pushover either! I can return the favor!" He needed to restore morale first, then create opportunities for his teammates!
Snap! Snap!
Dai Moroboshi charged forward with the ball, calling for his teammates to set screens as soon as he reached the frontcourt. He knew that even if he could only get half a step away from Shirasawa, the offense would be much easier. At this moment, he didn't care about his teammates' offensive rhythm anymore, Aiwa Academy switched back to Dai Moroboshi's one-on-one mode.
With a slight change of direction, Dai Moroboshi temporarily created some distance between himself and Shirasawa. Then, he stopped abruptly, charged forward, and drove to the basket. Facing a double block from Takenori Akagi and Hanamichi Sakuragi, he deftly pulled up for a layup in mid-air.
Conversely, Shohoku was equally resolute, immediately switching to Shirasawa's one-on-one mode! In Shirasawa's eyes, pick-and-rolls and screens were nothing but burdens that slowed down the offense.
Shirasawa went into full offensive mode, his whole body filled with feints, making it impossible for Dai Moroboshi to defend him. His attack range covered the entire half court, and as he drove to the vicinity of the paint, he turned and left Dai Moroboshi behind with a quick turn, easily scoring a layup despite facing Takayuki Otomo's defense.
In the next possession, Shirasawa pulled back with a crossover dribble beyond the three-point line, then stepped back and released a three-pointer. The basketball landed smoothly in the basket, swish!
Turning around, Dai Moroboshi wasn't going to be outdone. He made two consecutive crossovers, followed by a side step, and launched a three-pointer, returning the favor and scoring!
Shirasawa saw this and thought, "Hey, I'm getting into it!" He took a step forward from the three-point line, passing by Dai Moroboshi, completely ignoring Aiwa's interior defense, and slammed the ball into the basket with a one-handed tomahawk dunk! Aiwa's two interior players were basically invisible in this defensive play.
In the transition between offense and defense, Dai Moroboshi cut in from the baseline without the ball. Facing Shirasawa's defense under the basket, he suddenly made a "scooping the moon from the bottom of the sea" style layup. His strange rhythm once again came into play, making Shirasawa's defensive judgment half a beat faster. The basketball grazed Shirasawa's fingertips and fell into the basket.
For a moment, the two engaged in a fierce back-and-forth battle on the court. Shirasawa dribbled behind his back repeatedly, faked a shot and then drove into the paint, easily finishing with a powerful two-handed dunk.
Of course, Dai Moroboshi wouldn't admit defeat and continued to fight back. Facing Shirasawa, he dribbled the ball step by step to a 45-degree angle, making two consecutive turns with varying rhythms, probably making even himself a little dizzy. Then he suddenly took a step forward and rose to attack the basket.
Just then, Shirasawa suddenly appeared from behind him and slapped the ball against the backboard!
Hanamichi Sakuragi reacted quickly, catching the rebound and launching a long throw to the frontcourt. Shirasawa, on the other hand, moved with lightning speed, practically racing against the ball. He jumped near the free-throw line, caught the ball, dribbled once after landing, and then unleashed a powerful two-handed dunk! This offensive and defensive play showcased their individual abilities to the fullest.
During those few minutes of intense attacking play, everyone, from the substitutes on the bench to the fans in the stands, was completely stunned. Their eyes were glued to the screen, their heads turning left and right like rattles following the rapid back-and-forth of the two sides.
"Incredible! Dai Moroboshi is already strong enough, but Shirasawa is even stronger! These rounds of ace matchups are going to be a part of high school basketball history!" Nobunaga Kiyota's eyes widened as he stared intently at the court, completely captivated by the performance of Shirasawa and Dai Moroboshi. He wished the two could keep playing like this forever; he couldn't get enough of watching them.
"That's right, the last person I could beat like this was myself," Shinichi Maki said slowly from the side, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible pride. This kind of understated boasting was far more sophisticated than Hanamichi Sakuragi's loud and boisterous style.
"However, Dai Moroboshi is gradually losing ground, and this duel will probably be decided soon," Shinichi Maki continued.
Judging from these few minutes of back-and-forth, Shirasawa has clearly gained the upper hand. He is not only unstoppable on offense, but also performs well on defense, making it increasingly difficult for Dai Moroboshi, and even delivering a solid block. However, Dai Moroboshi has almost no way to limit him on the defensive end. Three-pointers, mid-range shots, layups, dunks, Shirasawa has all kinds of offensive methods at his fingertips, and he can score no matter what he does.
Dai Moroboshi was really struggling to keep up, just as he himself said: I can't defend against Shirasawa.
With three minutes remaining in the first half, Shirasawa suddenly emerged from the crowd, executed a one-legged fadeaway move, and deftly tossed the ball into the basket.
At this point, the score was 66-53, with Shohoku leading by 13 points.
The score in this game was quite high for both teams, especially the clash between the two stars in the latter part of the first half, which kept the audience entertained. Shirasawa has already scored 35 points, constantly breaking his scoring records in those few minutes of back-and-forth shooting.
Dai Moroboshi also performed admirably, scoring 27 points.
This is the first time since the start of the national tournament that such a scoring duel between ace players has ever happened!
Even if the game ended right now, the fans who came to the stadium today would have already gotten their money's worth!
Don't forget,
This is only the first half!
"So, Kawata- senpai? I told you you underestimated Shirasawa before."
A faint smile appeared on Eiji Sawakita's lips.
As Shirasawa continued to showcase his skills, his own inner energy surged, and he couldn't wait to rush up and test his skills against Shirasawa!
The last time he had this irresistible urge was when he was in the first year of junior high school.
Back then, Sawakita's junior high school basketball team, from first grade to third grade, all of his teammates were thoroughly defeated by him.
Then he went home and challenged his dad to a duel.
That was also the first time he had ever beaten his father in a one-on-one fight.
Since then, Sawakita has never felt such a strong desire for anyone in the country.
Until today, until I saw Shirasawa.
"Alright, I admit it, this Shirasawa... I need to take a different look at him."
Masashi Kawata gave a lukewarm response.
Being able to admit that you've misjudged someone is also a basic quality of a strong person.
On the other side,
"So handsome! Sendoh -senpai!"
The game between Ryonan and Daiei Academy has reached the final 15 seconds of the first half.
Hikoichi Aida jumped up from the bench in excitement.
Because just now,
Atsushi Tsuchiya dodged Uozumi's block attempt and tried to force a layup.
But Sendoh caught up and firmly pressed down on him with his left hand!
This hat is not only clean and neat,
That was Sendoh's first block in this national tournament!
This also shows that Daiei Academy really forced Sendoh to use his full strength today.
For the first ten minutes of the match, the two teams were neck and neck, with neither gaining an advantage.
Because Daiei Academy's offensive pace was as slow as a snail, the score remained stagnant for both sides.
On the defensive end, Daiei Academy also caused Ryonan a lot of trouble.
Their defensive discipline was simply outrageous.
Atsushi Tsuchiya was on defense the entire game, his defensive formation was very wide, and he kept using his body to push the Ryonan players outwards.
This prevented Ryonan from picking up any pace, and their offensive rhythm was often forced to slow down.
Another point is that Daiei's two inside players also provided excellent help defense. Just when Kaede Rukawa managed to get past the first hurdle, someone immediately stepped in to cover for him.
This made it impossible for him to break through easily.
This level of teamwork in defense made Ryonan's game particularly frustrating at one point.
This slow pace is pure torture for a team like Ryonan.
This is also the key reason why Daiei was able to abuse Toyotama, not just because Tsuyoshi Minami wasn't there.
More importantly, Daiei's defense completely shut down Toyotama's speed.
You think you can run and fire? You're lucky if you can even run...
However, this pace is quite favorable for Uozumi.
Normally he has to run like his life depended on it to keep up with his teammates, but today is great, he can finally catch his breath and doesn't have to keep bouncing around like he's being tossed about by waves anymore...
The two teams remained deadlocked for ten minutes.
In the end, it was Sendoh who stepped in and broke the deadlock.
His unstoppable mid-range shooting completely shattered Daiei's overall defense!
Before the reinforcements even arrived, Sendoh had already pulled up and thrown, and he got a kill right away!
If the opponent double-teams him early, he will pass the ball.
They gradually dismantled Daiei Academy's defenses.
As Sendoh went on a rampage, Kaede Rukawa also regained his offensive rhythm and returned to his familiar pace.
The Twin Stars combined their efforts, going on a 21-8 run.
This offensive wave made Daiei impatient on both offense and defense, and they unknowingly started playing at Ryonan's pace.
But the score did not widen further.
Because Jun Atsushi Tsuchiya, who is known for his composure, stepped forward.
His individual abilities are absolutely top-tier among five-star high school students.
It's also a triple threat weapon that can drive, shoot, and pass.
He took over Daiei's offense and single-handedly held off the Ryonan Twin Stars!
Atsushi Tsuchiya's outburst also completely ignited Sendoh.
Kaede Rukawa wisely withdrew from the fray, transforming from an offensive focal point into a support role.
This transformation reflects both his trust in the Sendoh and his genuine growth.
Thus, the two five-star high school students faced off directly on the field.
The scene was exactly the same as what happened on Shirasawa and Dai Moroboshi's side.
With 15 seconds left in the first half, Sendoh blocked Atsushi Tsuchiya's shot and immediately launched Ryonan's final attack.
He dribbled the ball until there were 6 seconds left, then faked out Atsushi Tsuchiya at the top of the arc, rushed to the free-throw line, pretended to shoot, but actually passed the ball!
In his final attack, Sendoh chose to return the favor.
The ball was accurately passed to the baseline. Kaede Rukawa received the ball, turned around and went around the basket. Just before the whistle blew, he completed a powerful dunk!
It instantly ignited cheers from the entire audience.
After the dunk, the Twin Stars high-fived in celebration, a scene that made Atsushi Tsuchiya on the sidelines, feel a pang of loneliness...
The first half score was 56-46.
With a 10-point lead, Ryonan had a solid foundation for the game.
Sendoh scored 27 points, accounting for almost half of the team's total, fully demonstrating his explosive scoring ability.