In the next few rounds, both sides briefly engaged in an offensive exchange. Ryonan relied on their Twin Stars, Kaede Rukawa and Sendoh, to carry the team, each scoring in their own way. Kiccho Fukuda was substituted by Ikegami again, making room for the Twin Stars on offense and strengthening the defense.
Sannoh Industrial High School, on the other hand, remained calm and unhurried. Although Eiji Sawakita's fighting spirit was high, he did not completely take over the offensive, which showed how strict Sannoh's discipline was. It was also clear that they did not need Sawakita to go all out.
Kazunari Fukatsu orchestrated the offense methodically, his passes directly or indirectly setting the pace for the team and creating opportunities for all his teammates. With the exception of power forward Masahiro Nobe, everyone on the team scored.
Ryonan's defenses were torn to shreds, and the team was only holding on thanks to the Twin Stars' overwhelming offensive power. If their condition faltered, they would immediately be put on the defensive.
With 15 minutes played in the first half, the score was 51-41, with Sannoh Industrial High School leading by 10 points.
" Sannoh hasn't shown their full strength yet. If Ryonan can't force Sannoh to play their strongest in the first half, then the outcome of the match is pretty much decided," Shinichi Maki said, frowning.
" Maki, you mean the Sannoh is still in possession of it?" Nobunaga Kiyota's eyes widened.
It's certain that Sawakita didn't go all out, but Shinichi Maki's intentions clearly extend beyond just Sawakita.
"Yes, Sannoh has another player who can single-handedly destroy an entire team."
After Shinichi Maki finished speaking, Nobunaga Kiyota quickly scanned the field. "You mean Masashi Kawata?"
So far, Masashi Kawata has only scored 6 points, and has been virtually invisible on offense. Defensively, he's also been coasting along with Uozumi. Calling him the best high school center is definitely an exaggeration.
"Wasn't it Uozumi who restrained him? Uozumi is a whole size bigger than him." In Nobunaga Kiyota's opinion, Masashi Kawata's decline was inseparable from Uozumi.
" Uozumi isn't good enough, Big Kawata didn't perform well simply because it wasn't necessary," Shinichi Maki said decisively.
In the audience, Takenori Akagi shared the same opinion as Shinichi Maki: " Masashi Kawata's strength is far more than this."
This isn't meant to belittle Uozumi, it's just that Masashi Kawata's abilities are too outstanding; Uozumi simply can't restrain him with brute force alone. The reason? The biggest reason is Masashi Kawata's offense. The reason he's ranked among the top three in the nation is precisely because of his ridiculously exaggerated offensive methods.
It's fair to say that Masashi Kawata is the biggest nemesis of traditional centers. Akagi had previously faced Koichiro Nango and Toru Hanagata, both of whom were different from traditional centers and caused Akagi a lot of trouble in their matchups. But compared to Masashi Kawata, they were nothing.
"I also think that if Masashi Kawata doesn't intervene, a sword will always be hanging over Ryonan's head." Kiminobu Kogure shared their view, "That sword could fall at any moment and take their lives."
This description perfectly captures Ryonan's predicament.
"Are you talking about that Bald Gorilla?"
Hanamichi Sakuragi squinted and squeezed over, his gaze sweeping over Masashi Kawata.
" Bald Gorilla."
Takenori Akagi and Kiminobu Kogure simultaneously turned their heads to re-examine Masashi Kawata. But upon seeing him, both fell silent. Although they didn't utter a word, the same thought simultaneously popped into their minds—this metaphor was absolutely brilliant. They even felt that if Sannoh ever held an event, they could simply drag him to the zoo as a living advertisement.
"I don't think he'll get the better of that Monkey Boss at all," Hanamichi Sakuragi said, hands on his hips, analyzing with an air of seriousness. "Compared to that Hiroshi Morishige, he's nowhere near as good."
His logic was simple: Hiroshi Morishige Masashi Kawata's lukewarm style was not impressive enough just by looking at the action.
"Idiot, you have no idea how strong he is."
Takenori Akagi's brows furrowed, and his tone turned serious. " Sakuragi, if you go on the field with that kind of thinking, you'll definitely suffer a terrible defeat."
Underestimating his opponents is an old problem for Hanamichi Sakuragi. Although he has suffered many setbacks, he never learns from them.
On the sidelines, Moichi Taoka was also staring at the same problem, rubbing his chin, his mind racing with how to force Masashi Kawata to reveal his true abilities. Meanwhile, on Sannoh's side, Goro Domoto hadn't left his chair since the start of the game, not even standing up, let alone calling a timeout. But his face didn't look relaxed; instead, it conveyed a sense of dissatisfaction with the match, as if he were holding back his frustration.
" Mikio, go warm up, get ready to go."
Goro Domoto finally broke through Sannoh's first adjustment of the game.
The words had barely left his lips when a mountain of flesh trembled and rose from the bench. It truly was a mountain of flesh. It was Masashi Kawata's younger brother, Mikio Kawata, a first-year rookie at Sannoh. Standing at 2.1 meters tall, he was the tallest registered high school player in the country. As for his weight, there was no data; it was said he had broken the scales. Hiroshi Morishige was certainly muscular enough, but this guy was a whole Hiroshi Morishige bigger. However, while Hiroshi Morishige was all lumps of muscle, Mikio Kawata was covered in fat, making him look nauseatingly plump.
"Oh, okay, Coach, but I hope my brother won't be angry?"
Mikio Kawata asked cautiously, and sweat immediately broke out on his forehead when he mentioned the word "older brother".
"Do as I say, ignore your brother, go and hold off that number 4."
Goro Domoto's tone left no room for negotiation. Mikio Kawata's entry into Sannoh was definitely not due to his brother's connections or backdoors. His physique alone was enough to make a bunch of teams drool. But the problem lay in his personality. In a word, he was timid. You could call it easygoing, but that was the fatal flaw on the court. And that was precisely the only stumbling block hindering his growth.
Goro Domoto had no choice but to slowly work him down. Next year, when Masashi Kawata graduates, Mikio will most likely have to take over his brother's position, so Goro Domoto has been looking for opportunities to train him this year. However, there is one principle: he must never let him play with Masashi Kawata at the same time, because his brother's aura can suppress Mikio much that he can't even take a step on the court.
The appearance of Uozumi has caught the eye of Goro Domoto. He's practically a tailor-made whetstone. If Mikio can perform well against Uozumi, then the starting center for the Sannoh next year will be a sure thing. Uozumi is just the right size to be a touchstone. For this reason, he doesn't mind letting Masashi Kawata play less.
Mikio Kawata, like a moving mountain, swayed and wobbled to the sidelines. His obese body did warm-up exercises, which looked both comical and jarring.
"Holy crap, what is this thing?!"
Hanamichi Sakuragi's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Even in his eyes, Mikio's physique was ridiculously exaggerated.
" Mikio Kawata, Masashi Kawata's younger brother, a new student who just enrolled this year," Kiminobu Kogure blinked, his tone full of disbelief, "I don't know his exact strength, but just looking at that physique is terrifying."
For the first time, he realized that Uozumi wasn't actually that strong.
"Heave--Heave--"
Mikio Kawata struggled to move his body. Hiroshi Morishige was considered honest-looking, but this guy was even more honest, the kind who would be sold out and still happily help you count the money. Of course, that was assuming someone was willing to sell him.
With four minutes remaining in the first half, Eiji Sawakita made a strong drive to the Ryoji Ikegami and drawing a foul in the process. The ball went dead, and Sannoh made a substitution. Mikio Kawata slowly strolled onto the court, walking towards his brother.
"Hehehe, brother, I'll do my best."
Mikio forced a smile, but cold sweat was already streaming down her forehead.
"Idiot, what are you laughing at!" Masashi Kawata glared, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. "If you don't play well, I'll beat you to death."
When it comes to disciplining his younger brother, Masashi Kawata is absolutely unique in the country. He took the saying "eldest brother is like father" to the extreme, not only as a father, but as a strict father who believed that "spare the rod and spoil the child."
"Brother, I'm sorry, I'll try my best."
Mikio habitually apologized first, looking like a chubby boy who had been bullied.
"What are you apologizing for? Show some backbone!"
Masashi Kawata, frustrated and disappointed in his younger brother, punched him.
Masashi Kawata's punch landed solidly; the thud could be heard even from halfway across the arena.
Mikio didn't move an inch, she just shrank her neck and nodded timidly.
That ability to withstand blows alone is enough to make one gasp in astonishment.
After the two brothers finished handing over the ball, Mikio dragged himself to the basket, stood next to Uozumi, and waited to grab the rebound.
The group from Ryonan all stared wide-eyed. Who had ever seen Uozumi? They were truly amazed.
The two of them pushed against each other, Uozumi sank into that lump of flesh, unable to find a foothold with his elbows.
On the other hand, Mikio had a smile on her face, and even seemed a little comfortable.
" Uozumi... Captain Uozumi looks so small..."
Hikoichi Aida swallowed hard. This scene was truly bizarre. He had looked up information on Sannoh before, but Mikio was a newcomer, and all he could find was a little bit of information. Like Kogure, he had never even seen the real person.
This encounter was a huge surprise—a man who could make Uozumi appear small truly existed.
But Moichi Taoka's mind wasn't on that at all. He was focused on Masashi Kawata's fate. Sannoh had taken back the sword that had been hanging over their heads, which was definitely not a good sign.
Do you think we don't need Masashi Kawata to deal with us?
Moichi Taoka's brows furrowed. He had to launch an offensive in the final minutes of the first half.
Swish!
Eiji Sawakita pocketed the extra penalty easily. Mikio chuckled and praised, "Great shot!" before sauntering back to the backcourt.
Uozumi frowned, staring at his back. From those few scrambles for position, he'd already gauged Mikio's strength—it was overwhelming. Masashi Kawata's strength was enough to give him a run for his money; Uozumi had been worn down for the entire first half, barely managing to secure any positions. And this fat guy was a level above him in strength. He was also a head taller; it was the first time Uozumi had to crane his neck to see someone.
Ryonan on offense. Sendoh brings the ball across half-court. In the first half, the two Twin Stars took turns shooting, but even with them alternating, they were facing Sannoh, and every shot was a struggle. By now, their vests were soaked with sweat, indicating that they were much more exhausted than usual.