The basketball team practice facility became even livelier once the night fell.
At first, it was a seven person three point shootout. But as one by one, the players from both teams trickled in to put in more work during the weekend, the competition ballooned to a twenty person shootout.
Represented were the women's team as well, with eight women's players taking on the challenge.
The current high mark was a solid 42, with Lamont sitting pretty on the sidelines and watching on as his fellow ballers try to topple him.
Tremaine hadn't had his turn just yet… because as more and more people joined… his turn got pushed back more and more…
Only ten players have had their turns, which meant that it might still be a while for him before he can show them what he could do.
Tremaine was hoping other people wouldn't come anymore… besides, all the remaining six were upperclassmen anyway, so there's a higher chance they were at Ryan's place…
Currently, the captain of the ladies' team was in the middle zone shooting. She was a senior floor general that had ties to the men's team itself.
She was the daughter of their very own head coach.
"Captain Hannah, beat that smug faced bastard!" One of her teammates egged her on.
Once Hannah Roughan buried the entirety of her ten shots in the middle, Lamont started to sweat profusely. As an upperclassman himself, he knew that when Hannah Roughan was firing on all cylinders, she was unstoppable.
She buried 26 of the first 30 shots.
She kept on drilling every single shot as everyone watched with amazement. Her streak was continuously rising, with basket after basket. After drilling the next ten, her streak stood at 23.
All she needed was to hit seven to take the lead outright.
Tremaine only thought about how easily her stroke could be replicated in quick succession. It had all the right tools to succeed.
A quick release, a high arc, and a motion that had the peak efficiency.
Maybe he'll put his shameless face on and learn from her at some point within this year… even if his jumper routine was better...
Swish!
When Tremaine snapped out of his thoughts, nine of the last ten shots had been buried in less than twenty seconds.
She stared at Lamont, who was in utter disbelief, and gave him a thumbs up. Everyone else on the women's team looked at Lamont haughtily as if they're the ones that destroyed him.
The next female player nonchalantly started while Captain Hannah started walking straight to the men's rookies.
Tremaine knew that she was taller than him, and was much more polished skill-wise than even him, but she was surprised to get a closer look and realized that she was much more muscular than a lot of the men's players.
"Yo, rookies. Don't disappoint my father too much, you hear me?" She high fived each and everyone of them, but she lingered at two people.
Mitchell, and Mills.
"Grow, and improve." Hannah looked at them with her brown, deadpan eyes. "He has the highest expectations on you two. Don't tell him I told you that."
Captain Hannah turned and walked away from their group, but before she was out of earshot, she stopped, and said with conviction: "To the other five of you, use what I said as fuel to make my father believe otherwise. Grow, and improve."
The seven freshmen's eyes burned brightly in determination.
***
Recorded on Caleb's phone were the scores of the shootout. Nineteen players in, and Hannah Roughan still had the highest score at 46, while Tarik Diallo had the lowest at 25.
Only Tremaine Mills had not yet attempted his fifty shots.
Tre breathed in deeply and released all his confidence.
This was not the pressure packed game situation, nor is this any sort of high stakes challenge, so all he had to do was show them they could rely on him from beyond the arc.
He was absolutely confident he could knock down at least 40 triples.
As the last person to have a shot at breaking Hannah's 46, all eyes were on him alone— especially Lamont, who was actually rubbing his hands pleading to him to beat the high score.
Every time he jacks up a shot, every time he takes a ball from the rack, every time his arms bend, and every time the ball splashes through the basket, he is the center of the crowd's attention.
Upon scoring the last shot on the first rack, Tremaine's body felt an exhilarating rush. He threw up ten shots in less than twenty seconds, and was now going to the next rack with wind on his sails.
"Man, this guy really is challenging the top!" Deshaun held a stopwatch in his hand, as per Tremaine's orders.
Tremaine's jump shot form and release was almost the same in every single attempt, it was unbelievable.
There was no wasted motion. It was a thing of beauty.
On the sidelines, Hannah had a smirk. She was astonished how this freshman's three point shot had such a repeatable, consistent release.
Even some NBA players don't have a form as solid nor a release as consistent as his.
Tremaine ended the second rack without a single miss, catching fire quickly and raining down triples to the delight of the men's team at the sidelines.
He was pretty much automatic in the middle too.
The men's team members were jumping, and chanting together with arms on each other's shoulders in anticipation. Their final bet was firing on all cylinders.
Tremaine heard all the crazy shouting and singing from his team, but he kept on lofting and making shot after shot without pause.
He was like a preeminent jump shooter gracing a university with his presence.
At least until he reached the last rack.
Everything seemed fine from the first three attempts, which were all made very easily by Tremaine.
The men were shouting the number of made threes after every shot with unparalleled exuberance, like breaking the 46 was just a matter of time.
Hannah's eyebrows furrowed the exact instant the fourth shot was fired.
Mouths went agape after Tremaine airballed the shot…
Tremaine didn't flinch. Instead, he continued his insane shooting pace. It was just his second miss in 44 attempts after all.
However, the next shot was another airball.
Then another.
Less than ten seconds after the third shot from the last rack was fired, Tremaine Mills had suddenly missed three straight. The men's team's elation had turned into shock, with their bet squandering the sizable advantage.
Now, Tremaine could only tie Hannah's score.
Tremaine felt something click inside his mind and subtly changed something on his shot.
And without any surprise to him, it absolutely worked.
One, two, three, and he made three in a row!
45!
"Screw it, just tie her for us!" Lamont yelled off-beat.
For the first time, he collected himself before shooting his final attempt. His form was excellent, the follow through was almost impeccable, the arc was just right…
But the shot was airballed again...