Taking over the basketball, Shōgo intentionally slowed down his pace once again. He was deliberately controlling the tempo of the game.
This way, his teammates' energy consumption would be slower, and Teikō Junior High's scoring would also slow down.
In the current situation, competing with Teikō for points and engaging in fast breaks, would be a suicidal act, a foolish behavior that only exacerbates the team's exhaustion.
Pushing against the edge of a foul, Shōgo took a three-point shot, extending the lead by one point.
But while Fukuda wanted to play slowly, Teikō wanted to play fast. The head coach of Teikō, Coach Shirogane, saw through Fukuda's intention and had given instructions earlier.
Receiving the ball, Ryōta made a long pass from the half-court to Atsushi, who leaped high and dunked the basketball into the hoop.
A beautiful aerial relay ignited the entire audience. Cheers and shouts echoed through the stadium.
However, the Fukuda's players on the court for the first time, having just experienced the might of Ryōta and the terror of Atsushi, stood frozen in their tracks.
Observing the game from the bench, their feelings weren't as deep. But once on the court, facing the opponent's strength and their helplessness, their sense of powerlessness and inferiority were amplified a hundredfold.
Seeing his teammates' predicament, Fukuda's captain, Arata, had to step forward again to reassure his teammates, trying his best to keep them from succumbing to fear.
Once someone succumbs to fear, they are prone to thoughts of giving up. Many people end up self-destructing because of this.
Receiving the basketball from the free-throw line, Shōgo felt that he needed to boost their morale. He had to show a glimmer of hope to the newly subbed-in trio of teammates rather than despair.
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
The usual dribbling sound should be "pah, pah," but now, in Shōgo's hands, the basketball emitted a "bang, bang" sound. This was a prelude to him increasing his strength and preparing to accelerate.
Facing the approaching, defensively positioned Shintarō, Shōgo felt a somewhat imposing aura. It wasn't as dominant as Seijūrō's, but it was threatening enough.
However, this aura was still lacking a bit!
"Shintaro, if you don't bring out your true abilities, you're going to get blown away by me!"
As the words fell, Shōgo changed his pace, accelerated past Shintaro, and then leaped high to attempt a shot, only to be blocked by Atsushi.
With a smile in the corner of his eye, Shōgo switched hands on the basketball, using his left hand to press the ball against the defense of Shintarō and Atsushi. Despite their attempts, he managed to dunk the basketball into the hoop.
Powerful, very powerful. The grounded Shintarō and Atsushi looked at Shōgo, who had grown much taller than before, with disbelief.
"Hey, hey, hey!! This is so annoying! Shōgo can't be stopped anymore!"
"He really can't be stopped! But even if he can't be stopped, he won't win!"
This was confidence, Teikō's confidence, and Shintarō's confidence.
Returning to his half of the court, feeling the condition of his few teammates, and finding it acceptable, Shōgo was relieved.
This aggressive play was meant to reassure the newly subbed-in players and help them settle into the game, focusing on their defensive roles and doing their part.
Seeing his teammates in a better state, Shōgo let out a sigh of relief. Coach Kudo in Fukuda's rest area also relaxed a bit. Seeing Shōgo's forceful dunk that lifted the team's morale and settled the new players, the coach finally let go of the tension he had been holding. He was genuinely afraid that his players would fall into despair after going on the court.
Because of incidents like this, including this time, Coach Kudo had already experienced it three times. After each of these games, players left the basketball team, quitting the sport.
As a coach, being unable to prevent such occurrences was shaeful and heartbreaking.
But thankfully, this year, Shōgo had joined.
Seeing Shōgo on the court, forcefully defending Shintarō, Coach Kudo smiled knowingly.
Good, with you, Shōgo, leading them through this baptism of battle, as long as they don't fall, they will eventually play a role.
Fukuda Junior High could not stop Teikō's scoring. Ryōta broke through the blockade and executed a powerful two-handed dunk, raising the team's momentum.
The cheers and shouts from the audience grew louder, even many girls' screams were heard.
This was Ryōta's charm, not just his handsome appearance but his increasingly proficient basketball skills. He was also a well-known model, attracting heaps of fans and young girls who admired him.
The fact remained that they couldn't stop Teikō's scoring. Shōgo wasn't concerned about this; his current goal was to keep narrowing the gap in points or even pull ahead to create a chance for victory.
And the second quarter of the game continued in this agonizing rhythm.
Taking another pass, Shōgo suddenly noticed that the passing strength had decreased significantly from before. He glanced at his teammates, all of whom were drenched in sweat and panting heavily.
Have this group of teammates reached their limits already? Is their energy depleted by the end of the second quarter?
Dribble, breakthrough, fadeaway jumper.
"Swish!"
The sound of the basketball hitting the net wasn't as intoxicating as usual. Instead, it carried a hint of worry and anxiety.
The whistle blew, signaling the end of the second quarter with a score of 45-42, Fukuda Junior High in the lead.
Looking at the situation, if it continues like this, Fukuda Junior High still has a good chance of winning.
But is it so?
Fukuda's main players have all played once, and their energy is almost spent, yet the game is only halfway through.
Who will play next?
The rookies! That's the only choice Fukuda Junior High has.
In the rest area of Fukuda Junior High, Coach Kudo's voice was somewhat helpless, somewhat serious, somewhat gloomy, yet somewhat satisfied.
"Half of the game is over, and we're leading. You've seen that it's not impossible. The newcomers will go on next, just play according to your training. I don't have any other requirements. Just complete your tasks until your energy is exhausted."
"Yes, Coach!"
Coach Kudo continued to encourage the newcomers, as they were the most susceptible to discouragement and giving up. Mishandling this could lead to the disintegration of Fukuda's team, returning them to square one.
Taking the towel handed over by Rina, and wiping his sweat, Shōgo smiled at her.
He then turned to Arata, who was drinking heavily next to him.
"You should rest for a while. If Teikō's No.15 goes on, you go on. If he doesn't, rest one quarter and then play the last quarter."
"Is that okay? Shōgo-kun."
"It's either this way or face even worse consequences!"
"Really? Then I'll follow your lead."
Shōgo nodded, not saying anything. He leaned back in his seat, finally taking a rest.
To be honest, since the start of the game, it had been an ordeal for him, unable to fully unleash himself in playing basketball.
If Shōgo let loose, the team couldn't keep up with his pace. As the pace accelerates, this teammates conditions would worsen due to his accelerated rhythm.
At this moment, the team was a shackle to him. It might sound harsh, but it was a fair comparison.