Winter Cup Finals. (7)

AN__:

This chapter is briefer than usual as it serves as a prelude for the following chapter explaining the race to the championship. I hope you're enjoying this novel, and please express your interest if you'd like me to establish a Discord community.

Moreover, I'm considering launching a P.atreon where I could offer 10 to 15 chapters in advance of Webnovel. Would you be willing to support this financially? I'm currently facing financial challenges as a college student and value your opinions. Please let me know your thoughts.

.

.

.

.

The two minutes and thirty seconds allotted between the quarters swiftly elapsed as the players were called back onto the court. Akashi and Kise from Teiko Junior High took a well-deserved break, visibly fatigued after playing the entire game thus far. Substituting in for them were two third-year players, Kuboto Masaya and Sekiguchi Tooru, both eager to make an impact.

Meanwhile, on Yuuki Junior High's side, Hideki opted for a rest, making way for Kaoru Tomori, donning jersey number 2. Asuma, exhausted from defending against Aomine in Koganei's absence, also took a seat, replaced by Kotaro. The lineup now featured Koganei at PG, Kotaro, Tomori, Damien, and Mitobe holding the SG, SF, PF, and C positions respectively.

As the players returned to the court, Teiko gained possession of the ball. With their primary ball handler off the court, Tooru, a shooting guard, took charge of bringing the ball up. However, his role was short-lived. Upon reaching the frontcourt, he swiftly passed the ball to Aomine, who faced Koganei standing in front of him.

"I was wondering if you'd find your way back to the court, avoiding the action like you did," needled Aomine, assuming a poised triple-threat stance. Koganei, catching wind of the taunt, grinned and shot back.

"Why bother with someone who struggled to put the ball through the hoop against one of my substitutes? If the coach didn't specifically want me to shut you down, I might have picked a more challenging opponent, like your buddy over there," he remarked, gesturing towards Tooru, who confidently brought the ball up the court. "He might at least give me a run for my money," Koganei added, making a sly attempt to swipe the ball. Aomine, quick on his feet, eluded Koganei's steal attempt. With Koganei applying sudden pressure, Aomine had to move swiftly, dribbling the ball between his legs.

Executing a hesitation dribble, Aomine explosively drove toward the middle, heading straight for the basket. Koganei, displaying quick reflexes, positioned his hand at Aomine's hip, tailing Teiko's ace with agility. Surprisingly, Aomine came to an abrupt halt at the free-throw line, pulling up for a shot. Reacting promptly, Koganei leaped, successfully contesting the attempt.

However, as Mitobe grappled with Murasakibara under the paint for the rebound, the referee's whistle pierced the air, signaling a foul on Koganei's attempt to block the shot. This marked his second foul of the game, leaving Yuuki Junior High's players visibly bewildered. In the media seats near the court, Anzai elucidated the referee's decision.

"He caught the hand at the hip," Anzai explained, the replay emphasizing Koganei's late withdrawal of his hand from Aomine. "If Aomine hadn't pulled up, the ref might have missed it. It's a smart play by Teiko's player," he added, with Yoshimune nodding in agreement.

While Aomine stepped up for his free throws, Yoshimune foresaw a shift in Aomine's offensive approach. "Koganei did an excellent job defending Aomine, but it seems like Aomine is adapting to Koganei's style. We might witness Aomine's offensive prowess bloom in this quarter," he commented.

However, Anzai, maintaining confidence in Koganei's defensive skills, shook his head in disagreement. "Don't underestimate Koganei's defense, Yoshi," he countered. Aomine scored the first free throw, and Anzai continued his point. "Out of the 18 points Aomine has scored so far, 8 were against Koganei. Among those, 6 came from heavily contested shots. Those are shots that wouldn't usually go in, so the kid must be on a hot streak to make them. In the end, out of the numerous isolation chances, he only cleanly scored once against Koganei's defense," Anzai detailed as Aomine made the second free throw. Gazing at his partner, Anzai concluded, "I wouldn't call that figuring out the defense. It might just be a hot streak." 

"That might be the case," conceded Yoshimune, reflecting on the game. "We'll see what happens during this quarter," he added as Koganei skillfully dribbled the ball up the court. Upon reaching the frontcourt, Aomine finally stood face-to-face with Koganei for the first time in the game.

Anticipating this moment from the game's inception, Aomine had been eager to engage with the opposing team's star player. However, their coach had initially assigned Akashi to defend Koganei, much to Aomine's displeasure. Now, with Akashi sidelined, Aomine relished the opportunity to go head-to-head with Yuuki Junior High's standout player.

"Show me something!" Aomine challenged, clapping his hands as Koganei slowly assessed the situation. Responding to Aomine's call, Koganei signaled for an isolation play, prompting his teammates to clear out the court for the one-on-one showdown.

Sporting a wild grin, Aomine lowered his stance, maintaining a distance that allowed him to easily cover and contest any shot from Koganei. Aware of Koganei's proficiency as a shooter at this level, Aomine positioned himself strategically.

However, our protagonist had no intentions of attempting any shots for the remainder of the game unless it was needed. From the game's outset, his primary objective had been to elevate his 'finishing' skill to the High School tier. Yet, as the intensity of the game heightened, Akashi thwarted him at every attempt to reach the basket. The Teiko captain employed a strategy of trapping him with another teammate whenever he ventured towards the basket, resulting in five turnovers—a tally he hadn't experienced since his reincarnation. Faced with this defensive challenge, he shifted his focus to scoring through mid-range shots.

Now, with Teiko's captain sidelined, Koganei saw an opportunity to return to his primary goal—improving his 'finishing' skill without the constraints imposed by Akashi's stifling defense.

Koganei took two dribbles, finding his rhythm as he advanced slowly. Aomine, aware that Koganei might exploit an opportunity to dribble past him, positioned himself to counter any move.

On the second dribble, Koganei executed a lightning In-and-out dribble with his right hand, deftly shifting Aomine's center of gravity. He seamlessly followed it up with a crossover dribble. Just as Koganei initiated the crossover, Aomine extended his hands in an attempt to steal the ball. However, the move was executed with such speed that Koganei gained a significant advantage, darting towards the middle and heading for the basket.

In three swift steps, Koganei breached the paint, but the looming presence of Murasakibara approaching from the side heightened the stakes. Just as they were about to leap, a sudden surge of urgency swept over Koganei as another figure charged from behind him. Undeterred, he maintained his composure.

"I can feel it!" he thought, bracing himself for what was to come. With precision timing, he collided with Murasakibara, disrupting the center's attempt to jump. The slight contact impeded Murasakibara's ascent, and Koganei capitalized on the moment, utilizing the momentum from the collision to evade him as he leaped.

In mid-air, Aomine swiftly recovered and aimed to block the shot. However, in a moment of inspiration, Koganei executed a strategic move. He released the ball higher than his usual shots, skillfully utilizing the backboard. This adjustment made it nearly impossible for the 14-year-old forward to reach the ball.

As Koganei descended to the floor, the ball gracefully sailed through the hoop, igniting a burst of enthusiastic cheers from the crowd. Witnessing this triumphant play, our protagonist sensed a significant part of the lock stopping his finishing skill from evolving breaking down, and a broad smile spread across his face as he rose to his feet.

Observing Aomine with a nonchalant expression, Koganei nonverbally conveyed a sense of ease, casually dusting off his shoulders as if to suggest that the challenge had been too elementary. Without dwelling on the moment, he swiftly retraced his steps, heading back to the defensive end. Murasakibara, stationed close by, clenched his fists menacingly.

"I'd rather avoid getting hit by those," Koganei mumbled to himself as he regrouped with his teammates in the backcourt, exchanging congratulatory high-fives along the way.

Despite trailing by a single point, the resilience displayed by Yuuki Junior High was noteworthy, marking a commendable effort against their formidable opponents. This renewed vigor manifested prominently in their defensive plays, particularly initiated by Tomori, who took on the task of defending Tooru vigorously, almost preventing him from crossing the half-court line.

Tooru, though skilled, found himself grappling with an intensity he hadn't encountered in quite a while. Nevertheless, he managed to navigate past the half-court line and swiftly passed the ball to Masaya, who had positioned himself strategically.

With the ball now in his possession and Kotaro at his side, Masaya glanced towards the sidelines, catching Akashi's signal for a specific play. Responding to the directive, Masaya orchestrated the play with a series of hand gestures, setting his teammates in motion. The ball found its way to Midorima, who capitalized on a screen set by Murasakibara to shake off Damien and create ample space.

Seizing the opportunity, Midorima, who had already demonstrated sharpshooting prowess with a 5 out of 9 three-point success rate, sank another shot from beyond the arc. The basket extended Teiko's lead to four points, showcasing the effectiveness of their strategic plays.

Unwilling to let the point gap widen, Koganei took charge and called for a specific play. Advancing to the frontcourt, Damien executed a screen that, while not flawless, provided Koganei with enough room to navigate to the top of the key.

Simultaneously, Tomori and Kotaro initiated cuts towards the basket from opposite corners. Instead of merely passing by each other, Tomori cleverly set a screen as Kotaro surged forward, leaving Masaya trailing behind. Despite Masaya's efforts to recover his defensive position, Mitobe executed another well-timed screen, granting Kotaro significant space as he reached the left wing.

The ball swiftly found its way to Kotaro, who wasted no time in releasing a shot that found its mark. With this successful three-pointer, Kotaro tallied his third of the night, narrowing the point difference to just one. The precision and coordination of the play showcased Yuuki Junior High's strategic acumen in response to Teiko's dominance. 

The game unfolded without either team scoring over the next four possessions. Both defenses showcased their prowess, making consecutive stops. However, Aomine, determined to break the scoring drought, took matters into his own hands.

Employing a rare high ball screen from Murasakibara, Aomine utilized his speed and agility to drive towards the basket. Koganei, compelled to switch onto Murasakibara as Mitobe guarded Aomine, swiftly abandoned his defender to double-team Teiko's ace. Aomine, reaching the high post and recognizing Koganei's rapid approach, abruptly halted and executed a pull-up shot, securing two points.

The Yuuki players wasted no time inbounding the ball to Koganei. Upon reaching the frontcourt, Koganei observed Midorima defending against Damien. Although he contemplated passing the ball to Damien to isolate Midorima earlier in the quarter, Teiko's players thwarted the attempt. Nonetheless, Damien had ample space to receive the ball this time, prompting Koganei to deliver a pass before signaling his teammates to clear out.

Receiving the ball in the high post, Damien squared off against Midorima, initiating a pivot. Employing a jab step to confuse his defender, Damien explosively drove towards the middle, deftly avoiding Murasakibara's vicinity. Being a great on-ball defender, Midorima held his ground and remained on Damien.

Leveraging his strength, Damien collided with Midorima's chest, ensuring his elbows stayed down. This maneuver created a slight separation as Midorima retreated by a step following their contact. Seizing the opportunity, Damien leaped and released the shot. Midorima swiftly contested it, but the ball bounced off the backboard and dropped through the hoop.

Witnessing the successful basket, Damien erupted in excitement, punctuating the moment with a celebratory shoulder bump with Koganei—an action that had become their customary expression of triumph.

A few moments later, Aomine attempted to replicate the previous play. This time, however, Koganei managed to stay glued to Aomine, tracking him as he drove towards the basket. On the Yuuki Junior High team, everyone had the flexibility to switch positions except Koganei. His defensive prowess was crucial against both Aomine and Akashi, so he remained assigned to one of them without switching.

Observing Koganei effectively blocking his path to the basket, Aomine executed a quick spin move, creating space for a potential shot. Tomori, positioned nearby, abandoned his defense against Tooru and attempted to steal the ball while Aomine was momentarily distracted. Despite Aomine's swift reflexes, he managed to halt his dribble just in time, avoiding a turnover. However, this opened an opportunity for Koganei and Tomori to double-team him.

With a slight poke, Koganei dislodged the ball from Aomine's grip, and Tomori swiftly gained possession. The two of them sprinted towards Teiko's half, with Tomori passing the ball to Koganei. Dribbling at full speed, Koganei had Aomine running alongside him, ready to block any shot attempt. Anticipating the difficulty of scoring with Aomine in such close pursuit, Koganei executed a bounce pass to the open Tomori.

Taking two quick steps, Tomori laid the ball up, propelling Yuuki Junior High into the lead three minutes into the quarter. Undeterred, Tomori swiftly transitioned to defending Tooru as the latter received the inbound pass from Aomine. Tooru, unable to pass the ball back to Aomine due to Koganei's close marking, braced himself and attempted to dribble past his defender.

Focused on navigating the ball up the court securely, Tooru failed to notice Koganei sneaking up behind him. Although Aomine called out a warning, it was too late. Yuuki's standout player tried to poke the ball away, but Tooru reacted quick enough and blocked that attempt. However, Tomori took his chance and swiped at the ball, taking from Tooru's hands and promptly recovering it from the floor.

The crowd's cheers reached a crescendo as Tomori awaited the arrival of his jubilant teammates up the court. Even Anzai, the national team coach, found himself applauding Tomori's sequence from the commentator's seat. He hadn't expected a junior high basketball game to be this entertaining.

"I can't wait for them to reach the high school leagues. They'll breathe fresh life into the already parched land," remarked Anzai as Yoshimune and he discussed the current state of high school basketball. Watching from their TVs, viewers nodded in agreement.

After DT and the Takeshi brothers graduated high school, the high school leagues experienced a dry spell for almost two to three years. However, a new generation of talented players, including Mibuchi, Maki, Mitsui, Kyoshi, and others, promised to bring a renewed wave of popularity and attention to high school basketball.

While Anzai and Yoshimune mused about the future of the sport, the game unfolded on the court, with Tomori passing the ball to Koganei.

Catching the ball, Koganei exchanged a high-five with Tomori, who then positioned himself strategically. With an opportunity to expand their slim one-point lead, Koganei forgot about his earlier objective and signaled for a screen while stationed at the top of the key.

Mitobe promptly responded, executing a well-timed and robust screen. Aomine, anticipating Koganei's next move, maneuvered beneath the screen, attempting to reach the other side before Koganei. His quick movement succeeded, but, as in the previous play, Mitobe remained close, setting another screen that allowed Koganei to pass to the opposite side. This time, Aomine was momentarily impeded, granting Koganei a precious bit of space.

Recognizing the opportunity, Koganei released the ball with an almost textbook shooting form, a skill he had diligently honed over the past few months. Despite his ongoing struggle with consistency, making only 3 of the 7 three-point attempts in the game so far, he harbored unwavering confidence in crucial moments like this.

The ball traced a beautiful arc through the air, finding its mark in the basket. The crowd erupted in excitement as Shirogane, feeling the need to halt Yuuki's growing momentum, called a timeout for the second time in the game.

With the ball swishing through the net, Koganei swiftly pivoted to confront Aomine, his movements purposeful and theatrical. He raised his right hand to the level of his face, fingers splayed in an open-palm wave. Executing a dynamic and exaggerated motion, he playfully swept his hand back and forth in front of his face, ensuring his actions were both conspicuous and animated.

Simultaneously, Koganei confidently rested his left hand on his hip, adding a touch of flair to the gesture. Leaning back slightly, he bent his knees, creating a theatrical pose that enhanced the playful nature of the taunt. His face bore a slight, mischievous grin, amplifying the cheeky essence of the maneuver.

As Shirogane called a time out, Koganei's triumphant expression combined with the exaggerated hand gesture conveyed a clear message. Turning to Aomine with a confident swagger, he punctuated the moment with his words,

"You can't see me!"