Slam dunk, hit 100% of the three-pointers at the beginning!

The cheers from the Ryonan students were growing weaker, and many had already started leaving the gym early.

Even Ryonan's die-hard fans couldn't bear to watch anymore, some closing their eyes in despair.

"Ryonan is going to lose… I can't believe it."

"Those two freshmen completely changed Shohoku."

Sendoh was breathing heavily, using the neckline of his jersey to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

His sharp eyes locked on Rukawa, who was also panting for air.

Behind Rukawa, Ryu and Akagi stood ready, prepared to step in and block if needed.

Sendoh glanced at the scoreboard.

Ryonan was trailing by eight points.

In the final minutes, apart from Sendoh, Ryonan's offense had completely stalled.

Even in the paint, Uozumi was completely shut down by Akagi.

Since Akagi returned to the court, Uozumi hadn't scored a single point. Each attempt was either stripped away or disrupted by Akagi, making his height advantage useless.

If it weren't for Sendoh's nearly unstoppable one-on-one plays, the score gap would have been even wider.

On Shohoku's side, Ryu was unstoppable.

Using his extraordinary court vision, Ryu scored, assisted, and dominated defensively.

Koshino was utterly overwhelmed. Every move he made was predicted and countered by Ryu, who repeatedly stole the ball and turned it into fast-break opportunities for Shohoku.

By now, Koshino was so shaken he didn't even want to touch the ball.

He couldn't shake the feeling that as soon as he held the ball, Ryu would swoop in and steal it.

"This guy… how is he this strong?"

Uozumi glanced at Ryu's back in disbelief.

That kid always managed to find openings, delivering perfect passes to the best-positioned teammate.

In just the last few minutes, Ryu had set up Akagi and Rukawa for several easy points.

Shohoku had possession.

Ryu stood at the top of the arc, the rest of the team spreading out to give him space for an isolation play.

With a simple crossover, Ryu made Koshino step back several paces, like a startled animal.

"Is he flinching out of instinct?"

Ryu glanced at Koshino, smirked, then gathered the ball and jumped as if to shoot.

"Not on my watch!"

Koshino leaped high, attempting to block the shot.

A faint smile appeared on Ryu's lips.

"Gotcha."

Instead of shooting, Ryu executed a perfect fake and passed the ball mid-air. The ball sailed straight over Koshino's head.

"A fake shot!"

Koshino barely landed when he saw Akagi rising for a massive dunk.

The basket shook violently, making a loud creaking noise.

Akagi squinted at Uozumi, who stood motionless, defeated.

"Your defense is getting soft, Uozumi!"

"Shut up, Akagi!" Uozumi snapped, glaring before turning to run back on defense.

"What teamwork!"

"Shohoku is playing so well!"

"They've improved so much. If this keeps up, Ryonan's going to lose."

The crowd erupted again, marveling at Shohoku's new style. They had reliable shooters, a skilled playmaker who could pull off alley-oops, and Akagi dominating the paint.

This was nothing like the old Shohoku, which used to rely solely on Akagi. Back then, locking down Akagi meant the team was doomed.

The audience couldn't help but focus on the two freshmen, Ryu and Rukawa.

It was these two who had revolutionized Shohoku.

Between the two, Ryu was even more well-rounded. He had an unstoppable three-point shot and far superior playmaking skills compared to Rukawa.

Ryu wasn't just a scorer who could lead the team and keep the game close—he was also the team's brain, orchestrating plays and connecting his teammates seamlessly.

And clearly, Ryonan's attempts to defend against him weren't working.

A player like Ryu was a devastating force at the high school level.

On the sidelines, Coach Taoka wore a grave expression. Watching Ryu dominate with inside cuts and outside shooting, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Is Ryonan really going to lose this time?"

With just one minute left on the clock, Shohoku was closing in on victory.

Even Akagi couldn't hide his excitement, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Slow it down! Run out the clock!"

Ryu dribbled the ball, taking his time and controlling the pace of the game.

Time ticked away as Shohoku kept possession with a methodical half-court offense.

Ryonan's players looked desperate, like ants on a hot pan. But they couldn't do anything about it.

If they fouled, they risked giving Shohoku free throws and widening the gap.

And going head-to-head in a shootout was pointless—Ryu and Rukawa's fast breaks left them helpless.

It was over.

Coach Taoka leaned back in his chair, defeated.

"The tide is turning in Kanagawa."

The buzzer sounded.

The scoreboard froze at 98–92.

Shohoku wins!