Chapter 164 - Ryuo vs. Tokiwadai, Part-Four (2/2)

Teiko members craved competition, and Hayama was a good enough opponent who wouldn't give up until the end. So, it wouldn't be surprising for the five to take the game a little seriously.

Shun: ”Let's hope you guys can take it.”

The first game ended with Tokiwadai's overwhelming victory. In the fourth quarter, Ryuo was only able to score four points.

The final score of the first game was 75 - 32 in Tokiwadai's favor.

With Shun stopping Hayama Kotaro, Tokiwadai Middle School beat Ryuo Middle School with a double score.

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The second game of the day was uneventful.

Everyone on Ryuo, other than Hayama, wasn't into the game.

The game basically turned into Hayama trying to get past Shun, and Shun trying new things against Ryuo.

New pass routines, new skills that Shun wanted to try, new things others wanted to try.

Shun played full defense so that even when the rest of Tokiwadai was trying new things, Ryou still wasn't able to score or get their rhythm back.

Hayama was heavily breathing, and he had his hands on his knees. He looked up at Shun and asked between deep breaths.

Hayama: ”Are you even playing seriously?”

Shun, unlike Hayama, wasn't showing any signs of fatigue.

Shun crossed his arms and answered.

Shun: ”Of course, this is a good opportunity to try many different things.

Plus, you are fast and nimble, so defending against you is a great practice.

Just because I am not putting numbers on the board doesn't mean I am not serious. It just means I am concentrating on another part of the game.

Look at the current game.

My teammates are trying things that they aren't good at, but still, you guys aren't able to score, it is because I am focusing on the defense.

In this game, you haven't scored a single point, and your team is still under twenty points, and the game is about to end.

Not just that, I made sure that you and your power forward, weren't able to near the basket.

I forced your shooting guard to play on the inside.

Your point guard hasn't even tried to go on offense.

I even jumped for rebounds in which my team's center was losing to your team's center, just so that he won't have the satisfaction of getting a good rebound.

The only thing I didn't do was to attack the basket aggressively. I kind of become a ball-hog when I get into that aggressive mindset.”

Shun looked down at Hayama and continued.

Shun: ”You guys just came at the wrong time.

If you had come any other time, then I wouldn't have targetted your offense and would've turned the game to a score out.

Our center and small forward like to be on the offense, but on my instructions, they played defense today, just so that we could cripple your team's offense.

I wouldn't have stick to you for the whole game and let my teammate experience another player of Mibuchi-san's level for a new kind of experience.

I might have even stepped out of the game a while. Or, would've played as a pure shooting guard or switched to an inside playstyle.

The result would've not changed, but you guys would've more freedom to move.

But, because you guys came to use us as a stalking horse for Teiko, I turned this game into a contest which restricted everything guys are known for and made sure that you felt the pressure throughout the game.”

Hayama thought about the points that Shun mentioned and found that Shun had indeed taken away every strong point of his teammates, and forced them to play outside of their comfort zone.

He chuckled in resignation, stood up straight, and looked up at the ceiling.

Hayama: ”We got completely destroyed.”

Tokiwadai and Teiko's reputation in Japan was of strong schools.

Teiko still only had one National champion under their belt, and Tokiwadai lead by Shun had only gone to Nationals once.

So, when Ryuo Middle School scheduled the practice game, they just wanted to see what the hype was all about and find out the correct level of the Teiko Middle School, who were predicted to win this year's National.

The result?

Hayama: ”They are on a completely different level.”

Tokiwadai Middle School wiped the floor with Ryuo Middle School and swept both games with huge point gaps.