The third quarter began under a different tone. Hachioji Academy eased their pressure on defense, reverting to a more standard man-to-man approach rather than the suffocating full-court press they had unleashed earlier. It was a quiet acknowledgment that the game was well within their grasp. Still, they weren't about to slack off completely.
A Shoin player dribbled up the court cautiously, relieved to find a little more breathing room. She passed to a teammate cutting toward the wing, who quickly put the ball on the floor and drove hard toward the rim. She leapt up for a layup, but Kotone was already there waiting in the paint. Timing her jump perfectly, Kotone swatted the ball off the backboard and snagged the rebound before it could even touch the ground.
Without missing a beat, Kotone pivoted and passed sharply to Haruko, who caught it in stride and started dribbling upcourt. Her teammates spread out, running a set play. Haruko faked a pass right, crossed left, and used a screen from Sayaka to slice into the paint. With a quick step around a rotating defender, Haruko finished cleanly at the rim for two points.
Shoin barely had time to regroup before Hachioji struck again. On their next possession, Kazue intercepted a lazy pass at midcourt and immediately pushed the ball forward to Kotone, who powered her way into the paint and finished with a strong layup through a bit of contact. The referees didn't call a foul, but it didn't matter — the points were up.
The pace quickened. Hachioji set up a high-pressure trap again briefly, forcing a rushed pass by Shoin that turned into an easy steal for Suzume. She quickly dished it to Haruko at the top of the arc. Haruko, with space, squared her feet and let the ball fly. It spun through the air before swishing cleanly through the net — a three-pointer that drew a roar from the Hachioji bench.
Shoin, determined to not fall apart completely, responded with a steady possession. They set up a simple pick-and-roll play that allowed their point guard to slip free along the baseline. She caught a bounce pass and banked in a layup, finally ending the bleeding for the moment.
But Hachioji wasn't done. Kazue worked her way into the paint on the next possession, using a crafty spin move to shake her defender. Her shot banked softly off the glass and in, putting two more on the board.
Kotone continued her dominance inside, getting great position in the low post. Sayaka lobbed a perfect entry pass over her defender. Kotone caught it cleanly, spun off her left foot, and finished another layup with ease.
Shoin tried to respond, executing a patient half-court set. After a series of screens, their shooting guard found herself open on a curl cut and laid it in before Hachioji could fully rotate on defense.
Not to be outdone, Sayaka grabbed the inbound pass and pushed the ball up the sideline. She caught Shoin's defenders off guard, sprinting coast-to-coast before finishing a fast-break layup, drawing cheers from the crowd.
After a quick defensive stop, Hachioji got the ball back. This time, it was Kazue who sliced through the middle. She faked a pass to the wing, sending her defender lunging the wrong way, and floated in another layup with a delicate touch.
On the following possession, Suzume was fouled driving to the hoop. She stepped up to the free throw line, took a deep breath, and sank the first shot. The second one rattled off the rim, but Hachioji's defense quickly secured the rebound.
Shoin pushed back with a rare midrange jumper — one of their forwards found an opening near the free-throw line, took a confident dribble, and fired. The ball clanged against the rim but rolled in, much to their relief.
Kotone responded by using her height and strength once more. She positioned herself deep under the basket, caught another perfect feed from Haruko, and banked the ball in before the defense could collapse.
Haruko kept her feet set well, pulling up from deep beyond the arc the next trip down. Her three-pointer sailed true, adding another three points to Shoin's already wounded morale.
By the midpoint of the fourth quarter, the damage was evident on the scoreboard.
Coach Maeda called a timeout, gathering the team around her with a wide smile on her face.
"Great work everyone. You all did a splendid job today. The score's currently 68 to 9, which means we've already won. So you can take it easy on them now," Maeda said warmly.
"Maybe we can give our juniors a try on the court, to help them get some hands-on experience," suggested Haruko, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Kotone agreed, glancing over at the younger players sitting nervously on the bench.
"Yes, it's for the best," said Suzume, nodding.
"That's for sure. If we continue, we'll probably hit 80 points — and that would really crush their poor spirits," Kazue said with a chuckle.
Haruko looked over to the bench. Several first-years sat there, wide-eyed and jittery. One in particular — Yuna — seemed barely able to stay still, her legs shaking under the pressure.
"Yuna," Haruko called out with a smile, "you'll be playing in our place. Go out there and do your best."
"Y...Yes, Captain!" Yuna stammered, standing up so quickly she almost tripped over her own feet. The team laughed encouragingly, clapping for her as she jogged nervously onto the court.
Play resumed. Shoin, seeing fresh faces, found a little confidence and quickly scored an easy layup, exploiting the slight confusion on defense.
But Yuna, determined to make her mark, set up a play with her teammates. She passed to a fellow first-year, cut hard to the basket, received the return feed, and banked in her first-ever in-game points.
The starters on the bench erupted in cheers.
"Atta girl, Yuna!" Kotone shouted, pumping her fist.
"Keep it up, you got this!" Sayaka added enthusiastically.
Shoin answered back with another steady layup, exploiting a missed rotation. Yet Hachioji's young players refused to fold. Another freshman fought hard under the basket, receiving a high-arching pass and finishing the layup under pressure.
Shoin managed another quick strike layup afterward, but Yuna was just getting started. She cut into an open passing lane, intercepting a lazy Shoin pass, and sprinted down the court. With two defenders chasing her, she rose up and laid it softly off the glass and in, scoring again.
Confidence surged through her.
A few plays later, Hachioji Academy earned a trip to the free-throw line after another aggressive drive. The first shot went in cleanly, but the second clanged off the rim. Still, every point added up, a reflection of the juniors' effort.
The clock wound down, and the final buzzer sounded.
The scoreboard read: Hachioji Academy 77, Shoin Junior high 15.
The girls on the court embraced, laughing and congratulating each other. The starters rushed out to join them, enveloping Yuna in a group hug as she beamed, her earlier nervousness completely forgotten.
Coach Maeda stood at the sidelines, arms crossed, a proud look on her face. They had played with skill, sportsmanship, and heart — exactly what she had hoped to see. " We definitely have a greater chance at the championship, at this rate that we're going we can't loose" the coach mumbled to herself with a smile.