Teiko's basketball

Semis: Point guards

Note:

The scores are of the form Kamiya - Teiko.

Chapter 72:

Semis: Point guards

The break was over. Both teams took their positions on court.

Tip off!

Ritsuko got the ball. She passed to Saki. Saki started to play formless. Sora blocked her. She took the ball and passed to Eru.

21 - 32.

Number 6(pf) was the one with the ball. She passed to number 10(sf) who passed to Saki. Saki used formless again. Sora tried to take the ball from her. Saki ran forward with Sora in pursuit. When they both came near the hoop, number 10(sf) screened Saki, giving her a chance to shoot.

23 - 32.

"Eh...So you're a power forward now." commented Akira. Saki chuckled.

"No changes in designations...."

Chihaya was the one with the ball. She passed to Honami. Honami was blocked. So she passed to Sora. And they both went head to head. Sora tried to make it towards the hoop with Saki hot on her heels. Both of them went at it with full force. They found themselves near the hoop. Sora shot. The ball slightly scratched the hoop and went in.

23 - 34.

"May I know what type of stunt you were trying there?" demanded Akira.

"Sorry." said Sora grinning. "Forgot."

"Idiot...." muttered Akira. "Well, whatever. Just don't mess up."

"Right."

"Jeez! Something is wrong with both of you today......"

Ritsuko took the ball. She passed to number 6(pf). When number 6(pf) was blocked, she passed to Saki again. This time, Saki tried to drive and then pass. But Sora had anticipated that and blocked her movements. This caused her to stumble slightly. So, Akira caught her pass. She passed to Honami. Honami scored.

23 - 36.

Akira got the ball. She passed to Chihaya. Chihaya passed to Sora because she was blocked. Sora tried to make a drive around Saki and succeeded by switching the ball from one hand to the other at the last minute. She passed to Chihaya again. Ritsuko and Chihaya went one on one. Ritsuko took the ball and passed to number 7(sg).

26 - 36.

Honami got the ball. Eru was free and so she passed the ball.

26 - 39.

Number 6(pf) got the ball. She tried to pass to number 7(sg). But Sora blocked the pass. Saki kept blocking her. Sora did a overhead pass to Akira. Akira moved forward. But number 6(pf) and number 10(sf) double teamed her. She lost the ball to number 10(sf). Number 10(sf) passed to Saki. Saki tried to take the ball near the hoop. Sora back-tipped her. She passed to Honami. Honami scored.

26 - 41.

Saki recieved the ball from Ritsuko. She played formless and passed to number 6(pf). Akira took the ball from number 6(pf). She passed it to Eru.

26 - 44.

Honami got the ball. Ritsuko blocked her and took it. She passed to number 7(sg).

29 - 44.

Ritsuko got the ball. She passed to number 6(pf). Number 6(pf) passed to Saki. Saki began to play formless again. She and Sora went at full pace towards the hoop. Sora managed to take the ball from her. She shot near the hoop. To Akira's surprise, the ball did a full circuit around the hoop before going in.

29 - 46.

Akira looked at Sora in amazement. Sora's accuracy was a bit low. But it was not that bad near the hoop. And then she noticed the rate at which Sora was sweating.

"Sora-chan, you okay?"

Sora just nodded. And then Akira realized what was going on.

Sora's play for countering formless probably required more energy than formless itself. For one thing, she had to predict Saki's moves correctly and then cover all the possibilities. The entire Kamiya team had been passing to Saki more than usual. So, Sora in turn had been forced to play at full pace for the entire quarter. There were only three minutes left of that quarter. Akira guessed that if not for Sora's recent training, she would have probably passed out by now.

The referee blew the whistle. It was coach. She had probably asked for a time-out.

At the end of the time-out, Sora was subbed out of the game with assurances that she could play in the fourth quarter.

The game commenced again. Due to the lack of a experienced point guard, Saki was in her element. There wasn't much chance for Teiko to counter her formless. So Kamiya managed to close the gap quite a bit.

By the end of the third quarter, the score was 37 - 49.

*******************

"Feel better now?" said Akira flopping down besides Sora.

"Much better." came the vehement reply. "Just wait till I get back in there...."

"Are you sure you can keep up? I thought of subbing you in half-way. But if you think you can...." said coach quietly.

"Yes." said Sora.

"Not a chance, kouhai." said Honami.

"Senpai...." began Sora, but Honami cut her off.

"If you come back in so soon, the same thing will happen again. Build up your stamina. This is not exactly the time for half-baked play. We'll sub you in as soon as five minutes are up."

Sora looked at the floor and nodded.

"We'll be fine, Sora-chan...." said Akira though her voice sounded a bit uncertain.

The whistle blew. The fourth quarter began.