The timeout ended quickly, and both teams returned to the court.
Taoka Moichi observed Ryonan's players carefully and immediately noticed a change in their demeanor.Their aura was different—more focused and composed, clearly restored under Coach Kasahara's guidance.
It was clear the next phase of the game would be a fierce battle.
Still, Taoka wasn't too worried.With Kenichi Uesugi on their side, Ryonan was undoubtedly a strong team.If Luoan couldn't maintain their lead now, it would be hard to expect much from them in the national tournament this year.
The game resumed.
Luoan pushed into Ryonan's half.
Shusuke Aida carried the ball upcourt.He glanced around carefully, signaling he might pass at any moment.
His feint captured Uekusa's attention completely.
Just as Uekusa tried to anticipate Aida's pass, Aida suddenly accelerated, driving hard to Uekusa's right side with the ball.
Uekusa scrambled to defend but was already out of position, left helpless as Aida stormed past him.
Instead of pushing forward, Aida abruptly stopped and took a quick jump shot.
"Swish!"
The ball swished through the net—20 to 4.
Luoan finally broke their long scoring drought.
The players on the court erupted with cheers and high-fives.
Even the students who had sneaked into the stands jumped to their feet, applauding enthusiastically.
Coach Kasahara finally exhaled with relief as his team put points on the board.
If Luoan could regain their offensive rhythm, they still had a chance to catch up.
Their biggest fear had been falling behind without scoring at all.
On the court, Uekusa looked a bit disappointed.He hadn't expected Aida to attack solo—he'd never done that before.
This lowered Uekusa's guard, allowing Aida to break through easily and score.
Yuzumi reassured him, "It's okay. We just need to score again!"
On the next play, Uekusa pushed forward with the ball.
Although he wanted to involve Aida to keep the pressure, his instincts told him not to.
With three strong scorers on Ryonan's court, reckless plays could disrupt the team's offensive flow.
So, ignoring Aida's slightly provoking look, Uekusa calmly passed to Kenichi Uesugi on the opposite side.
Though this was Kenichi's first high school game, he had been outstanding throughout.So far, he hadn't missed a single shot.
Taking the ball from Uekusa, Kenichi prepared to attack.
Fukaohara, standing opposite as defender, looked tense.During their last encounter, Kenichi's mimicry of Akihiro Takai's "swaying left and right" had left him defenseless.
He feared Kenichi might try the same move again—and he wouldn't be able to stop him.
But soon, Fukaohara realized he was overthinking.
Kenichi didn't need the "swaying" move this time.
With just two simple fakes, he tricked Fukaohara, slipped past him, and rushed inside to score a smooth, powerful dunk.
Luoan attacked again.
This time, Uekusa was fully alert.He wasn't going to give Aida an easy scoring chance.
But Aida didn't try to attack—he passed the ball back to Akihiro Takai.
Sendoh was tightly guarding Takai, determined to shut down his offense early.
But Takai seemed to have learned from earlier mistakes.Instead of forcing a breakthrough, he waited for his teammates.
Shiramizu Rinsheng moved up inside to set a screen for Takai.
Takai took the opportunity to speed into the paint with the ball.
Yuzumi, pulled out by the screen, reluctantly followed to defend Takai.
But Yuzumi's height and strength couldn't keep up—Takai was just too quick.
In only two or three steps, Takai outpaced him and finished the play with a powerful two-handed dunk.
22 to 6.
Luoan's offense was improving, but Ryonan's scoring machine was still firing strong.
In the next play, Uekusa crossed half court and passed directly to Sendoh.
Sendoh shook off Takai's defense with ease and charged into Luoan's paint.
Using his incredible hang-time, he avoided blocks from Shiramizu and Takahashi Jin, and slammed the ball into the basket.
From then on, both teams entered a scoring exchange, each responding to the other's attacks.
The scoreboard reflected the intense back-and-forth, with Ryonan leading 47 to 28.
With just over ten seconds left in the first half, Luoan's players hoped to score one final basket before halftime, narrowing the gap.
Hideki Aida tried to break past Uekusa but met a stubborn defense.
Forced to pass, Aida gave the ball to Takai.
Sendoh closed in tightly on Takai, leaving him no room to shoot.
At the crucial moment, Takahashi Susumu rushed out to block Sendoh, giving Takai the chance to shake off his defender.
Takai took two steps and launched a shot.
As the ball soared toward the basket, Takai barely had time to feel hopeful before Ikegami flew in and blocked the shot without hesitation.
"Beep!"
The referee's whistle blew to end the first half.
The score stood at 47 to 28—Ryonan holding a solid 19-point lead.
Luoan's players weren't satisfied with the result.
Though they had found some offensive rhythm, they still couldn't stop Ryonan from scoring, making it impossible to close the gap.
This large deficit would only increase the pressure on them in the second half.