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

The game continued.

After a quick treatment for his injury, Akagi returned to the gym. Despite his wound, he couldn't stay away from the court.

Ishii and the others immediately gathered around to check on him.

"I'm fine," Akagi assured them with a wave, downplaying the injury. He took a seat on the bench, his intense gaze fixed on the court.

Without Akagi to guard him, Uozumi dominated the paint like a tiger in a field of sheep, tearing through Shohoku's defense.

"Darn it, stupid Monkey King!" Sakuragi growled, glaring at Uozumi's retreating back as he jogged to defend.

Moments earlier, Uozumi had received a pass from Sendoh under the basket. With a simple back-down move, he easily faked out Sakuragi and slammed the ball through the hoop.

Rukawa, panting hard, shot a quick glance at the still-complaining Sakuragi but said nothing.

In just a few minutes of the second half, Rukawa had been forced into double coverage. While he managed to score a few points thanks to his incredible individual skill, the rest of Shohoku's offense had gone silent.

From the sideline, Ayako watched anxiously as Rukawa tirelessly ran up and down the court. She turned to Coach Anzai and spoke softly.

"Sensei, it's not just Rukawa and Sakuragi. Kogure and the others seem to have lost their fighting spirit."

Despite Shohoku trailing by ten points, Coach Anzai maintained his usual calm demeanor, his smile unshaken.

"Uh-oh!" Ayako gasped.

Kakuta, holding the ball at the top of the key, stood frozen in hesitation. He raised the ball above his head, his eyes darting around to locate Rukawa.

With the shot clock ticking down and no better options, Kakuta made a desperate pass toward Sakuragi under the basket.

But before the ball could reach Sakuragi, a shadow darted in from the wing.

"It's Sendoh!"

Sendoh had read Kakuta's play perfectly, intercepting the ball with ease.

"Fast break! Fast break!"

"Sendoh-senpai is amazing!"

In just five seconds, Sendoh sprinted to Shohoku's side of the court, leaving everyone behind.

"Don't even think about dunking!"

The unexpected happened next. Both Sakuragi and Rukawa, like arrows released from a bow, took off in pursuit of Sendoh. The three players raced toward the basket, neck and neck.

Sensing the two Shohoku players closing in, Sendoh, initially planning a simple layup, changed his mind.

Sendoh leaped high into the air, seeming to defy gravity. With the ball in his right hand, his body arched like a drawn bow, preparing for a powerful dunk.

"Dream on!"

"Don't even try it!"

Sakuragi and Rukawa shouted in unison as they jumped, aiming to block Sendoh.

But Sendoh, anticipating their moves, adjusted mid-air. He pulled the ball back to his chest, ready for a gliding tomahawk dunk.

Caught off guard, Rukawa and Sakuragi found themselves out of position, unable to contest the shot.

Sendoh extended his arm again, his body fully stretched as he slammed the ball into the hoop with a thunderous dunk.

The gym fell silent for a moment before erupting in cheers.

"Sendoh-senpai is incredible! He dunked even with those two chasing him!"

"Those Shohoku players jumped so high, but they're no match for Sendoh-senpai!"

"Without Akagi and that #10, Shohoku is no threat at all!"

Amid the roaring crowd, Sakuragi clenched his fists and glared at the spectators.

"You all need to shut up!"

"Oh no, Sakuragi's mad! He's going to start a fight," Mito said with a smirk, clearly entertained.

"Pray for that dunking guy," Takamiya added, grinning as he egged on the situation.

Beside them, Noma and Ookusu struggled to contain their laughter, their faces filled with anticipation.

Back on the court, Rukawa shot a cold glare at Sakuragi.

"Don't drag me down."

"It's obviously you dragging me down! If it weren't for you, how would that spiky-haired guy have dunked so easily?" Sakuragi retorted angrily to Rukawa.

As Sendoh jogged back on defense, he glanced at the bickering duo and couldn't help but chuckle. His eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Nice work, Sendoh!"

Uozumi clapped hands with Sendoh before casting a confident look at Shohoku's team, who seemed increasingly disorganized.

"This game, we're going to win by a hundred points!" Uozumi's booming voice energized his teammates.

"Yeah!"

"Let's crush them in one go!"

"Today, we'll beat Shohoku by a hundred points!"

"Shohoku is still the same—Akagi's one-man team. The moment Akagi's off the court, they can't even play basketball!"

Sitting on the bench, Ryu removed the towel from his head. Watching the score gap widen, he couldn't help but be a little surprised.

"Sendoh really lives up to his reputation. If it weren't at this level, it wouldn't be any fun."

His gaze shifted to Coach Anzai, who remained composed, his eyes fixed on the court, watching Rukawa dribble the ball.

Rukawa faced off against Sendoh, the ball bouncing rhythmically between his hands.

"Let's see how good the middle school MVP really is," Sendoh said with a calm smile.

Rukawa didn't reply. Instead, he focused on his dribbling, alternating between his legs and shifting his weight, trying to find an opening in Sendoh's defense.

Sendoh's reputation wasn't undeserved. He wasn't just a phenomenal offensive player—his defensive skills were top-tier too, making it hard for even someone like Rukawa to break through.

Seconds ticked by. Rukawa, still unable to find a gap, locked eyes with Sendoh, searching for the slightest sign of weakness.

He briefly considered using his speed to force his way past, but the two lurking Ryonan defenders behind Sendoh made him reconsider.

Suddenly, Rukawa stopped dribbling and leapt into the air. His hair fluttered as his body straightened like a taut bow.

"A pull-up jumper!"

Ayako clenched the paper in her hands tightly, her eyes glued to Rukawa. At this moment, all her hopes rested on him.

But Sendoh had anticipated this move.

He jumped at the same time, his right hand grazing the ball just as it left Rukawa's fingertips.

"Rebound!"

Both players landed almost simultaneously, but while Rukawa looked stunned, Sendoh quickly turned and called out to Uozumi under the basket.

"I got it!"

Uozumi roared, shoving Sakuragi aside with his large frame. His powerful arms stretched high, easily pulling down the rebound.

"Sakuragi still lacks the experience," Akagi commented with a sigh from the bench.

Uozumi wasted no time. He swung his right arm and launched a precise long pass to Sendoh, who was already sprinting down the court.

Sendoh caught the ball and, with a graceful layup, added another two points to Ryonan's lead.

In just five minutes of the second half, the score gap had ballooned toward 20 points.

Ryonan's dominance was evident, and Shohoku was running out of time to turn things around.