This possession, Zhuji High School's perimeter defense still rested solely on Zhang Zhenpeng. Only when Sun Jun drove to the paint would Yan Hui abandon Wu Naiqun and slide over to double-team Zhang Zhenpeng.
Sun Jun still opted for a personal drive. After drawing Yan Hui's double-team, he didn't force a shot but instead dished a bounce pass to Wu Naiqun in the middle.
Following He Ximeng's instructions, Wang Xian immediately rotated from the weak side to guard, bodying Wu Naiqun to give Yan Hui time to recover.
Seeing Yan Hui back, Wu Naiqun reluctantly passed to the left, to Wu Qinglong, who had been left open by Wang Xian...
Upon receiving the ball, Wu Qinglong, with Wang Xian lunging at him, pulled up for a three-pointer...
Shenyang No. 2 High School's ball movement was incredibly patient this time! From the right to the middle, then from the middle to the left.
If it went in, it would have been a great shot!
But unfortunately, luck wasn't on Shenyang No. 2 High School's side, as Wu Qinglong's corner three-pointer rimmed out!
Sun Jun attempted to repeat his earlier play with a put-back. However, this time, Zhang Zhenpeng was guarding him tightly, immediately disrupting the rebound and tipping the ball towards He Ximeng by the sideline.
He Ximeng leaped to catch the ball, and Li Xiaoyong closed in to disrupt him, preventing He Ximeng from launching a fast break immediately.
Shenyang No. 2 High School's transition defense was quick. Seeing no immediate opportunity, He Ximeng opted for a slow, deliberate advance. Zhuji High School, holding the lead, wasn't in a hurry.
After crossing half-court, He Ximeng continued to use Yan Hui's high pick-and-roll. However, this time, He Ximeng drove deeper, drawing a triple-team from Wu Naiqun, Sun Jun, and Li Xiaoyong!
Sun Jun's rotation, however, was noticeably slow. With Wu Naiqun blocking the middle and Li Xiaoyong trailing, Sun Jun anticipated that He Ximeng would pass to Zhang Zhenpeng, who was setting up in the right corner, before the triple-team closed in.
In fact, He Ximeng's original plan was to pass to Zhang Zhenpeng!
But as He Ximeng sensed Sun Jun predicting his move, he made a last-second change, not slowing down, and driving all the way to the basket.
"Is he going to force a shot?"
Sun Jun accelerated and moved laterally, preparing to complete the trap.
He Ximeng didn't go up for a layup as expected but instead drove out of bounds, spun, and hurled a long pass to Wang Xian, who was lurking on the far side!
He Ximeng's unconventional pass stunned Shenyang No. 2 High School!
"What are they doing? Are they playing around? That kind of risky pass is allowed?"
He Ximeng's pass clearly went beyond Shenyang No. 2 High School's comprehension.
As Wu Naiqun slid over to double-team He Ximeng, Wu Qinglong, who should have been guarding Wang Xian, had already rotated back to the basket to help defend Yan Hui. Wang Xian was completely left open by Shenyang No. 2 High School.
By the time He Ximeng made his unexpected pass, Wu Qinglong was rushing back, completely unable to contest Wang Xian.
Wang Xian caught the ball and drained a three-pointer, capitalizing on He Ximeng's brilliant pass!
Seven points! In less than half a quarter, Zhuji High School had built a seven-point lead over Shenyang No. 2 High School! The game was once again showing signs of a one-sided affair.
The crowd was momentarily bewildered!
Yesterday, when Shenyang No. 2 High School defeated Zhengzhou No. 11 High School, they didn't seem to play with this much strength.
Of course, Shenyang No. 2 High School's true strength was certainly not limited to this.
The primary reason was Zhuji High School's exceptionally high shooting percentage in the opening period, giving their opponents no chance to grab defensive rebounds. Shenyang No. 2 High School's strongest suit, their fast break, was completely stifled. Another reason was that Shenyang No. 2 High School had also been unlucky in the early stages of the game!
In the last play, from essentially the same spot, Wu Qinglong's corner three missed, while Wang Xian's corner three went in.
That's how the game goes; skill is one part, luck is another.
Especially when the skill levels of two teams are similar, luck can directly determine the outcome.
This was precisely the situation in the semi-final match between Zhuji High School and Shenyang No. 2 High School!
The spectators remained stunned until the end of the game, unable to comprehend how Zhuji High School had defeated Shenyang No. 2 High School...
Even Zhuji High School themselves hadn't anticipated such a comfortable victory. In fact, it was even easier than their win against Panyu Middle School yesterday.
Shenyang No. 2 High School was out of sorts from the start and only became more so as the game progressed. Even with constant timeouts and lineup changes from their head coach, they couldn't overcome their terrible shooting. The team became increasingly reliant on Sun Jun, with over half their points coming from him alone.
On the other hand, Zhuji High School seemed divinely inspired! He Ximeng ignited Zhang Zhenpeng, Yan Hui, and Wang Xian in the opening minutes, and their shooting accuracy was astonishing, denying Shenyang No. 2 High School any chance at defensive rebounds.
When the reserve players came in, He Ximeng, with minimal energy expenditure, continued to lead the team.
The reserves, including Feng Chen, Tang Chenfeng, Huangfu Yanlin, and Qin Rui, maintained the hot shooting touch of the starters, making it easy for He Ximeng to find them with assists.
Before the third quarter ended, Shenyang No. 2 High School was in complete disarray, having lost all hope of a comeback.
Zhuji High School's resounding victory caught everyone by surprise.
Prior to this, everyone believed that among the eight teams in the national tournament, only Tsinghua High School possessed overwhelmingly superior strength, with the remaining seven teams being closely matched.
However, Zhuji High School's dominance over Shenyang No. 2 High School today clearly overturned this preseason prediction.
The biggest drawback of a single-elimination format is its susceptibility to in-game performance and momentum. Occasional factors can have a significant impact on the outcome of a game.
Under a single-elimination system, even upsets where the underdog prevails have an amplified probability of occurring.
Of course, conversely, Zhuji High School's victory over Shenyang No. 2 High School in this match was not solely due to luck.
Without skill, can you completely contain Sun Jun's "Northeastern Heavenly Group" for an entire game with just luck?
Moreover, Zhuji High School's core point guard, He Ximeng, delivered a staggering eighteen points and eighteen assists in this game! Eighteen assists set a new record for the most assists in a single game in the national tournament.
"Interesting, interesting! I didn't expect to find a talented point guard in China! After watching the last game, I thought he was a scorer..."
"Indeed, it's hard to pinpoint the exact position of Zhuji High School's number four. He doesn't seem like a traditional point guard..."
From the stands, two foreigners continued to discuss the game. They were special representatives from the brand operations department of Nike, sent to China to invite the strongest high school players in China to the Nike Basketball Summit to be held in North Carolina the following January.