"Our offense at the start has two tactics: fast breaks during counterattacks, and targeting Yan Hui in set plays! On defense, everyone guards their position. I'll observe Changxing Middle School's characteristics from the sidelines first, and we'll adjust as needed, notifying everyone accordingly…"
"Understood!"
On Changxing Middle School's side, Yuan Zhangyang also noticed that He Ximeng was not in Zhuji Middle School's starting lineup.
"Is it arrogance, or an injury? Whatever the reason, I won't hold back…"
Yuan Zhangyang muttered to himself, looking at He Ximeng, who was "comfortably" seated on the bench.
The game began with Yan Hui winning the tip-off, giving Zhuji Middle School the first offensive opportunity. Chen Feng brought the ball past half-court and directly lobbed it to Yan Hui in the paint.
Before the opponents could double-team him, Yan Hui used a post-up, a fake, and then a jump. He first feigned a move that got past the opponent's center, then jumped. Originally planning a two-handed dunk, Yan Hui suddenly remembered He Ximeng's instruction to "conserve energy" and changed his dunk to a gentle two-handed layup… The scene was a bit comical.
Changxing Middle School had planned to contain Yan Hui by collapsing their defense quickly, but before they could fully execute, Yan Hui had already scored two points.
"It's okay, it's just one basket, we'll score back!"
Yuan Zhangyang dribbled the ball forward, signaling his teammates to get in position.
Zhuji Middle School's defense at the start was not overly tight; they maintained a normal defensive formation, guarding both the perimeter and the paint.
For a point guard like Yuan Zhangyang, the best way to break such a defense was to call for a high pick-and-roll from the center, then either take a pull-up jumper in the mid-range or drive to the basket for a score.
Yuan Zhangyang was considered the top point guard among high schoolers in the Huzhou region, otherwise, he wouldn't have led Changxing Middle School to win the high school league championship, advance to the Zhejiang Top 12, and secure a ticket to the national tournament.
This play, facing Chen Feng, Zhuji's reserve point guard, he directly refused his center's pick, opting for a one-on-one. After a crossover dribble, he accelerated sharply and drove past Chen Feng into Zhuji's paint.
Facing the double-team from Yan Hui, Yuan Zhangyang tried to play a timing difference, quickly extending his right arm for a layup!
However, Yan Hui's mobility was much greater than he had anticipated!
Yan Hui swatted Yuan Zhangyang's layup away.
Still dazed by the block, Yuan Zhangyang hadn't even reacted when Chen Feng, following closely, seized the loose ball, turned, and started a fast break.
Thanks to He Ximeng's intense training recently, the Zhuji players no longer needed reminders from him on the sidelines.
As soon as Chen Feng got the ball, Tang Chenfeng on the left and Wang Xian on the right were already sprinting forward.
Chen Feng took a couple of dribbles and immediately passed the ball to Tang Chenfeng on the left. Tang Chenfeng dribbled towards the middle and delivered a bounce pass to Wang Xian, who was cutting in from the right. Wang Xian caught the ball and went for a layup, executing it flawlessly!
A textbook three-line fast break counterattack!
"Beautiful!"
From the sidelines, He Ximeng, along with the other teammates, cheered loudly for their teammates on the court.
After scoring, Wang Xian, while quickly retreating on defense, high-fived Tang Chenfeng and Chen Feng in celebration, then quickly got back into position.
The benefit of repetitive training was that the players automatically appeared in their designated positions without needing the coach's instructions.
And He Ximeng's most intensive training with the team recently had been focusing on fast breaks and defending against them.
After being scored on twice, Yuan Zhangyang finally began to realize that Zhuji Middle School's strength wasn't solely due to He Ximeng, their point guard…
On their second offensive possession, Yuan Zhangyang dared not be careless anymore. He honestly called for a high pick-and-roll from his center, shook off Chen Feng, drove to the side, and then, before Yan Hui could arrive, executed a pull-up jumper!
That was a good shot!
Yuan Zhangyang didn't blindly attack the basket; instead, he used a change of pace to avoid Yan Hui's blocking zone… And that mid-range shot was quite steady!
With the score at 2:4, Yuan Zhangyang managed to stabilize their position by scoring two points for Changxing Middle School.
Turning around, Zhuji Middle School continued to run their set plays with Yan Hui as the core, while also capitalizing on fast breaks after Changxing Middle School missed shots.
On Changxing Middle School's side, Yuan Zhangyang was usually adept at pushing fast breaks, but he failed to succeed several times because Zhuji Middle School's defense was extremely quick to retreat. The only fast break Changxing Middle School managed to convert was due to a failed cross-court pass, which Yuan Zhangyang seized the opportunity to turn into a layup.
With more than half of the first quarter gone, Zhuji Middle School led Changxing Middle School 12:8, and both teams then began to make adjustments.
Changxing Middle School made a three-player substitution, retaining their two core guards.
Zhuji Middle School, on the other hand, made a full five-player substitution.
The starting lineup, led by Yan Hui, exchanged high-fives with He Ximeng and others with smiles on their faces before happily leaving the court.
For the remaining four minutes of the first quarter, the situation on the court was handed over to He Ximeng's "bench lineup"!