Chapter 132: Fight to the Death!

“Beeeep—”

The second quarter ended.

The score was now 29–31.

Through their desperate, all-or-nothing defense, Xu Gaofeng, Chen Yu, He Zhikun, Zhang Zhaolong, and Wang Meng had successfully kept the deficit to two points.

“The rest is up to you,” Xu Gaofeng said weakly.

By then, Xu Gaofeng, Chen Yu, He Zhikun, Zhang Zhaolong, and Wang Meng had all come off the court, each of them so exhausted that they could barely straighten their backs.

This had been the most intense game they had ever played, both defensively and offensively. Every defensive stand and every attack had been carried out with everything they had.

By the end of the second quarter, they had nearly drained themselves of every last ounce of energy.

“Meng Lang, Zhu Di, Sun Peng, Zhou Xiaoshan, and Xiao Er—the remaining two quarters are yours.”

“The strategy remains the same as before. I needn’t repeat it.”

“I want every one of you to stay one hundred percent focused. Watch every ball, analyze its trajectory, and judge the right moment for every offensive and defensive move.”

“Against opponents like these, you must remain vigilant at all times.”

“Constant movement is important, but avoid too much pointless running so that you do not waste your stamina. That is why absolute concentration is especially crucial.”

“Manage your energy wisely, defend every possession, and execute every attack properly.”

“If you can do that, we have a chance to win!”

Before this, Yu Manman had not held out much hope of winning the game. But after seeing that the gap remained at only two points at the end of the second quarter, she could not help but glimpse the possibility of victory.

“Beeeep—”

The third quarter began.

Although Jing Tian University had not adopted the same high-intensity defensive tactics as Tiancheng Institute of Technology—full-court man-to-man coverage and a multifaceted zone defense—the relentless pressure imposed by Tiancheng Institute of Technology had still cost Jing Tian’s five starters a considerable amount of energy.

For that reason, Jing Tian University opened the third quarter with its reserve players on the court.

“They’re finally tiring too.” Zhu Di clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. “Before their starters come back in, let’s take the lead!”

Meng Lang, Sun Peng, and Zhou Xiaoshan stretched their limbs, their eyes blazing with determination. Geng Haoshi was of the same mind.

Sure enough, not long after the third quarter began, Tiancheng Institute of Technology tied the score for the first time with a play beneath the basket between Zhu Di and Meng Lang.

Then, after Geng Haoshi intercepted a pass from Jing Tian’s number nine, he quickly lofted the ball toward Zhou Xiaoshan, who was sprinting into Jing Tian University’s half of the court.

Swish—

Zhou Xiaoshan released a jump shot, and the ball dropped cleanly through the hoop.

The score changed to 33–31. For the first time in the game, Tiancheng Institute of Technology took the lead!

“Beeeep—”

The opposing coach called a timeout.

“They’re probably going to send in their starters,” Zhu Di said with certainty.

Yu Manman stared directly at Jing Tian University’s bench and immediately rejected his assumption.

“They won’t make any substitutions this quarter.”

“Can’t you see their coach talking to those reserve players?” Yu Manman pointed toward the other bench. “I’d say there’s a ninety percent chance he plans to have those reserves use the same defensive tactics we did earlier—full-court man-to-man coverage and a multifaceted zone defense.”

“So, during this quarter, you don’t need to use full-court man-to-man coverage or the multifaceted zone defense. Take it easy for now. Don’t fight them head-on. As long as we keep the score close, that’s enough.”

“Save as much energy as you can. The fourth quarter is where the game will be decided.”

Yu Manman spoke calmly, as though everything would unfold exactly as she had predicted.

“Beeeep—”

The third quarter resumed.

Just as Yu Manman had said, once both teams returned to the court, Jing Tian University’s reserve lineup immediately set up in full-court man-to-man defense.

And, exactly as she had predicted, whenever a Tiancheng player began an attack with the ball, three Jing Tian players would converge to trap him.

In response, Meng Lang, Zhu Di, Sun Peng, Zhou Xiaoshan, and Geng Haoshi followed Yu Manman’s instructions. They avoided meeting the opposition head-on and preserved as much of their stamina as possible.

Under Jing Tian University’s full-court man-to-man pressure and multifaceted zone defense, the third quarter ultimately ended in a 46–46 tie.

After all, Jing Tian’s reserves had given everything they had to both their defense and offense. For Meng Lang, Zhu Di, Sun Peng, Zhou Xiaoshan, and Geng Haoshi to avoid falling behind while running as little as possible and conserving their energy was already the best outcome they could have hoped for.

“Next comes the final quarter of your journey in this National College Basketball League,” Yu Manman said, her expression solemn as she looked at Meng Lang, Zhu Di, Sun Peng, Zhou Xiaoshan, and Geng Haoshi. “Even if you’re too exhausted to get out of bed tomorrow, you will fight with everything you have!”

“Yes!”

Meng Lang, Zhu Di, Sun Peng, Zhou Xiaoshan, and Geng Haoshi answered in perfect unison, their voices ringing with fierce determination.

The score was tied, and Tiancheng Institute of Technology still had every chance of claiming the final victory. If that was the case, why would they not give it everything they had?

Even without Yu Manman’s urging, Geng Haoshi and the others had already intended to fight to the bitter end during the final quarter of the last game in this National College Basketball League.

“Beeeep—”

The referee blew the whistle to begin the fourth quarter.

Tiancheng Institute of Technology’s university basketball team, which had stormed into the final stage of the National College Basketball League as a “super dark horse,” had finally reached its decisive moment.

For the final game, and the final quarter, Jing Tian University and Tiancheng Institute of Technology both sent their strongest lineups onto the court.

“I never expected Tiancheng Institute of Technology to enter the final quarter with the score tied!”

“To perform this well against the strongest lineup in the league is certainly worthy of praise. Unfortunately, Jing Tian University will undoubtedly be the final champion.”

“That’s right. Jing Tian University currently leads Tiancheng Institute of Technology by five points in aggregate scoring. For Tiancheng to win, they must not only win this game but also defeat Jing Tian by at least five points.”

“Jing Tian’s starters have rested for an entire quarter, so they’re bound to be in far better shape than Tiancheng’s starters. In the end, Jing Tian University will surely be crowned champion.”

Most of the spectators along the sidelines still did not believe that Tiancheng Institute of Technology had any chance of claiming the championship.