Any Closer and I'll Lose Control - Chapter 35

After the coaching staff of Z University was introduced, the players from both teams exchanged greetings.

Meng Tang watched as Wei Chuan and his teammates warmed up. A whistle blew, and the referee signaled three minutes until the start of the game.

Soon after, a series of short, sharp whistles reminded the players that warm-ups were over, it was time for the match.

The players took to the court, exchanging high-fives with the referees.

Meng Tang knew the next step was the jump ball. She had just seen it in a video, the centers from both teams would compete for the ball, and for Z University, it was No. 11, Tian Yu.

As the referee tossed the basketball vertically into the air, the center from the Polytechnic University won the jump ball, officially starting the game.

The opposing point guard advanced to the frontcourt, and Wei Chuan closed in on him.

Meng Tang couldn’t quite grasp Wei Chuan’s positioning. Just as she was about to ask Xie Lingyin, someone tapped her left shoulder.

She turned and was surprised to see Qin Yuan.

“You came too?”

Qin Yuan chuckled, slightly out of breath. “Almost didn’t make it.”

Meng Tang glanced at Shi Lan and Yang Ke, who had been separated to make room for him.

A burst of cheers erupted as the Polytechnic University lost possession, and Wei Chuan scored the first three-pointer, giving his team an early lead.

From the other side of Xie Lingyin, Meng Tang heard Xu Heqing say, “Wei Chuan always starts with a three-pointer, it forces the opponent to expand their defense and lets him control the tempo.”

The cheers from both sides clashed, neither yielding. The Polytechnic University didn’t panic, quickly organizing their offense to score.

Meng Tang looked puzzled, so Qin Yuan leaned in and said, “Wei Chuan is a combo guard, and an offensive-minded one at that.”

Meng Tang humbly asked, “What’s a combo guard?”

Qin Yuan explained, “Guards are usually either shooting guards, focused on scoring, or point guards, focused on ball-handling and playmaking. He can do both and adjusts based on the game situation and strategy. But playing as a combo guard demands a lot of stamina. If you’re not skilled enough, you end up as an awkward ‘double-can’t guard.’ But Wei Chuan is really good, so don’t worry.”

Meng Tang let out an “Oh” and turned her attention back to the game.

In her field of vision, Wei Chuan stole the ball from Polytechnic University’s No. 47 and sprinted toward their half at breakneck speed.

By the time Polytechnic University reacted, it was too late. Wei Chuan drove in for a layup, extending Z University’s lead to 5-2.

The game was divided into four quarters, each lasting 10 minutes, though that was pure playing time.

Factoring in timeouts, free throws, quarter breaks, and halftime, the match would last at least 1.5 to 2 hours.

Polytechnic University’s coach, frustrated by the early steal, shouted from the sidelines to double-team Wei Chuan.

After all, once he had the ball, scoring was practically guaranteed.

Z University’s coach rolled his eyes. “Getting this worked up already? The game just started.”

The assistant coach laughed. “Polytechnic University hasn’t been strong these past two years. Wei Chuan alone can widen the gap in the first quarter, it’s normal for them to panic.”

The coach smirked. “Just watch. Wei Chuan’s about to face heavy defense. Their No. 6 is also a strong individual player. If they can contain Wei Chuan, the score might stay tight.”

The assistant coach countered, “You said ‘if they can contain Wei Chuan’, but can they?”

The two exchanged glances, and the coach said, “Probably not.”

No sooner had he spoken than Wei Chuan delivered a behind-the-back pass, slipping it between two defenders to Shao Yiming.

Shao Yiming, perfectly in sync, slammed the ball in with a two-handed dunk.

Z University widened their lead. By the halfway mark, the score gap had doubled.

Qin Yuan chuckled beside her. “Polytechnic University’s off to a rough start, too focused on defense, not enough offense. They’ll probably switch to a zone defense soon.”

Meng Tang understood, the Polytechnic University had misjudged the key point, focusing solely on restricting Wei Chuan’s scoring.

But Wei Chuan had exceptional control on the court, adjusting his play in real-time based on the game’s flow. He didn’t hog the ball, and his coordination with his teammates was seamless.

Sure enough, the Polytechnic University’s coach called for a switch to zone defense.

Wei Chuan signaled, pulling the center up for a pick-and-roll.

Since Wei Chuan was the only player she recognized, Meng Tang’s gaze naturally followed him closely.

As the first quarter neared its end, with only eight seconds left, Wei Chuan, double-teamed, crossed over, pulled back to shake off his defender, then abruptly stopped, pushing off the ground with both feet. He rose, flicked his wrist, and released the ball.

The whistle pierced the air as the ball traced a perfect arc, swish, nothing but net.

“Ahhh!”

The crowd erupted in excitement behind her, but this time, Meng Tang wasn’t startled.

The first quarter ended with Z University leading 28-18, a ten-point advantage. Wei Chuan alone had scored 14 points, along with 5 assists and 2 steals.

During the two-minute break between quarters, Wei Chuan took a drink, his gaze sweeping the stands.

For a fleeting moment, Meng Tang thought their eyes met.

Before she could confirm, Qin Yuan nudged her. “What are you looking at?”

Meng Tang replied, “The Polytechnic coach looks frantic.”

“Normal,” Qin Yuan chuckled. “Wei Chuan hasn’t even warmed up yet. He’ll probably explode in the second quarter, pushing the lead with fast breaks.”

Just as Qin Yuan predicted, Polytechnic adjusted their strategy in the second quarter.

When their opponent hit a three-pointer to narrow the gap, Wei Chuan immediately organized a counterattack.

In just three minutes, he dished out two assists, and on two long passes from teammates, he didn’t hesitate launching three-pointers. The referee’s whistle blew, Wei Chuan scored a three-point play plus a free throw, adding 4 points to the tally.

By then, Z University had scored 11 points in the first three minutes of the second quarter, with Wei Chuan accounting for 7.

This completely disrupted Polytechnic’s rhythm, forcing their coach to call a timeout.

Losing here would mean missing the semifinals, something they couldn’t accept.

The score now stood at 39-21, Z University leading by 18.

Z’s coach, unfazed by the temporary lead, simply patted Wei Chuan’s shoulder and said,

“Keep controlling the tempo. It’s only the second quarter, no one can say if an 18-point lead will hold, understand?”

Wei Chuan remained composed. “Understood.”

The game resumed, with Polytechnic fighting back desperately. But facing Wei Chuan’s team was just their bad luck.

By the end of the second quarter, Polytechnic still trailed by 14.

A ten-minute halftime break followed, with players retreating to the locker room and cheerleaders taking the court.

Qin Yuan’s eyes gleamed, youth and energy at its finest.

Soon, the third quarter began. Polytechnic intensified their defense, trying to disrupt Wei Chuan’s rhythm.

Wei Chuan didn’t stubbornly hold the ball either, reducing his own scoring opportunities to facilitate his teammates.

Those watching the live stream couldn’t help but marvel,

“Wei Chuan’s too strong. He looks way steadier than last year, a straight-up dual-threat killer.”

“Can shoot, can feed, it’s hilarious. Went from scoring machine in the first half to an assist god in the third.”

“Polytechnic’s definitely done for. Unlucky to face Z University, if they’d played Normal University, they might’ve made the semifinals.”

“The finals will 100% be Z University vs. G University.”

“G University’s hosting the finals. If Z’s arena wasn’t under renovation, it wouldn’t even be their turn to host.”

“…”

The third quarter ended with the Polytechnic University team looking lifeless, the score at 72:48, there was almost no suspense left.

For a traditional powerhouse to perform like this, it had a lot to do with the loss of players over the past two years.

Last year, Wei Chuan had led the team to the semifinals, and many schools had tried to poach him, but Z University held onto him tightly.

The coach asked Wei Chuan if he wanted to play in the fourth quarter. Wei Chuan shook his head. “Let the substitutes get some time on the court and show their faces.”

In the end, Z University won by 20 points, advancing easily to the semifinals, while Polytechnic University was torn apart online.

During the on-court celebration, Wei Chuan glanced at the stands with a smile, all of it caught on camera.

As the players retreated to the locker room, Wei Chuan said a quick word to the coach, then pulled out his phone and sent a message to Meng Tang: [What are you doing here?]