Larry Turner, although officially listed at 6 feet 10 inches, was clearly the same height as Yu Fei when they jumped for the ball.
This wasn't Turner's problem, this was Yu Fei's problem.
Accounting for shoe height, Yu Fei was also 6 feet 10 inches, but who could blame him for being real?
Ranked 71st nationwide, Turner's playing style, focused on defense and inside scoring as a traditional center, was somewhat similar to Jeffrey Dai, who had been fiercely schooled by Yu Fei before.
As both sides jumped for the ball, Yu Fei, with his lightning-fast leap, hit the ball directly to the Royal Team's starting shooting guard, Will Perkins.
Perkins, under 1.9 meters tall, was the second leading scorer for the Royal Team, averaging 18 points a game, a valuable asset for Yu Fei.
As the only eleventh grader in the starting lineup, Perkins excelled at only two things: fast breaks and shooting threes.
And this was exactly the help Yu Fei needed.
Due to Yu Fei's many blocks and defensive assists per game, the Royal Team had numerous defensive counter-attack opportunities, which was when Perkins shone.
In settled play, Perkins was also known for his daring three-point shots.
With his excellent counter-attacking skills and outside shooting, Perkins, riding on the coattails of Yu Fei, had caught the interest of the NCAA First Division League, currently holding three offers, a future full of promise.
Tonight, opening with the first ball of the game, Perkins quickly drove upcourt, opting for a trailing three.
Unfortunately, the arc was off, and the ball brushed the rim and out.
Long Beach High School wanted to counter quickly.
Their starting point guard, Josh Barnard, rushed upcourt and went for a layup.
However, his shot was halfway there when it was swatted to the ground by Yu Fei, who had quickly recovered in defense.
Barnard's athletic ability couldn't compare with Yu Fei's, and even though he had jumped first, Yu Fei still managed to catch the ball and throw a stunning full-court pass soon after landing.
Ahead, Anthony Lawson scored an easy basket for the Royal Team, opening the game.
"Tony, you should have dunked that!"
Yu Fei was particular about Lawson's choice of attack.
Unquestioned about his offensive decision, the captain of the Royal Team casually countered, "You think everyone can jump like you?"
The Royal Team's defensive rounds had a distinctive feature. Talent-wise, apart from Yu Fei, everyone else was inferior to the opposition. Hence, they didn't aim to fully shut down their opponents on the defense but rather limited their shooting. If the opponents wanted to break through and challenge Yu Fei, they were welcome to try.
Having been blocked by Yu Fei once, Barnard didn't lose faith and attempted to break through again, choosing a high lob, but still faced serious interference from Yu Fei.
Barnard missed the floater, Lawson secured the rebound, and passed it to Yu Fei to advance.
The crowd at Key Arena began to erupt; this was Yu Fei's signature style.
Yu Fei slapped Turner's shot away, and although Turner's teammate secured the ball, they had only a few seconds left of the shot clock and were forced to attempt an unlikely buzzer-beating three-pointer.
The shooter was Knight, who had earlier nailed a long three-pointer, but this time, he wasn't lucky.
The missed long-distance three led to a long rebound, which the Royal Team secured, and they immediately began their counterattack.
Will Perkins moved to his favorite spot and boldly fired a fast-break three-pointer.
Shooting like that in a fast break while having a numerical advantage was undoubtedly madness.
Perkins wanted to quickly widen the score gap, but his shooting touch didn't support him in this endeavor.
"Bang!"
It missed, but...
Yu Fei appeared in the frontcourt, grabbed the offensive rebound, dunked immediately, and drew a defensive foul from the opponent, earning another 2+1.
"Frye Yu is as hot as a boiling furnace!"
Yu Fei, wearing Kent Meridian High School's Royal Team's dark blue and black jersey with the number 5, meant nothing to him. But to the opponent, that number was the grim reaper's.
Be it Larry Turner or Errol Knight, every Long Beach High School player who saw that number would embarrass themselves on the court.
"Why was there a foul?" Yu Fei arrogantly laughed and asked, "Clearly, no one is guarding me!"
The referee snapped, "No talking, this is your last warning!"
"Sorry, please let me say one last thing." Yu Fei turned around, looked down at his opponents with a superior attitude, and declared, "To deal with you guys, just scoring 50 points is enough for me!"
That was his declaration, he was going for 50 points.
Yu Fei's words soared through the court like an eagle's cry, and everyone who heard could feel the absolute confidence in those words. They could even scent the confidence itself, which, like a fierce beast baring its claws, was ripping apart Long Beach High School's pride.
This world is sick, this world is wicked.
The eagle circles above, the noose falls, the doves coo incessantly, and the funereal march for Long Beach High School has begun.
"Swish!"
Yu Fei made the free throw.
The opponents were dumbfounded, Key Arena erupted in cheers for Yu Fei, and everyone glanced at Larry Turner's face, which showed nothing but dejection and unease.
Sitting at the center of the venue, Gary Smith wrote, "At the end of the first half, Frye Yu dominated with 38 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 7 blocks. The skies of Washington State are within his reach, and Long Beach High School is destined to be a minor stumbling block in his journey. After today, the college basketball world's interest and pursuit of him will grow tenfold. Yet thus far, he has shown no interest in college. Is this really what he wants? Where will his next stop be? It remains a mystery."
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