energized nonetheless.
Dylan inbounded the ball to Cody. He turned and saw Macy giving him room. He squared up and launched a jump shot from eighteen feet, barely in his range. He thought he had left the shot short, but the ball nudged the side of the rim and then crept over for two.
As he sprinted back on defense, Cody risked a look to the stands. He saw Blake pounding Dadâs back as both stood to roar their approval.
Codyâs moment of inattention allowed Macy to get free for a jumper from the left baseline. Fortunately, Macy lost control of the ball as he went up and had to adjust his shot in midair. The hesitation was all Cody needed to recover. He charged, not directly at Macy, but to a spot two feet in front of him. As he propelled his body upward, he knew he was finally going to get a real block, not just a deflection.
Macy followed his shot to the basket, but the ball wasnât going to make it to the basket. Cody redirected it back over Macyâs head and right to Bart Evans.
Grant got a good shot on their next offensive set, but Goddard missed a five-foot bank shot in the lane. Macy out-jumped Pork Chop for the rebound and caught Clay streaking downcourt for an uncontested layup.
After a Brett Evans miss, Clay pulled Central even with Grant as he hit a layup, drew a foul on Goddard, and converted the three-point play.
With thirty seconds left in the game, Gannon walked the ball up court. As he crossed the midcourt stripe, Clay and Macy trapped him. Gannon tried a desperation baseball pass across court to Goddard but threw it over his head.
Cody thought Central would call time-out, but Clay quickly inbounded the ball to Macy, who gave it right back to his teammate. Cody clenched his teeth as he saw Central isolate Clay against Goddard. Clay had three inches on Goddardâand probably three seconds in the 100-yard dash. He thought about leaving Macy to help out his teammate, but he couldnât risk leaving the leagueâs best clutch shooter open.
Goddard did everything he could to stay with Clay, but when the latter drove hard to the hoop, stopped abruptly, and elevated for a fallaway jumpshot, there was nothing to do but watch as Central pulled ahead by two, with nine seconds left in the game.
âNo time-outs! No time-outs left,â Coach Clayton bellowed from the sidelines.
Gannon nodded as he looked to inbound the ball. Clay pressured Goddard as he tried to free himself in the backcourt.
Cody could see Gannon straining to find an open man. Dylan dashed into the backcourt, Macy on his heels. Gannonâs eyes locked on Dylan as he fired a chest pass in his direction.
Gannonâs pass sailed toward midcourt. Dylan and Macy both lunged for it. Dylan got his fingertips on the ball, but he couldnât control it. It glanced off his right hand and went out of bounds.
âWhite ball!â the lead referee yelled.
Quickly, Clay moved to the refereeâs side and waited for the ball. Cody nodded grimly.
No time-out again, eh? Good strategy, with only six seconds remaining, but this time Iâm ready.
He attached himself to Macy like a barnacle. He felt certain Clay would go to the player with the best hands. Then again, that would be predictable. Maybe Macy would just be a decoy. What was Clay thinking ?
Cody knew the answer when he felt Macy push him hard in the back. It should have been a foul, but that was okay. This was almost as good. Clay and Macy had tipped their hand. They probably practiced this stunt a thousand times. Push the defender to get separation, and then catch the high-lob pass.
Cody pretended to stumble forward as Macy sprinted away from him. Clay unleashed a high, arcing pass.
Cody regained the balance that he had never really lost and closed the gap between himself and Macy.
As Cody spring-loaded himself to leap and intercept the ball, he tried to calculate how much time the Raiders would have to scoreâprobably five seconds, if he could snag
Dylan inbounded the ball to Cody. He turned and saw Macy giving him room. He squared up and launched a jump shot from eighteen feet, barely in his range. He thought he had left the shot short, but the ball nudged the side of the rim and then crept over for two.
As he sprinted back on defense, Cody risked a look to the stands. He saw Blake pounding Dadâs back as both stood to roar their approval.
Codyâs moment of inattention allowed Macy to get free for a jumper from the left baseline. Fortunately, Macy lost control of the ball as he went up and had to adjust his shot in midair. The hesitation was all Cody needed to recover. He charged, not directly at Macy, but to a spot two feet in front of him. As he propelled his body upward, he knew he was finally going to get a real block, not just a deflection.
Macy followed his shot to the basket, but the ball wasnât going to make it to the basket. Cody redirected it back over Macyâs head and right to Bart Evans.
Grant got a good shot on their next offensive set, but Goddard missed a five-foot bank shot in the lane. Macy out-jumped Pork Chop for the rebound and caught Clay streaking downcourt for an uncontested layup.
After a Brett Evans miss, Clay pulled Central even with Grant as he hit a layup, drew a foul on Goddard, and converted the three-point play.
With thirty seconds left in the game, Gannon walked the ball up court. As he crossed the midcourt stripe, Clay and Macy trapped him. Gannon tried a desperation baseball pass across court to Goddard but threw it over his head.
Cody thought Central would call time-out, but Clay quickly inbounded the ball to Macy, who gave it right back to his teammate. Cody clenched his teeth as he saw Central isolate Clay against Goddard. Clay had three inches on Goddardâand probably three seconds in the 100-yard dash. He thought about leaving Macy to help out his teammate, but he couldnât risk leaving the leagueâs best clutch shooter open.
Goddard did everything he could to stay with Clay, but when the latter drove hard to the hoop, stopped abruptly, and elevated for a fallaway jumpshot, there was nothing to do but watch as Central pulled ahead by two, with nine seconds left in the game.
âNo time-outs! No time-outs left,â Coach Clayton bellowed from the sidelines.
Gannon nodded as he looked to inbound the ball. Clay pressured Goddard as he tried to free himself in the backcourt.
Cody could see Gannon straining to find an open man. Dylan dashed into the backcourt, Macy on his heels. Gannonâs eyes locked on Dylan as he fired a chest pass in his direction.
Gannonâs pass sailed toward midcourt. Dylan and Macy both lunged for it. Dylan got his fingertips on the ball, but he couldnât control it. It glanced off his right hand and went out of bounds.
âWhite ball!â the lead referee yelled.
Quickly, Clay moved to the refereeâs side and waited for the ball. Cody nodded grimly.
No time-out again, eh? Good strategy, with only six seconds remaining, but this time Iâm ready.
He attached himself to Macy like a barnacle. He felt certain Clay would go to the player with the best hands. Then again, that would be predictable. Maybe Macy would just be a decoy. What was Clay thinking ?
Cody knew the answer when he felt Macy push him hard in the back. It should have been a foul, but that was okay. This was almost as good. Clay and Macy had tipped their hand. They probably practiced this stunt a thousand times. Push the defender to get separation, and then catch the high-lob pass.
Cody pretended to stumble forward as Macy sprinted away from him. Clay unleashed a high, arcing pass.
Cody regained the balance that he had never really lost and closed the gap between himself and Macy.
As Cody spring-loaded himself to leap and intercept the ball, he tried to calculate how much time the Raiders would have to scoreâprobably five seconds, if he could snag
Similar Books
The Evil That Men Do: FBI Profiler Roy Hazelwood's Journey Into the Minds of Sexual Predators
Stephen G. Michaud, Roy Hazelwood
