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Authors: Matt Christopher
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defense. They weren’t going to let themselves give up any fast-break baskets if they could help it.
But it looked to Daren as though Drew Capp was already beginning to pant a little.
He flipped an inbound pass to Lynn, who dribbled the ball over the midcourt line. Frank O’Malley, the Rebel point guard, picked
him up. Lynn bounced a pass to Daren, who threw quickly to Peter Stuber, in off the bench. Stuber dribbled behind the key
and dropped the ball off to Lynn. Meanwhile, Lou had posted himself just above the foul line.
Lynn coiled, as though he was about to launch a long jump shot. As he did, Drew moved past Lou and jumped out at Lynn. At
the same moment, Lou spun and movedtoward the basket. Lynn threw a high pass that Lou caught on his way up and banked in. The Rangers had taken a two-point
lead on a perfect pick-and-roll.
As the Ranger fans cheered, Coach Michaels signaled for a time-out. “Looking good,” he said. “Daren, Lynn, sit down and catch
your breath. Shawn, Cris, you’re in. Keep up the pressure! Don’t let up!”
As he passed Daren, Shawn reached out his hands, palms up, and Daren slapped them. “Rangers rule!” Daren said, and Shawn grinned
at him.
The Rebels managed to grab a four-point lead, but when Drew Capp and Tony Tisdale went to the bench for a breather, the Rangers
came back to lead by three. Cris hit a long jump shot, and, with Drew sitting down, Lou was blocking Rebel shots and scoring
inside.
It seemed to Daren that Coach Michaels had made a good prediction. Toward the endof the first half, the Rebels were looking tired, especially Tisdale, who had played most of the game.
With less than a minute left in the first half and the Rangers trailing by a point, Tony tried a jump shot. As he jumped,
Daren started the fast break, running the other way. When the shot missed and bounced off the back rim, Lynn grabbed it and
dribbled fast to the midcourt line. Tony Tisdale hurried back, gasping for breath, as Lynn lofted a pass to Daren. Tisdale
took a running leap to block Daren’s shot, but Daren pump-faked and held on to the ball. Once Tony had gone by, Daren banked
in a shot off the backboard. When the buzzer sounded to end the first half, the Rangers were hanging on to a one-point lead.
But they were
ahead
.
15
I n the locker room, Andy handed out towels, drinks, and encouragement. Daren grinned at Lynn as he wiped his face.
“Tisdale will fade in the second half. He’s tired now.”
Lynn nodded. “Nice fake at the end, there.”
“Thanks,” Daren answered. “Hey, Lou!”
Lou Bettman looked over at Daren.
“Looking tough out there, big guy!”
Lou grinned. “Yo, Lynn, you’re running Tisdale ragged. Keep it up!”
The coach clapped his hands to silencethe happy, excited locker room chatter. “All right, Rangers! Way to go! Now, this half, we’re going to show ’em our secret
weapon. Lynn, on my signal, you get in Tisdale’s face and stay there, while the rest of you on court go into that four-corner
zone. Tisdale may get rattled and start making mistakes. Just keep on him.
“Lou, that fall-away jumper works against Capp. Let’s see more of it. I’ll be making more substitutions in the second half
because I want everyone as fresh as possible for the last few minutes. Don’t worry about getting tired — keep playing hard.
Any questions?”
Daren raised his hand. The coach pointed. “Yes, Daren?”
“I think we can get Capp into foul trouble. If you have the ball near the key, and pump like you’re going to shoot, he may
jump toward you. You can sort of lean in towardhim, and he’ll foul you. He won’t be able to hold up in time.”
Coach Michaels smiled. “Let’s see if it’ll work.” He checked a clipboard. “He has one foul now. If he picks up a couple more,
they’ll either have to sit him down or play him with a bunch of fouls, which would handcuff him. Good idea, Daren.”
Daren smiled.
“All
But it looked to Daren as though Drew Capp was already beginning to pant a little.
He flipped an inbound pass to Lynn, who dribbled the ball over the midcourt line. Frank O’Malley, the Rebel point guard, picked
him up. Lynn bounced a pass to Daren, who threw quickly to Peter Stuber, in off the bench. Stuber dribbled behind the key
and dropped the ball off to Lynn. Meanwhile, Lou had posted himself just above the foul line.
Lynn coiled, as though he was about to launch a long jump shot. As he did, Drew moved past Lou and jumped out at Lynn. At
the same moment, Lou spun and movedtoward the basket. Lynn threw a high pass that Lou caught on his way up and banked in. The Rangers had taken a two-point
lead on a perfect pick-and-roll.
As the Ranger fans cheered, Coach Michaels signaled for a time-out. “Looking good,” he said. “Daren, Lynn, sit down and catch
your breath. Shawn, Cris, you’re in. Keep up the pressure! Don’t let up!”
As he passed Daren, Shawn reached out his hands, palms up, and Daren slapped them. “Rangers rule!” Daren said, and Shawn grinned
at him.
The Rebels managed to grab a four-point lead, but when Drew Capp and Tony Tisdale went to the bench for a breather, the Rangers
came back to lead by three. Cris hit a long jump shot, and, with Drew sitting down, Lou was blocking Rebel shots and scoring
inside.
It seemed to Daren that Coach Michaels had made a good prediction. Toward the endof the first half, the Rebels were looking tired, especially Tisdale, who had played most of the game.
With less than a minute left in the first half and the Rangers trailing by a point, Tony tried a jump shot. As he jumped,
Daren started the fast break, running the other way. When the shot missed and bounced off the back rim, Lynn grabbed it and
dribbled fast to the midcourt line. Tony Tisdale hurried back, gasping for breath, as Lynn lofted a pass to Daren. Tisdale
took a running leap to block Daren’s shot, but Daren pump-faked and held on to the ball. Once Tony had gone by, Daren banked
in a shot off the backboard. When the buzzer sounded to end the first half, the Rangers were hanging on to a one-point lead.
But they were
ahead
.
15
I n the locker room, Andy handed out towels, drinks, and encouragement. Daren grinned at Lynn as he wiped his face.
“Tisdale will fade in the second half. He’s tired now.”
Lynn nodded. “Nice fake at the end, there.”
“Thanks,” Daren answered. “Hey, Lou!”
Lou Bettman looked over at Daren.
“Looking tough out there, big guy!”
Lou grinned. “Yo, Lynn, you’re running Tisdale ragged. Keep it up!”
The coach clapped his hands to silencethe happy, excited locker room chatter. “All right, Rangers! Way to go! Now, this half, we’re going to show ’em our secret
weapon. Lynn, on my signal, you get in Tisdale’s face and stay there, while the rest of you on court go into that four-corner
zone. Tisdale may get rattled and start making mistakes. Just keep on him.
“Lou, that fall-away jumper works against Capp. Let’s see more of it. I’ll be making more substitutions in the second half
because I want everyone as fresh as possible for the last few minutes. Don’t worry about getting tired — keep playing hard.
Any questions?”
Daren raised his hand. The coach pointed. “Yes, Daren?”
“I think we can get Capp into foul trouble. If you have the ball near the key, and pump like you’re going to shoot, he may
jump toward you. You can sort of lean in towardhim, and he’ll foul you. He won’t be able to hold up in time.”
Coach Michaels smiled. “Let’s see if it’ll work.” He checked a clipboard. “He has one foul now. If he picks up a couple more,
they’ll either have to sit him down or play him with a bunch of fouls, which would handcuff him. Good idea, Daren.”
Daren smiled.
“All
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