by David Aro
On the other side, Tyler did something he had learned when he practiced with Golden Roots Prep. He set up Mo by taking a step away from Cam’s screen. He then rubbed shoulder to shoulder with Cam. Mo couldn’t fit between them. Tyler gained a step on Mo. He caught Brianna’s pass on the wing.
Tyler looked to pass it. But it was hard to see through Mo’s big arms. They moved in whatever direction Tyler held the ball. Tyler gave a pump fake in the air like he was going to shoot. Mo jumped high in the air to block it. Tyler dribbled around him toward the hoop.
He went to shoot a layup on the right side. Curtis came over to help out. He reached across Tyler to block it. Mo tried to block it from behind, too. Curtis and Mo knocked Tyler out of the air onto the ground.
“Foul!” called out the ref.
“Good move,” yelled Jason from the stands.
Cam and Jasmine helped Tyler off the ground. He missed both free throws.
“Don’t worry about it!” screamed T.J.
The All-Stars did everything they could think of to keep the bail away from Curtis and Mo. Cam, Jasmine, and Brianna played tight defense on their men. They tried to stop the guards from passing the ball inside.
The added pressure helped. Jasmine tipped the ball as it was being passed. Then she picked up the loose ball. Cam picked off the point guard’s pass to the wing. But they couldn’t stop the ball from getting inside every time. Tyler and Markus had a hard time stopping Curtis and Mo from scoring. They were just too big.
“I don’t know what else we can do,” said Markus at halftime. He drank some water.
“We have to tire them out on defense,” said Jasmine. She tried to catch her breath.
The All-Stars started the second half by taking their time. They ran their plays over and over. Up. Down. Spread. They passed the ball back and forth. They waited for one of the Rim Rockers to fall out of position. And a shot to open up.
Jasmine nailed a shot from the wing.
Markus made a bank shot from outside the paint. Cam beat his man off the dribble.
He floated the bail over Curtis’s reach. But Tyler couldn’t seem to get a shot off when he made a move inside. Curtis or Mo kept fouling him.
“I’m sorry, guys,” said Tyler during a time-out. “I’m blowing it. I can’t get a clean shot.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Cam. “Curtis and Mo are in foul trouble because of you. And we’re only down eight!”
“Yeah,” said Brianna. “Keep your head in the game.”
The Ail-Stars’ plan started to work. Tyler kept attacking inside. And Mo was taken out of the game with four fouls. One more and he would foul out.
On the All-Stars’ next play, Brianna drove baseline. Curtis stepped over to stop her. Brianna found Markus in front of the hoop. Curtis jumped back to block the ball and slapped Markus’s arms. Curtis picked up his third foul.
Markus made the first of his two free throws. The second bounced off the side of the rim. Curtis reached over Tyler to get the rebound.
“Foul!” yelled the ref.
Curtis got in the ref’s face. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I barely touched him.”
The ref blew his whistle again. “Technical foul!”
Curtis fouled out of the game.
“Boo!” screamed the Rim Rockers from the bench.
Curtis pulled his jersey from his shorts. Then he sat on the bench.
Tyler made both free throws from the technical. The All-Stars were now within six points.
The All-Stars quickly took charge without Curtis and Mo in the game. Tyler came off a screen. He had his first open look of the game. Markus picked up his first block. Cam stole a pass and had a fast-break basket.
There were two minutes left to play.
The score was tied. And Mo subbed back into the game. He scored right away.
The All-Stars called their last time-out.
“If we’re going to stop him,” said Tyler, “we’re going to have to do it together.”
Out of the time-out, the All-Stars scored off their play, Up. Then they talked defense.
“Switch,” called out Tyler to Markus, after he got caught up in a screen.
Mo beat Markus off the dribble. Tyler fought through the screen in time to help out. But he fouled Mo reaching for the ball.
Mo missed the first free throw. He made the second.
“Jam,” called out Brianna.
She passed the ball to Cam on the wing. Markus moved from one block.
He set a pick on Mo on the other. Tyler came off the screen and caught the pass in the short corner. His back was to the basket. He faked to his right. Then he spun baseline. He reached his right arm out and shot a reverse layup. The rim kept Mo from blocking the shot.
The Ail-Stars were back up one.
The Rim Rockers had the bail. Twenty seconds left to play.
Mo posted up on the block. Markus guarded in front of Mo. Tyler stood behind him. The Rim Rockers passed the ball around the three-point line. Mo followed the ball. He got position on the other block.
Mo caught the ball. Tyler stood his ground with his arms in the air. Mo backed into Tyler. They bumped into one another. Mo turned into the lane. But Markus was there waiting for him. Before Mo could turn back the other way, Jasmine snuck in from behind and stole the ball.
She quickly passed it out to Brianna. Brianna passed it ahead to Cam. He dribbled in a big circle on the other side of the court. One of the Rim Rocker guards chased him. The final buzzer went off. Cam threw the ball up into the air.
“We did it!” yelled Markus.
The All-Stars jumped in the air. They gave each other one giant high five. Then they lined up to shake the Rim Rockers’ hands.
“Good game,” said Tyler.
“You were lucky,” said Curtis.
Afterwards, Markus laid down on the court in front of their bench. Cam loosened the laces on his shoes. Jasmine took a sip of water. Brianna wiped her face with a towel.
Tyler watched T.J., Jason, and Steve walk out of the gym with the crowd.
“What is it?” asked Brianna. She threw the towel at Tyler.
Tyler looked back to his team. “Curtis was right about one thing,” he said. “We are lucky. Lucky to have each other.”
Tyler ran up and down the hall. He knocked on Cam’s door. Markus’s door. Then on Jasmine’s door. Brianna and Jasmine both answered. Brianna had slept over Jasmine’s.
“Let’s go,” he said. “We got mail!”
The All-Stars didn’t know what Tyler was so excited about.
“Don’t you know what time it is?” asked Markus at first. Then he saw Cam jump down three steps. Brianna used the handrail. She swung over four steps at once. And Jasmine ran down the stairs without shoes. Markus slammed his door. He followed the other All-Stars to Tyler’s apartment.
“So why did you wake us up so early?” asked Markus.
“Early?” asked Brianna. “It’s almost noon!” She threw a couch pillow at Markus. It hit his head. “There. I fixed your hair for you.” She laughed.
Markus ran his hand through his hair as he sat. Then he yawned.
Tyler held a letter out.
“This came in the mail today,” he said. “It’s from the Rec Center. It’s addressed to the Alton Heights All-Stars! I couldn’t open it without you guys.”
“What are you waiting for?” asked Cam.
The All-Stars huddled around Tyler. He ripped the envelope open and read.
“I can’t believe it!” said Jasmine.
“I never thought we could actually play in a tournament that big,” said Cam. He jumped up and down. “It’s at Crimson University!”
“I’m sure Golden Roots Prep is in, too,” said Brianna.
Markus rubbed his eyes. He stared at the letter again. Then looked to his team. “We barely beat the Rim Rockers at the last tournament. Do you think theyll be there, too?”
Tyler set the letter down on the coffee table.
“I don’t know,” he said. “But only the best of the best will be there. And that includes us!”
