Chapter 41 – Human Charm Essence Is Online! Terrifying Half-Time Stats!
Ron Lewis's sudden exit didn't shake Ohio State too much.
As long as Oden and Conley were holding down the core, the Buckeyes machine could keep running.
But as the first half ticked on, the toll of the game started to show. Fatigue crept into both teams, and the shooting percentages began to dip.
That early-game shootout, where both teams were nearly trading buckets every possession? That wasn't sustainable. This was basketball reality now.
With just over 3 minutes left before halftime, Texas had built a solid lead—41 to 31.
On the sidelines, Coach Thad Matta was livid, stomping and yelling for his team to turn up the offensive intensity.
He knew a double-digit deficit at the break could mess with his players' heads.
Ohio State's players understood that too. No one wanted to drag themselves into the locker room staring down a mountain.
On the court, Mike Conley decided it was time to shift gears.
He'd been setting the table all half, playing the floor general role. That had lulled Texas into forgetting he could get his own shot too.
Coming off a pick-and-roll, Conley hit a slick crossover between the legs and sliced straight to the rim!
Facing the 6'10" big man Dexter Pittman—who had a 10-inch height advantage—Conley didn't blink. He went straight up, absorbed the contact, and dropped in the layup as the whistle blew.
And-one!
Conley pounded his chest and let out a roar. That kind of fire? Rare from him. But this was the NCAA Championship Final.
He wanted to rally his guys. To spark the comeback.
Next possession, after a hard-fought stop, Oden sprinted the floor in transition.
"BOOM!!"
He finished a monster alley-oop dunk that shook the rim and woke up the Ohio State fans!
"LET'S GO GREG!!"
"Keep hammering 'em!!"
"TEAR 'EM UP!!"
"THIS IS OUR TIME!!"
The crowd exploded. Trumpets, tambourines, drums—the arena was suddenly electric.
Momentum shift incoming?
Not so fast.
Back on the other end, Chen Yan got the ball up top and immediately called for isolation.
When the game hits critical moments, that's when stars step up. That's the difference between a role player and a killer.
Chen Yan stood a step behind the three-point line, dribbling casually. He surveyed the defense and then attacked.
Jamal Butler—the backup who came in after Ron Lewis went down—was ready this time.
He'd studied Chen Yan from the bench earlier. He didn't press up too tight. Gave him space. No need to gamble or guess.
Chen Yan exploded forward off the bounce.
Jamal stayed disciplined, dropping back with each move.
Then Chen Yan pulled up from deep.
No hesitation.
"BOX OUT!" Coach Matta shouted from the sidelines.
They knew from the scouting reports—Chen's outside shot was his weakness.
Oden and Harris crashed the glass, prepping for the board.
But Chen didn't even watch the ball.
He knew.
"SWISH!!"
Straight splash from deep!
Chen had upgraded his 3-point attribute to [80] earlier in the tournament. Not only was he more confident, but his form and rhythm had become sharp and repeatable.
Cold-blooded.
That shot silenced the crowd and halted the Buckeyes' momentum.
Next possession, Conley tried to get it going again. Oden came up to screen, the two running their bread-and-butter two-man game.
But right as Conley dropped the bounce pass, Chen Yan jumped the route!
He'd sniffed out the play from the start.
Clean steal! Fast break!!
Butler and Cook both tried to cut him off, flanking him on either side.
Didn't matter.
Chen Yan split the double with a lightning-fast behind-the-back dribble, slicing between them like a knife through butter.
Then he took off.
Advanced human-ball separation. The essence of swagger was officially online.
"NO WAY! He's pulling this kinda move in a
championship game?!"
"WHOOOOAAA!! That's streetball-level sauce!!"
"I thought this was the NCAA Finals, not the Rucker Park Invitational!"
The crowd's jaws collectively dropped.
But Chen wasn't done.
Mid-air, he slowed just enough for Conley to collide into him from behind!
Bang! Whistle! And-one layup!
Conley looked stunned. Like he'd been set up.
"He baited me... This dude actually baited me for a 2+1…"
Chen walked to the line, calm as ever, and knocked down the free throw.
Texas 3-point play. Again.
Next time down, Chen ran a two-man action with Durant. After swinging the ball up top, he cut hard off-ball.
Jamal Butler locked in on his cut…
But Chen stopped on a dime, circled back the other way, caught the ball, and drilled a smooth mid-range jumper!
Jamal stood there frozen.
"This guy… he's shifty even without the ball. How the hell do you guard that?"
"SWISH!"
Another clean bucket.
In the broadcast studio, Zhang Weiping nearly burst out laughing.
"Unreal. No matter what he throws up—it goes in!"
Yu Jia chimed in with a nod, "That's seven straight points for Chen Yan. He's unstoppable right now. Ohio State might need to send two or three guys at him."
The commentary was all praise, but fans weren't annoyed.
Because every word of it was true.
Ohio State's coach Thad Matta was speechless on the sidelines.
The original plan was to close the gap before halftime.
Instead, Chen Yan went nuclear and broke the game open.
Halftime score: Texas Longhorns 48, Ohio State Buckeyes 36.
Chen Yan's stat line?
30 points, 3 assists, 2 steals—in one half.
A truly terrifying first-half performance.
For reference, the all-time single-game scoring record in an NCAA championship final is 44 points, set by Bill Walton in 1973.
Chen Yan?
He might just shatter it.
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