The silence was the loudest sound in the room. The Dasmariñas National High Basketball Team sat motionless, absorbing the devastating brilliance of the two Mythical Five players. Coach Gutierrez's words— "They are brilliant. And they are arrogant. And they are about to be very, very surprised" —still hung in the air, a challenge and a lifeline wrapped into one.
The television screen, having finished its brightly colored soda advertisement, returned to the arena. Naga City and Cebu City players were stretching, focused, preparing for the most critical ten minutes of high school basketball: the second quarter. Cebu led by three, 17-14.
"The score is irrelevant," Coach G said, pushing a chair back from the wall and dragging it closer to the table. He leaned his elbows on the mahogany, his gaze sweeping over his team. "We know Aekley Vicente can overpower us. We know Emon Jacob can shoot over us. Stop thinking about how they score. Start thinking about who else is on the court. Naga's entire defense is designed to funnel the action to Vicente so he can block it. Cebu's entire offense is designed to run screens for Jacob. When you build a machine to do one thing perfectly, it's vulnerable everywhere else."
He looked directly at Daewoo, who was still reeling from the shock of Emon Jacob's size. "Daewoo, you have the highest motor on this team. You are the conditioning benchmark. Look at Vicente. Watch him when his team misses a shot. How fast does he get back down the court?"
"S-slowly, Coach," Daewoo stammered. "He... he jogs. He doesn't look like he cares about the defensive transition unless it's a block."
"Exactly. That is our plan for Morales," Coach G confirmed, referring to CDO's monster power forward they'd face next. "We have to condition these giants to get tired. Keep watching."
Score: Naga 14 — Cebu 17
Cebu started with the ball, and they immediately tried to run a set to get Emon Jacob a clean look. They ran the 'Elevator Doors' play, where two players part to let the shooter run through for the catch-and-shoot.
But Naga, having been burned too many times, adjusted. The 6'2" Naga guard, T. Morales (no relation to the CDO player), was draped all over Jacob, refusing to let him get through the gap. He was playing physical, borderline fouling, using his body weight to hold Jacob up.
Jacob, frustrated, couldn't get the pass. The point guard, with the clock winding down, panicked and threw a hard pass into the corner to their small forward, V. Chavez (#11). Chavez caught the ball, took one unnecessary dribble, and fired a contested, rushed three-pointer.
It clanged off the front iron. Ian leaned forward, scribbling furiously.
"Role player panic, shot 11 – missed badly. Jacob contained = offense failure," Ian wrote.
Naga grabbed the defensive rebound. Instead of slowing down for Aekley in the post, the Naga point guard, A. Ruiz, saw the gap in the Cebu transition.
"Run! Run it!" Aekley muttered to his team.
Ruiz pushed the ball hard, past half-court. Cebu's defense, accustomed to setting up for Jacob's offensive sets, was still scrambling.
Ruiz hit the other Naga guard, J. Cruz (#7), with a perfect cross-court pass. Cruz was wide open for a layup.
Swish.
Score: Naga 16 - Cebu 17
"There it is," Coach G said, pointing at the screen. "Cebu is built to score in the half-court. They hate running, because running means Jacob doesn't have time to run through four screens. They're slow on transition defense."
Cebu's coach yelled at his team to slow down. They walked the ball up. Emon Jacob, sensing the need to assert control, called for an isolation play again. He dribbled the ball 25 feet out, sizing up his defender.
He spun, drove hard, and stopped for a vicious pull-up jumper. The shot was pure.
Swish.
Score: Naga 16 - Cebu 19
"That's the arrogance," Marco said, shaking his head, a mix of admiration and bitterness in his voice. "He knows he's better than the entire team, so he just says, 'Fine, I'll take this myself.'"
Naga, recognizing the importance of getting their giant involved, tried to force the ball into Aekley Vicente. But Cebu had adjusted defensively. They had a massive, physical defender, their backup power forward (R. Flores, #4), fronting Vicente, denying the pass, while the center shaded over from the weak side. The passing lane was shut down.
Ruiz threw a poor lob pass that sailed out of bounds.
Turnover.
"Jacob forces, but Naga forces to Vicente too hard. Turnovers possible with hard fronting," Cedrick wrote, a small, hopeful smile appearing on his face. He was the team's best fronting defender.
Cebu ran a quick play for their center to dive to the basket. Aekley Vicente, caught jogging back from the turnover, was late to rotate.
Easy layup.
Score: Naga 16 - Cebu 21
"Look at Vicente!" Daewoo burst out, pointing. "He was still at half-court when the center made the pass! He's too slow!"
Coach G leaned forward, tapping the table sharply. "They're tired. They're both starting to rely on habits. Vicente is relying on his size; he's not running. Jacob is relying on his scoring; he's not distributing. Tristan, what's the key?"
Tristan, who had been studying the timeout huddles on the screen, looked up. "Fatigue, Coach. Naga's best player, their only threat, is going to be gassed by the third quarter because he's playing offense, and covering for his guards' defense. Cebu's best player is going to be mentally tired because he has to carry the load of creation and scoring. They're playing an individual game. We play a team game."
Naga, coming out of the timeout, made a decisive change. They gave the ball to Aekley Vicente at the top of the key, essentially turning him into a point-forward.
He was forced to initiate the offense.
He drove, drawing two defenders. He made the smart pass to a cutter, who missed the layup.
Aekley, however, crashed the offensive glass, soaring over two Cebu players for the rebound. He put it back up, and was fouled hard.
And-one.
Score: Naga 18 - Cebu 21
Vicente made the free throw, reducing the deficit.
Score: Naga 19 - Cebu 21
"You have to respect his power," Ian conceded, running a hand through his hair. "But that's where we attack. He's too proud to let anyone else rebound. We use that against him. We make him jump 40 times a game."
Emon Jacob ran his defender through a screen and cut hard to the basket. He received the pass. Aekley Vicente rotated over, ready for the block.
Jacob, respecting the giant, pulled the ball out, pivoted, and tossed it to the wing for a decent-looking three-pointer. It hit the backboard and bounced out.
"No confidence," Daewoo observed, quietly. "The shooter didn't even want that shot. He was passing it, not shooting it."
Naga pushed the pace. They got the ball to their point guard, who found Aekley Vicente in the dunker's spot. Easy alley-oop dunk.
Score: Naga 21 - Cebu 21
The momentum had completely shifted back to Naga, powered by Vicente's size and the team's relentless feeding of the post.
Emon Jacob was visibly agitated. He yelled at his point guard to get him the ball. He ran a 'curl' screen, caught the ball, and launched a deep three-pointer from the volleyball line. It was forced, but it was pure.
Swish.
Score: Naga 21 - Cebu 24
"Oh, that's just talent overriding coaching," Tristan said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"That was a terrible shot, but he's too good to miss it. It's their saving grace."
The game turned into a furious exchange of baskets. Naga hit Aekley again, who scored easily on the block. Cebu responded with a mid-range jumper from Jacob. Naga hit a three-pointer from their point guard (forced by the collapsing defense on Vicente).
Score: Naga 26 - Cebu 26
"Look at the guards," Marco said suddenly, pointing. "The non-Mythical Five guards. They're exhausted. They're chasing Jacob through four screens every time down the court. They're running a marathon just so he can score."
"And that," Coach G said, his eyes gleaming, "is the critical weakness. We have three days to get you all in the best shape of your lives. We don't need to beat them with skill, Marco. We beat them with conditioning. We run them, and then we watch the secondary players fall apart."
Cebu, out of the timeout, decided to give Jacob a rest from the heavy scoring load. They tried to run a set for their backup center, G. Ramos (#5), for a low-post move.
He caught the ball, tried to pivot, and was immediately swallowed by a double-team from Naga, who were more than happy to leave their less-threatening guards open. The center traveled.
Turnover.
"Cebu's secondary offense is non-existent. Without Jacob creating, they are lost," Tristan noted.
Naga quickly pushed the ball. Aekley Vicente was resting at the top of the key. Ruiz drove the lane, drew the defense, and kicked it out to the corner. J. Cruz (#7) caught it.
He saw the lane open up as Cebu rotated hard. Instead of shooting the three, Cruz wisely drove to the basket and got fouled.
Two free throws.
Score: Naga 26 - Cebu 26
Cruz made both shots.
Score: Naga 28 - Cebu 26
Emon Jacob, seeing his team collapse when he rested, took the ball again. He drove into the teeth of the defense and was fouled by Aekley Vicente. It was a clear, hard foul. Vicente's second.
"Foul trouble," Cedrick muttered. "That's how you get him off the floor. Aggression."
Jacob hit both free throws with a chilling lack of emotion.
Score: Naga 28 - Cebu 28
Aekley Vicente, now in foul trouble, was pulled from the game to protect him. The air instantly left the arena. Naga looked hesitant, confused.
They ran a stagnant offense, passing the ball around the perimeter. The shot clock wound down. The point guard, Ruiz, was forced to take a terrible, running hook shot.
It missed.
Cebu smelled blood. Emon Jacob, seeing the main defensive threat off the floor, took over. He ran a simple high pick-and-roll with his center. He drove hard, forcing the attention of three defenders. He didn't shoot. He delivered a stunning, no-look pass to his trailing center who hammered the dunk home.
Score: Naga 28 - Cebu 30
"That's the difference," Tristan said, his voice hushed. "Vicente is power. Jacob is control. When his team is in trouble, he doesn't just score. He creates a sure thing. He uses his gravity to make others better."
Naga, without Vicente, crumbled. Another rushed shot, another miss.
Cebu, running their offense through Jacob, was surgical. Jacob drove, forcing the secondary defender to step up. He dumped the ball to the open man for an easy layup.
The lead was stretching.
Score: Naga 28 - Cebu 32
Naga's coach, seeing the game slip away, had no choice. He put Aekley Vicente back in, risking the foul trouble.
Vicente was back in, and the Naga team immediately settled down. They scored on a powerful move in the post.
Score: Naga 30 - Cebu 32
Cebu ran the clock down, giving Emon Jacob the final possession. Jacob dribbled the ball at the top, his eyes fixed on the clock.
He was being guarded tightly by T. Morales, who was exhausted but determined. Jacob sized him up, running the clock down to five seconds.
He executed a quick, stutter-step drive to his left. Morales, expecting the fadeaway, reached too early. Jacob exploded past him, past the weak-side help, and rose up for a clean, two-handed dunk.
Score: Naga 30 - Cebu 34
Naga rushed the ball up. Ruiz threw a desperation pass to Aekley Vicente on the wing. Vicente caught it and, showing off that frightening versatility, launched a quick three-pointer from the perimeter.
It hit the front rim, bounced off the backboard, and dropped in. Buzzer beater.
End of Second Quarter: Naga City 33 — Cebu City 34
The crowd roared, celebrating the sensational final shot. In the conference room, however, the Dasmariñas National High sat in a profound, heavy silence. The half was over, but the lesson was complete.
"Marco, what did you see?" Coach G asked, his voice low and challenging.
Marco, usually bouncing with energy, was subdued. He looked at his notes. "Naga's role players are scared. When Vicente sits, they can't score. They panic. And Vicente is slow on defense. We can run them to death, especially if we get him in foul trouble."
"Good. Tristan?"
Tristan tapped his pen against his pad. "Cebu is more cohesive, but they are completely Jacob-dependent. When he rests or when his primary option is denied, they stall. Their secondary scorers are inefficient. We can use Daewoo to face-guard Jacob all game, force him to work every second, and let the rest of our team beat their role players."
He looked up at his coach. "We beat them by being a team. We beat them by running them. They are brilliant individuals, Coach, but they don't trust their supporting cast enough to win without them. We do."
Coach G smiled, a genuine, proud, and slightly terrifying smile.
"Exactly. Tomorrow, you don't play the 'Janitor' Morales. You play a tired, arrogant giant and four confused high school kids. We're not the victims, gentlemen. We're the ambush. Now go call your families. And get some rest. We go to work tomorrow."
The fear was still there, but now, it was mixed with a cold, hard, tactical resolve. They had a plan. They were going to survive the shark tank.