The first indication that St Cuthbert’s presented a different problem from Wallace’s previous opponents came before warm-ups had even finished.
Fergus was stretching near the sideline when Arthur stopped beside him and stared towards the opposite basket.
“Oh, you’ve got to be joking.” Fergus followed his gaze.
One of the St Cuthbert’s players was standing beneath the rim waiting for a teammate to finish a layup.
He wore number thirty-four, had dark hair cut short around the sides and stood noticeably taller than everyone around him.
Fergus had become accustomed to thirteen-year-olds varying enormously in size, particularly after spending the last several weeks practising against Merrick and William, but this boy looked as though somebody had placed a player from an older team into the wrong uniform.
William approached from behind them.
“Edric.” Fergus looked at him.
“You know him?” “Killigan.” That explained Arthur’s reaction.
The closure of Killigan High had scattered its former pupils across several schools, and Fergus was gradually discovering that William and Arthur seemed to recognise someone almost everywhere Wallace went.
Edric, however, apparently required no lengthy introduction.
Arthur folded his arms.
“The Giant of Killigan.” Fergus glanced between him and the St Cuthbert’s player.
“You actually called him that?” “Everyone did.” “How tall is he?” “Six foot, I think.” Fergus looked back across the court.
At thirteen, six feet seemed ridiculous.
Merrick was broad and strong enough to play centre for Wallace, but Edric had several inches on him.
More concerning was that he wasn’t built like someone who had recently experienced an enormous growth spurt and hadn’t yet learned what to do with his limbs.
He moved comfortably through the layup line, caught the basketball cleanly and finished with either hand around the basket.
William watched him for several seconds.
“He’s gotten better.” Arthur frowned.
“Helpful.” “You want me to lie?” “Yes.” Fergus smiled.
“Was he good at Killigan?” “He was huge at Killigan,” Arthur said.
“That was usually enough.” William shook his head.
“He had decent touch too.
We used to throw it near the rim and let him sort it out.” Across the court, Edric noticed them looking and raised a hand.
Arthur returned the gesture.
There didn’t appear to be any hostility.
If anything, Fergus thought Arthur looked pleased to see another former teammate.
That friendliness disappeared the moment McKenzie called Wallace together before tip-off.
“Thirty-four is their problem,” McKenzie said.
Merrick sighed.
“I noticed.” A few boys laughed.
“He’s bigger than you, Fletcher.
Accept it and play properly.
Don’t turn this into a wrestling match because you’ll lose that too.” Merrick nodded.
“If he catches it deep, Campbell comes down to help.
Make him pass out.
Everyone else rotates.” That sounded simple enough.
It stopped sounding simple approximately forty seconds into the game.
St Cuthbert’s entered the ball to Edric on their second possession.
Merrick fought to hold his ground, but Edric caught it several feet from the basket, took one strong dribble and backed him another step towards the rim.
William came across from the weak side.
Edric saw him.
The ball went straight back outside.
St Cuthbert’s swung it once more towards the corner, where William’s assignment was now standing alone.
The jumper dropped.
3 – 2.
Cuthbert.
McKenzie clapped once from the sideline.
“That’s the rotation!
Next man has to get there!” Wallace answered through Jaime, but St Cuthbert’s returned to Edric almost immediately.
This time William hesitated before doubling, and Edric used the moment to turn over his left shoulder and score off the glass.
5 – 4.
Cuthbert Merrick slapped his hands together in frustration.
“Nothing you can do about the height,” William told him as they ran back.
“Push him farther out.” “I’m trying.” The next few minutes became an uncomfortable demonstration of why Edric’s size mattered even when he didn’t score.
If Merrick guarded him alone, St Cuthbert’s threw the ball inside.
If William doubled, someone became open.
If Wallace rotated correctly, St Cuthbert’s moved the ball again.
Their entire offence seemed to stretch around the decision Edric forced Wallace to make.
Fortunately, Wallace had a problem of its own for St Cuthbert’s.
Finn Morrison couldn’t miss.
His first three came from the right corner after Arthur penetrated and kicked the basketball out.
7 – 7.
His second arrived two possessions later when Jaime drew two defenders and found him above the arc.
12 – 10.
St Cuthbert’s answered through Edric, who caught the ball too deep for William to arrive in time, but Wallace came back down and ran the same action they had drilled repeatedly on Thursday.
Arthur used Merrick’s screen, reversed towards Jaime and forced the defence to shift.
Finn relocated behind the movement.
Jaime found him.
The shot barely touched the net.
15 – 14.
Arthur pointed towards Finn as they retreated.
“Three!” Finn was already smiling.
“Keep finding me.” McKenzie was considerably less enthusiastic.
“Get back and defend!” St Cuthbert’s did exactly what he feared, pushing the ball quickly before Wallace could organise itself.
Their guard reached the lane and dropped a pass towards Edric, forcing Merrick to step across.
William helped down, the ball returned outside and another open jumper tied the game.
17 – 17.
Neither team managed to create meaningful separation.
That changed when Fergus entered.
McKenzie called him towards the scorer’s table with Wallace trailing by three and pointed towards St Cuthbert’s number seven, a quick guard who had spent most of the opening minutes using Edric as an enormous screen.
“Stay attached.
Don’t go underneath unless I tell you.” Fergus nodded.
He knew exactly why.
Number seven tested him on the first possession.
Edric moved towards the top of the key and planted his feet.
Fergus heard Arthur call the screen from behind and immediately recognised the angle.
The Giant of Killigan looked considerably larger when Fergus was running towards him.
Fergus moved over the top before the contact arrived.
Number seven turned the corner, but Fergus stayed close to his hip and prevented the open jumper.
The guard continued towards the wing and eventually passed backwards.
The System appeared for barely a moment.
‘Pick Dodger Progress: 46/50.’ Fergus dismissed it.
Four more.
Wallace forced a miss later in the possession, and Arthur pushed the ball immediately.
Fergus sprinted along the right side, beating his defender down the floor.
Arthur drew the final St Cuthbert’s player towards him before sending the basketball ahead.
Fergus caught it in stride.
One step.
Two.
Right hand off the glass.
21 – 20.
His first points.
“That’s it!” McKenzie shouted.
“Run!” Fergus didn’t have time to enjoy the basket.
St Cuthbert’s attacked again, and Edric immediately became involved in another high screen.
Fergus recognised it, navigated over and stayed close enough to force number seven away from the middle.
47/50.
The next attempt wasn’t successful.
Fergus reacted too late, and Edric caught him cleanly enough that his entire upper body seemed to stop while his legs tried to continue moving.
Number seven reached the lane, William stepped across, and St Cuthbert’s found the resulting open man in the corner.
The three went in.
23 – 21.
Cuthbert.
Fergus grimaced.
Edric looked down at him while they turned to run back.
“Sorry.” Fergus stared at him.
“For what?” “The screen.” “You don’t apologise for screens.” Edric grinned.
“Arthur used to complain.” From several metres away, Arthur shouted, “I can hear you!” Edric laughed.
Fergus couldn’t help smiling as he ran down the court.
The familiarity between the former Killigan players added something strange to the game.
Arthur and William knew Edric’s tendencies, but Edric knew theirs as well.
He called out one of Arthur’s preferred changes of direction before it happened and later anticipated William cutting along the baseline.
It didn’t help him with Finn.
Finn’s fourth three came after Fergus drove from the wing and stopped when the help defender stepped across.
The obvious pass was backwards towards Arthur, but Fergus noticed Finn waiting in the opposite corner.
He didn’t attempt the difficult cross-court delivery.
Instead, he passed to Arthur.
Arthur immediately swung it to Jaime.
Jaime found Finn.
Three passes instead of one risky attempt.
Finn buried it.
28 – 27.
Fergus understood the possession immediately.
A month earlier, he might have viewed the fact that he hadn’t recorded an assist as evidence he hadn’t created anything.
Now he recognised that making the simple first pass had allowed the advantage to continue until Wallace found the open shooter.
McKenzie certainly seemed satisfied.
“Good movement!” St Cuthbert’s continued feeding Edric whenever Wallace allowed him position.
Merrick battled hard, but there was only so much he could do against someone several inches taller who could catch the ball above him.
William’s doubles became increasingly necessary.
The problem was the space those doubles created.
St Cuthbert’s hit another jumper.
30 – 30.
Then Edric scored through Merrick.
32 – 30.
Jaime answered.
32 – 32.
Fergus remained on the floor.
That mattered almost as much as his points.
He had grown accustomed to entering games for short defensive stretches, but McKenzie wasn’t immediately returning Finn despite the latter’s shooting.
Instead, Fergus stayed beside Arthur while Jaime shifted across, allowing Wallace to maintain Fergus’s perimeter defence without sacrificing Jaime’s offence.
On another possession, number seven called for Edric’s screen.
Fergus knew it was coming.
The guard hesitated, trying to force him into committing early, but Fergus remembered Thursday’s repetitions.
He watched the ball-handler rather than staring entirely at the screener.
Number seven moved.
Fergus went over.
48/50.
Two more.
His next basket came from Jaime.
Wallace forced a turnover when William’s double made Edric pass awkwardly towards the perimeter.
Arthur collected the loose ball and pushed before St Cuthbert’s could recover.
Jaime received it near the wing, attacked the retreating defender and drew help.
Fergus cut behind.
Jaime slipped the pass towards him.
Fergus took one dribble into the lane and saw Edric recovering towards the rim.
Trying a normal layup against six feet of Edric suddenly seemed unwise.
Fergus shortened his final step and lifted the basketball higher.
Tear Dropper.
The floater climbed over Edric’s extended hand and dropped softly through.
36 – 34.
Jaime pointed at him as they ran back.
“That’s useful.” “Another compliment?” “Don’t start.” Fergus laughed.
McKenzie substituted him shortly afterwards, and Finn returned to immediate applause from the Wallace bench.
Finn’s fifth three came less than a minute later.
Arthur drove, Edric stepped towards the lane to help, and Finn drifted towards the wing.
Arthur found him cleanly.
Finn rose.
Fergus was already standing before the basketball reached the rim.
Swish.
41 – 39.
Five threes in the first half.
Even McKenzie allowed himself a small nod before immediately telling Finn to find his assignment.
“He’s ridiculous,” Fergus said.
William, sitting beside him for a brief rest, took a drink.
“Don’t tell him that.” “Why?” “We’ll never hear the end of it.” Finn’s shooting prevented St Cuthbert’s from exploiting Edric’s advantage enough to build a lead, but the game remained difficult.
Wallace couldn’t completely solve the big man.
Merrick managed to push him farther from the basket on several possessions, only for Edric to pass out and reposition.
When William doubled too early, St Cuthbert’s found the open player.
When he arrived too late, Edric simply turned and finished.
By the time Fergus returned, the score was tied again.
44 – 44.
McKenzie pointed at number seven.
“Same job.” Fergus nodded.
His fourth successful screen avoidance came almost immediately.
Edric approached from the right.
Number seven accelerated towards him, and Fergus squeezed over the top with enough room to avoid the centre of Edric’s body.
49/50.
The System notification disappeared almost before Fergus registered it.
One.
He felt suddenly aware of every possible screen.
That nearly became a problem.
When Edric approached again two possessions later, Fergus anticipated the action so aggressively that number seven rejected the screen and drove the opposite direction.
Fergus recovered just enough to force him towards Merrick, but McKenzie immediately shouted from the sideline.
“Play basketball, Robertson!
Don’t guess!” Fergus understood.
He had started playing for the counter.
That was exactly the sort of mistake he had promised himself not to make.
The mission could wait.
Fergus concentrated on defending.
The fiftieth screen came naturally.
Number seven brought the ball across the top while Edric moved into position near the left elbow.
Fergus heard Jaime calling the screen behind him.
Instead of immediately moving, he stayed attached to the guard and waited until his hips turned towards Edric.
Then Fergus moved.
He slipped across the top shoulder before Edric could catch him squarely.
There was contact, but not enough to stop him.
Number seven attempted to turn the corner.
Fergus remained beside him.
The guard picked up his dribble and passed backwards.
A notification appeared.
‘Pick Dodger Progress: 50/50.
‘Natural Unlock Requirements Complete.’ Another followed immediately.
‘Pick Dodger – Grey Tier: Basic Understanding is now available.’ Then a third.
‘Mission Complete: Unlock Pick Dodger – Basic Understanding.’ ‘Reward Available: One Basic Understanding skill of user’s choice.’ Fergus’s heart jumped.
He ignored all three.
The possession wasn’t over.
St Cuthbert’s reversed the ball, entered it towards Edric and forced William to double.
Edric passed towards the corner, Jaime rotated, and the resulting jumper missed long.
Fergus collected the rebound.
Only then did he allow himself a grin.
Five screens.
Done.
The mission was complete.
He had unlocked another defensive skill and earned the right to choose an additional Basic Understanding skill.
All of that could wait until after the game.
Wallace had a possession to play.
Fergus pushed the ball towards Arthur and sprinted ahead.
Arthur slowed the transition rather than forcing an attack, and Wallace moved into its half-court offence.
Jaime eventually drove.
Fergus cut from the weak side.
The pass arrived near the middle of the lane, and Fergus lifted another floater before Edric could fully rotate.
It dropped.
48 – 46.
Six points for Fergus.
St Cuthbert’s answered through Edric at the other end, tying the game again, and the final minutes of the half became increasingly physical.
Merrick looked exhausted from fighting for position; William was constantly moving between his own assignment and Edric, while Finn received far more attention after his fifth three.
That opened space elsewhere.
Fergus attacked a closeout late in the half and reached the lane before number seven recovered.
Edric stepped towards him.
Fergus tried another floater.
This time Edric got enough of his body into the contest to alter the attempt.
Fergus released awkwardly, the ball missed, and a whistle sounded.
Two free throws.
Fergus walked towards the line.
Arthur passed him on the way towards the lane.
“Make them.” “Gee thanks, Arthur.” “That’s why I’m here.” Fergus took the basketball from the referee and settled himself.
Form Shooter had helped him recognise the importance of repeating the same mechanics, but free throws still weren’t something he had mastered.
There was no movement, no defender and no excuse for poor balance.
He bent his knees.
Released.
The ball struck the back rim.
Miss.
Fergus exhaled.
One more.
He repeated the routine, trying not to correct five different things at once simply because the first attempt had missed.
The second shot dropped cleanly.
51 – 50.
Seven points.
St Cuthbert’s scored once more before halftime, while Wallace answered through Jaime after Arthur penetrated and kicked the ball out.
Neither team managed another clean possession before the buzzer.
The players looked towards the scoreboard.
53 – 52.
Wallace Memorial.
Fergus walked towards the bench, breathing hard.
One point.
After twenty minutes of Edric forcing Wallace to reshape its defence, St Cuthbert’s finding open shooters whenever the doubles came and both teams repeatedly trading baskets, Wallace had survived the first half with the smallest possible advantage.
Finn had been the biggest reason why.
Five three-pointers.
Fifteen points from beyond the arc alone.
Fergus had seven of his own: two floaters, a fast-break layup and one free throw from two attempts.
More importantly, when McKenzie had asked him to defend, he had done it.
As Fergus followed the others towards the changing room, the completed mission notifications remained waiting at the edge of his vision.
Pick Dodger was unlocked.
A Basic Understanding skill of his choice was waiting as a reward.
Fergus didn’t open either.
Not yet.
McKenzie entered the changing room behind them and immediately reached for the whiteboard.
Wallace was ahead by one.
There was still another half to play.