The Pine Eagle team could play completely different tactical systems in the first and second halves.
Strictly speaking, the Pine Eagle team in the second half adopted the Princeton system.
Every player on the team had good shooting, so starting in the second half, the players deliberately passed the ball to avoid Li Feng's blocks.
This allowed the Pine Eagle team to find many better opportunities.
After all, the Pine Eagle team was a strong team, and their strength in the paint and the restricted area was significant.
On the defensive end, they researched during halftime, increasing their help and fast breaks, which drastically reduced the shooting space for Li Feng and Curry.
The score difference between the two teams began to narrow.
Although the Pine Eagle team's scoring was mainly from two-point shots, every bit counted. With over eight minutes gone in the second half, the score difference had narrowed to four points.
48:44, the Wildcats led temporarily.
On TNT's broadcast, Barkley, O'Neal, and Smith provided commentary.
Because Li Feng and Curry were restricted in the third quarter, only scoring 5 points combined, Barkley started to disparage the Splash Brothers again.
"See? They still want to enter the NBA, and the Splash Brothers went cold in the second half!"
O'Neal retorted, "The Wildcats are still leading, what are you rushing for?"
Smith shook his head slightly, "Li Feng and Curry's chemistry isn't actually good enough, otherwise, they should have been leading by 30 points already."
Barkley curled his lip, "What chemistry, it's just not enough skill. Shooting can't carry them far; as soon as the defense presses, they falter!"
O'Neal strongly disagreed, "Come on, didn't you just see Li Feng's dunk over someone? So tough, and full of power!"
...
The media outlets that had been proven wrong jumped out, starting to relentlessly criticize the Splash Brothers, believing they would suffer a huge comeback!
Davidson College's coach, McKillop, quickly called a timeout; he also needed to make adjustments.
"Kids, you need to be tougher and can't just rely on three-pointers! Your interior defense must be fiercer, understand?"
The coach hit the nail on the head; it was the interior players who had gone soft.
There's a saying that basketball is a team sport.
Although the Splash Brothers shouldered the majority of the team's offensive burden, defense required effort from every single player.
McKillop, to punish a few complacent starters, substituted them all out, then sent Li Feng and Curry onto the court with three reserves.
This adjustment yielded immediate results.
After the timeout, the Wildcats' defensive intensity surged, and the Pine Eagle team's offense in the paint was thwarted.
Then, Li Feng and Curry's offense also opened up.
The Pine Eagle team had to shift their defensive focus back to the interior, and the Splash Brothers exploded again.
With 14 minutes remaining in the second half, the Wildcats went on another run, extending their lead to 16 points.
Li Feng was like a fierce tiger descending from the mountain, constantly charging the Pine Eagle's interior.
Meanwhile, Curry roamed the frontcourt, tearing the opponent's defense to shreds.
Bang!
Li Feng delivered another tomahawk dunk!
Swish!
Curry's deep three-pointer!
...
The media, suddenly proven wrong, fell silent again.
The scouts watching the game live were worried if Li Feng could adapt to the intensity of the NBA.
Now, it seemed Li Feng didn't have an adaptation problem with the NBA's intensity; instead, they were worried if the NBA could adapt to Li Feng's intensity.
This was just too brutal.
Curry, back to playing point guard today, was in his element and very comfortable.
Before Li Feng's explosion, Curry was the team's sole core; he had to do everything, and it was tough.
Li Feng had essentially freed Curry up to play point guard with peace of mind, occasionally hitting a few three-pointers, playing easily and efficiently!
On American basketball forums, there was widespread wailing.
Because those "gamblers" had lost badly.
The vast majority of bettors had favored the Pine Eagle team and placed many wagers on them.
Thus, many people were cursing Li Feng and Curry on the forums, truly losing their composure.
"Did Li Feng take the wrong medicine? He had 6 blocks today, is he crazy?"
"Shit, Curry can shoot threes like that, it's a disgrace to basketball!"
"I still like old-school basketball; what's the point of always shooting threes?"
"Exactly, what Splash Brothers, they look boring! I want to see physical collisions!"
"You guys are too sour, did you bet on the game? Doesn't Li Feng have enough physical collisions? He's already dunking over big centers!"
...
Li Feng not only silenced the media but also won over the fans who hadn't supported them before.
With just over 5 minutes left in the second half, the Pine Eagle team made another run, attempting a comeback.
But Li Feng was also in the zone, frequently making big blocks in the paint!
Li Feng's blocks were not only impactful but also extremely visually appealing.
He didn't just rely on his jumping ability to block shots.
Instead, he used pre-emptive prediction, simultaneously observing the opponent's shooting rhythm, and then exploding suddenly.
The Pine Eagle players were so bewildered by Li Feng's blocks that for two minutes, their players dared not drive into the paint, opting to shoot from outside.
But if they shot from outside, could they outshoot the Splash Brothers?
As a result, the score difference widened.
As the referee blew the whistle, the game ended, with the score fixed at 87:62. The Wildcats defeated the Pine Eagle team by a commanding 25 points!
Li Feng posted astonishing statistics: 30 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 11 blocks for the game.
This unusual triple-double was likely something no one else could achieve.
Curry also played exceptionally well today, scoring 28 points, 8 rebounds, 13 assists, and 5 steals!
The Splash Brothers combined for 58 points, more than half of the team's total score.
This demonstrated the immense power of their offense.
After the game, Li Feng was named the MVP of the game, receiving cheers from the entire crowd!
This upset victory sent shockwaves through the American basketball community.
After being proven wrong, the media began to re-evaluate the Wildcats' Li Feng and Curry.
Media outlets released headlines one after another—
"March Madness Sees Huge Upset, Seed #16 Wildcats Advance!"
"Splash Brothers Prove Their Dominance, Combined 58 Points to Defeat Opponent!"
"Shocking! NCAA First Round Sees Major Dark Horse Emerge, Wildcats Defeat Pine Eagles to Enter Next Round!"
...
Li Feng and Curry became the hottest college players, with multiple media outlets wanting to interview them. However, Li Feng and Curry were cautious and not eager to expose themselves at this time, so they only accepted an interview from a reporter from Sports Illustrated.
The two changed into casual clothes, both looking incredibly handsome.
At this point, Curry had already pledged his lifelong commitment to Ayesha, so many female fans turned their attention to the single Li Feng.
The female reporter was a very famous basketball journalist in the United States, Jennifer.
Jennifer, with her blonde hair, sat opposite the two and asked with a smile, "Splash Brothers? Do you like that nickname?"
Curry nodded, "I like it very much. Li Feng and I have a high proportion of three-pointers in our offense, so I think this nickname is very fitting!"