Game Change: A Nina Bannister Mystery (The Nina Bannister Mysteries Book 3) (33 page)
Read Game Change: A Nina Bannister Mystery (The Nina Bannister Mysteries Book 3) Online
Authors: T'Gracie Reese,Joe Reese
TWEET!
“Foul!”
Pause.
“Number fifty-four! You’re blocking her!”
Howls from the Hattiesburg bench.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!
SHE WAS CHARGING!
Latoya at the line.
Clang.
Swish.
One of two.
Four to one.
Hattiesburg ball.
Cross court.
Ball inside STOLEN by Haley fast break, down court one on two…
“Slow it down,” whispers Nina.
Haley does.
Work it, work it, then the ball back in Haley’s hands, shot clock now at ten seconds, now at eight seconds, Maggie again…
Charge.
TWEET!
Foul!
Number thirty-four, blue!”
“That’s all right.”
Hattiesburg’s ball. Missed shot, long rebound…
Take it slow, Mariners…
Weave, weave, watch for it…
Charge.
“Foul!”
ON WHO REF?
“Number fifty-one, you’re blocking her!”
OH FOR GODS SAKE REF!
Shots for LaToya.
Swish.
Swish.
Four to three.
But more important:
One foul on each of the McNulty sisters.
One each on Maggie and LaToya.
Nina looked at her bench: Patricia, Emily, Patty…
Her five reserves had twenty-five fouls to give. Her four starters had sixteen, and they would still be in the game.
Forty-one fouls.
“And you two,” she whispered at the McNulty girls, who were taking their place under the basket on defense, standing their ground, waiting for the next attack, “you two have eight left.”
Move the ball move the ball move the ball there’s the opening there’s the opening DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE FAKE LEFT MAKE HER SLAP AT YOU…
TWEET!
“Number fifty-two, you’re blocking!”
“Two on you, Nicki McNulty,” whispered Nina.
“Three to go.”
Time out.
What are they going to do now?
They’re going to fall back into the middle.
Ok, let them try.
Nina in the circle, scribbling madly with chalk on the gym floor.
“Starters back in! Great job, Maggie and LaToya!”
Instructions given.
Ball thrown in.
Bring it on down…
Yep, there they are, all back, all knotted up under the basket.
Ok try that and see what it gets you.
Weave outside weave outside weave outside use the clock use the clock use the clock then the ball back in Haley’s hands, shot clock now at ten seconds, now at eight seconds, back to Sonia for the long, arching…
SWISH!
THREE!
BLAAAAAHHHH DE BLAAAAH DEBLAAAAH.
CHEER CHEER FOR ST LUCY HIGH
BRING ON THE WHISKEY BRING ON THE RYE!
Steal.
Slow it down.
Weave outside weave outside weave outside use the clock use the clock use the clock then the ball back in Sonia’s hands, shot clock now at ten seconds, now at eight seconds, back to Amanda for the long, arching…
SWISH!
THREE!
And Nina whispering:
“You just stay sucked up inside there. See what it gets you.”
Time out.
Hattiesburg fans bellowing at the referee.
Is that the same referee who threw Nina out?
Yep.
But now Nina is standing stock still, staring straight in front of her.
Ball in play.
Hattiesburg in a normal defense.
“Okay, Patricia, Emily, you both know what to do.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Go get ‘em!”
Subs in.
Hattiesburg brings the ball up.
Nicki McNulty up for an easy two.
“That’s ok, that’s ok…”
Haley off to Alyssha over Emily…
“Charge.”
Emily explodes into the paint hurtles at one of the blonde bodies in front of her fakes right fakes left comes up under SLAP ball blocked away…
TWEET!
OH COME ON REF!
“Number sixteen you’re charging her!
YES!
NOW YOU’RE CALLING THE GAME REF!
That’s ok. One on Patricia, one on LaToya, one on Maggie…
Three on the McNultys.
Twelve minutes left in the half.
Nick McNulty spin shot.
Clang.
“You getting tired of playing defense, Nicki McNulty?”
Bay St. Lucy ball.
Weave weave weave weave…
Charge!
TWEET!
“Blocking on number fifty-one!
YOU IDIOT YOU IDIOT
Paper cups raining down on the court.
The battle progresses.
Eleven minutes to go in the half.
Hattiesburg twenty three, Bay St. Lucy twelve.
Patricia: three fouls
Emily: three fouls
Latoya: two fouls
Patty: three fouls.
Hattiesburg in the bonus.
“Can you hit free throws?”
Clang.
Clang.
No. Okay for you then.
Weave weave weave..
“Charge.”
TWEET!
“Number fifty-one you’re blocking her!”
More howls, more cups.
Nina whispers:
“That’s number three, Nicki. And your sister has three also.”
Steal!
Shot by Bay St. Lucy!
Swish!
Three!
Up and down the court, up and down the court…
Use the whole army.
“Patty, in for Samantha!”
Amanda over to Sonia, in to Patty…
Charge.
Patty hurling herself again at the basket, whap, sprawled on the floor ball batted away…
TWEET!
“Blocking, number 51.”
“And that,” Nina whispers, “is number four on you.”
Coach in the face of the referee, bellowing, screaming:
“THEY’RE TARGETING OUR GIRLS! THEY’RE TARGETING OUR GIRLS!”
Referee approaching Nina.
Nina standing stock still, simply staring across the court.
“Coach…”
“Yes, Ref?”
“He says you’re targeting his players!”
Nina looks at the referee.
“Yes, we are.”
And the ref smiles.
“Well. That’s your prerogative.”
“Yes, it is.”
Game on again.
Back and forth, back and forth.
Five minutes left in the half.
Hattiesburg thirty seven, Bay St. Lucy twenty one.
Charge.
Charge.
Charge.
TWEET!
“Number fifty-one, you’re blocking her.”
Four fouls.
Four.
“So what are you going to do now, Coach?” Nina whispers. “She has four. You want to take her out?”
Time out.
Nicki McNulty out of the game.
And Nina shaking her head.
“That’s a big mistake.”
Her players circle around her.
“You know who to take it to now.”
“YEAAH!”
Game on.
Weave weave weave weave…
Maggie St. Clair launches herself like a missile at Theresa McNulty.
Foul on Maggie.
Next possession.
LaToya attacks.
Foul on LaToya.
Next possession.
Emily attacks.
And feints left.
Foul…
…on Theresa McNulty.
Four on her.
Up and back, up and back…
Blaaaarrrr!
Halftime horn.
Hattiesburg forty three, Bay St. Lucy twenty nine.
The McNulty girls have four fouls apiece.
They are on the bench as the second half begins.
Weave weave weave Samantha for three:
