Inside Iron Vault Arena, the scoreboard glared down like a cold reminder: Roarers 12, Crows 22. Ten points down. The buzz of the crowd, once sharp and restless, began to dull, tension hanging in the air like a storm cloud. The issue wasn't complicated—the Roarers' outside shooting was nonexistent. Miss after miss from deep had given the Crows license to collapse inside, turning the paint into a fortress. Ryan's drives ended in brick walls, Darius's cuts died in traffic, and every possession felt like wading through quicksand.
Coach Crawford turned to Lin, hoping the veteran could break the deadlock. The lineup shifted quickly: Ryan, Darius, Lin, Stanley, and Sloan now on the floor.
At 6'8", Sloan was the tallest of the group. A true "death lineup"—small, fast, switch-heavy. What it lacked in size, it promised in mobility. If the Roarers were going to claw back, this was the gamble.
