The gang hits the road to Charlotte, North Carolina, for a basketball game & an annual cheerleading competition that squad leader Brooke is determined to win. When one of the teammates gets sick, Brooke's fellow cheerleader Peyton begs Haley to join the squad for the competition. Meanwhile, after Whitey assigns Lucas & Nathan to the same hotel room, tempers flare, & Haley is caught in the middle. ...

Lucas, Nathan, their teammate Jake (recurring guest star BRYAN GREENBERG) & the rest of the Raven basketball players are auctioned to the highest bidder in the annual " Boy Toy" charity auction, & the evening leads to surprising developments. Meanwhile, having missed out on the auction, Brooke ends up with offbeat Mouth (recurring guest star LEE NORRIS) & gives him the night of his life. ...

After failing in his first varsity basketball game, Lucas decides to quit the team. Meanwhile, Nathan & Peyton's faltering relationship continues to weaken as Peyton tires of Nathan's poor treatment of Lucas. & Keith forces Karen to deal with her resentment towards Dan after she refuses to attend Lucas' games. ...

While Nathan looks for an after-school job to pay his rent, Haley hosts a party at his apartment--but she panics when the situation gets out of control. After jilted Brooke realizes she was not invited to the festivities, she decides to attend the party anyway, along with her new friend, Nicki (recurring guest star EMMANUELLE VAUGIER
- " Smallville").
...

Lucas & Nathan bear the brunt of Dan's abuse as he coaches them into the playoffs, pushing both of them to their emotional breaking points. Haley is stunned after Dan threatens her, causing her to reconsider her relationship with Nathan. Meanwhile, Whitey finds out that his medical condition may be more serious than he first expected, & Dan learns a shocking secret from Deb. ...

After a particularly spectacular basketball game, Lucas quickly supplants Nathan as the team's most popular player. Sexy cheerleader Brooke immediately sets her romantic sights on the new star athlete. Frustrated by Lucas' success--and goaded on by Dan--Nathan rallies his teammates & begins a hazing campaign against Lucas, including trashing the outdoor court where Lucas practices. The pranks escalate until Nathan & the guys abduct Lucas & order him to quit the team before something terrible happens to him. But one player, Jake (recurring guest star BRYAN GREENBERG), defies Nathan & supports Lucas. Nathan seeks the ultimate revenge on Lucas by attempting to seduce Lucas' best friend, Haley, persuading her to tutor him & then flirting relentlessly. Haley agrees to help Nathan with his homework only if he will stop harassing Lucas, but even she finds it hard to resist Nathan's charm, & she keeps the entire arrangement secret from Lucas. ...

Haley convinces Lucas to go with the team to a party at Nathan's beach house, hoping that the guys will become friendlier. When Lucas sees the wealth that is denied him, he finally confronts his mother about why she lets Dan ignore them. Meanwhile, when Nathan's mother, Deb Scott (recurring guest star BARBARA ALYN WOODS), returns home & tries to deal with her angry son, she turns to Karen for advice. ...

Lucas asks Keith to play with him in the annual " Father & Son" basketball game & realizes he got the better father figure after Dan publicly humiliates Nathan on the court. Meanwhile, Peyton has a hard time dealing with the anniversary of her mother's death & finds a comforting ally in Whitey. ...

When Whitey ejects Lucas & Nathan from the team bus due to their misconduct on the basketball court, the half-brothers are stranded 30 miles from home. They encounter a carload of punks who threaten them with a gun. Injured during the game, Brooke needs Peyton to drive her home &, in an unlikely turn of events, Peyton asks Haley for help. Meanwhile, Karen & Keith attend a business function, & tempers flare when Nathan's mother, Deb (recurring guest star BARBARA ALYN WOODS), is seated at their table with Dan. ...