Kicked out of Tourney for trying to lose

mardi 24 février 2015

Two girls basketball teams were banned from further post-season playoff play because both were attempting to lose the game.



It sounds like they were looking at seeding and only the 2 final teams would move on. They each wanted to be in the opposite side of the bracket of the #1 team, to whom each had lost earlier in the season. The winner would end up on the same side of the bracket as this #1 team and would have to play them in the semi-finals while the loser would end up in the opposite side and would not face this #1 team until the finals, assuming the #1 team won all their games, which both teams were assuming. So both wanted to lose and started playing the game to lose, with obvious turn overs (not getting the ball across the time line in 10 sec. or doing an over and back or telling the ref they had been in the key for more than 3 seconds or just throwing the ball toward the basket on free throws). The administrators from one of the schools confronted the coach with about 4 minutes left as to why he didn't have his starters in the game and why they were trying to lose so he put his starters in and told them to play hard and they went on a 15-4 run during the final 4 minutes of the game to win 55-29.



So the TSSAA disqualified both teams from post-season play, fined each team $1,500 and put them on probation for a year. The administrators for the teams asked that they be allowed to continue play but without the coaches. But the association determined that the girls were active participants in the charade and deserved to be punished as well.



I am surprised that the refs didn't call unsportsmanlike technical fouls on the coaches and tossed them and warned the players that continued play like that would result in the same for them.



http://ift.tt/1LARWea




Quote:








When the Riverdale High School and Smyrna High School (Tenn.) girls basketball teams met in the District 7-AAA consolation game Saturday night, facing them were a perverse set of incentives. The winner would be on track to face national power Blackman in the semifinals of the Region 4-AAA playoffs, while the loser wouldn't meet Blackman until the finals (assuming they made it that far).



Crucially, two and only two teams from the region advance to the state sectionals. If they assumed they would lose to Blackman—both teams already had once this season—the only way to advance to the state sectionals was to lose in the consolation game and be placed on the opposite side of the bracket as Blackman. So, both teams intentionally tried to lose. Via The Daily News Journal:



In the report, the referee noted that Riverdale "missed 12-16 free throws intentionally." And that Smyrna "wouldn't get the ball across the half-court line to get a 10-second count or to make us call an over and back violation intentionally."



The referee said "one time a Riverdale girl looked at one of the officials and gave the official a 3-second signal wanting him to call three seconds on her. Smyrna stood in the lane as well to have us call three seconds on them."



The referee wrote that he finally called the coaches together for a meeting after "a Smyrna player was about to attempt a shot at the wrong basket (but there was a 10-second violation call before they attempted the shot) on purpose.



"That was when I called both coaches together and told them we are not going to make a travesty or mockery of the game. WE ARE NOT GOING TO START TRYING TO SHOOT AND SCORE FOR THE OTHER TEAM."



Smyrna "won" the game 55-29, after ripping off a 25-4 run in the final four minutes. A school administrator approached Smyrna coach Shawn Middleton when his team up only 30-25, and asked why the starters weren't in. When the administrator didn't receive a satisfactory answer they told Middleton "you need to play to win the ball game and stop this." Middleton put his starters back in, and Smyrna ran away with the game.



Riverdale's "victory" (by losing) was short lived, as the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association kicked both teams out of the postseason today. The principals from both schools attempted to argue that only the coaches should be in trouble, but the TSSAA cited players intentionally missing shots, causing backcourt violations, and asking for three seconds called on themselves as evidence that they weren't mere pawns in their respective coach's scheme. Both schools were put on probation through next school year as well, and were fined $1,500.



"The bottom line is as a coach you make decisions in the heat of the game," [Middleton] said. "No way would I do it again."



No kidding.



UPDATE: Here are videos of an intentional backcourt violation and purposefully missed free throws.



Smyrna trying to hand Riverdale the ball back. Then intentionally getting called for a backcourt violation. @tssaa http://ift.tt/1w51Dua



— Trevor Goodson™ (@CousinTrevvv) February 21, 2015



Riverdale purposely missing FTs. Tanking to be on a certain side of the bracket. @hoopfeed @DishNSwish @hoopism http://ift.tt/1w51CGs



— Trevor Goodson™ (@CousinTrevvv) February 21, 2015



[The Daily News Journal]



Photo via Shutterstock; h/t Zachary








Kicked out of Tourney for trying to lose

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