Joey Turnbuckle
08-14-2021, 02:11 PM
Two girls HS basketball teams suspended after both tried to lose the same game (https://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/02/riverdale-smyrna-tanking-high-school)
In one of the strangest basketball games ever played, both Riverdale High School and Smyrna High School (Tenn.) girls teams tried to lose the District 7-AAA consolation game on Saturday night. You’re probably asking why.
Well, due to the way the regional tournament was seeded, the loser of the consolation game would be placed on the other side of the regional tournament bracket as national powerhouse Blackman High School. Both Riverdale and Smyrna had already lost to Blackman earlier this season, and it appears both thought if they lost the game they would have a better chance to make it to the Region 4-AAA finals.
So the game got ridiculous. Both teams intentionally missed free throws. Numerous 10-second and halfcourt violations occurred.
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.”
:roll:
In one of the strangest basketball games ever played, both Riverdale High School and Smyrna High School (Tenn.) girls teams tried to lose the District 7-AAA consolation game on Saturday night. You’re probably asking why.
Well, due to the way the regional tournament was seeded, the loser of the consolation game would be placed on the other side of the regional tournament bracket as national powerhouse Blackman High School. Both Riverdale and Smyrna had already lost to Blackman earlier this season, and it appears both thought if they lost the game they would have a better chance to make it to the Region 4-AAA finals.
So the game got ridiculous. Both teams intentionally missed free throws. Numerous 10-second and halfcourt violations occurred.
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.”
:roll: