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It was incredible to me, because this was at a tournament, Kind of a big, important tournament, but this particular game didn't count in the pool play, nor in the bracket, nor in anything else. The one team was supposed to play a certain opponent, who never showed up, so they got a forfeit, but still wanted to run a little. So the organizer found a team that was sitting out, and asked if they just wanted to scrimmage a little. It started really late, and the refs were supposed to have a meeting at noon, but if we played two 20 minute running halves we wouldn't make it so both coaches, all the refs, and the organizer all agreed it would be two fifteeen minute running halves, with no stop time at the end and a three-minute half time.. As you can see, it was not a game with any stakes at all.
But these guys acted as if it was the state championship without the restrictions. It was incredibly physical, with both teams in the double bonus by seven minutes in for both halves. There was an incredibly awful flagrant foul in the first half, which was the first one I'd seen so bad. Remember when I had questions? I don't anymore!! We sat a couple of kids down in the first half, since fouling out wasn't in the picture at this tournament. Then with about five minutes to go, a player walked across the floor and just slammed an opponent against the wall. I should have been the one to call it, but I was so busy watching the in-bound play that my peripheral was wallpapered. Even so the center (3-whistle) was out of position and didn't see it either. But incredibly, the aggressor waited for the victim to get up and then did it again. This time the center saw it, I still didn't. I'm not sure how many players saw what happed the first time, but the second one cleared both benches and that was it...
Amazingly, these teams played eacher other in the A-bracket championship game of the tournament and had an incredibly beautiful basketball game. No T's, no pushing, no language. just lots of fabulous basketball, score with in five all the way through with the lead changing at least 8 times.
I'm not mentioning any names here but these teams are both state champions in their respective states, and many of these players had played each other before in other settings.
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