Running Up The Score In Connecticut ...

[BillyMac]

High School Suspends Basketball Coach For Winning Game 92-4 In Connecticut

https://news.yahoo.com/high-school-s...024100932.html

I wonder if COVID had anything to do with it, with Lyman Hall barely able to field a team?

About twenty years ago, our CIAC had to come up with guidelines and harsh penalties to prevent this from happening in football games.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Like everybody else we also have "Saint Monsters", Cathodic schools that can accept students from all towns and cities, but are not allowed to "recruit" athletes (wink, wink, nod, nod).

What would Coach Jesus do?

[BillyMac]

‘They Showed No Mercy’ After 88-Point Win, Sacred Heart Academy Suspends Coach For Game
By Dom Amore Hartford Courant

In this case, the score said it all: 92-4. Sacred Heart Academy of Hamden defeated Lyman Hall-Wallingford by that margin in girls high school basketball on Monday night, a game of mismatched opponents that got out of hand. On Tuesday Sacred Heart suspended coach Jason Kirck for one game as a result and school president Sister Sheila O’Neill issued a statement of remorse.

“Sacred Heart Academy values the lessons taught and cultivated through athletic participation including ethical and responsible behavior, leadership and strength of character and respect for one’s opponents,” O’Neill said in the statement. “Last night’s Girls’ Basketball game vs Lyman Hall High School does not align with our values or philosophies. “Sacred Heart Academy Administration and Athletics are deeply remorseful for the manner through with the outcome of the game was achieved. We are in communication with Lyman Hall High School, the Southern Connecticut Conference and CIAC, and are addressing these concerns internally to ensure that our athletic programs continue to encourage personal, physical and intellectual growth.”

The school notified other Southern Connecticut Conference ADs that Kirck had been suspended one game and that he will not coach vs. Hamden on Thursday.

Sacred Heart is 3-0 and considered one of the best teams in the state with previous wins over Stamford, 83-48, and Shelton, 80-37. On Monday, the Sharks led 29-0 after one quarter, 56-0 at halftime and 80-0 after three quarters.

Kirck and AD Ray Degnan declined comment, referring to the school president’s statement. Sacred Heart did have its starters out of the game in the fourth quarter, and 12 different players scored, but did not slow down the pace of the game in the first half when it was obvious the score was getting out of hand. There are no rules to govern such a game in basketball, as there is in football, where “running time” is invoked once a team is far ahead, or baseball/softball, where there is a “mercy rule” to end a game early. “Sacred Heart pressed for most of the first half then called it off and went into a tight man-to-man defense trying to get steals,” Lyman Hall coach Tom Lipka said in an email to The Courant. “They fast-breaked the entire game right to the end. They never went into a zone and continued to push the ball up the court and shoot threes whenever they could. They showed no mercy throughout.”

Note: Interestingly, a childhood friend of mine's older sister became a nun and teaches (semi-retired) at Sacred Heart Academy. I actually remember watching her take her vows on the Academy campus when I was about five years old. That's the reason why I'm taking such a strong interest in this story.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

There are no rules to govern such a game in basketball, as there is in football, where “running time” is invoked once a team is far ahead, or baseball/softball, where there is a “mercy rule” to end a game early.

While Connecticut doesn't have a "running time" rule, there is a NFHS rule that can be utilized.

5-5-3: A quarter(s) may be shortened in an emergency or at any time by mutual agreement of the opposing coaches and the referee. NOTE: A state association by adoption may institute a running clock when a specified point differential is reached at a specified time in the game.

Used this obscure rule once in my forty-year career. Brand new magnet school's first year of varsity basketball against a state powerhouse. Magnet school didn't even have their own gym, games and practices in a middle school gym. Magnet school coach just wanted the game to be over and get out of Dodge.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I wonder if COVID had anything to do with it, with Lyman Hall barely able to field a team?

Spoke to some Wallingford middle school (feeds into Lyman Hall high school) parents. COVID had nothing to do with it, Lyman Hall high school was at full strength.

Also interesting, Sacred Heart Academy (a Catholic high school) has many players from Wallingford, "poaching" players from both Wallingford public high schools (Lyman Hall and Sheehan).

Of course, it's illegal (wink, wink, nod, nod) for Connecticut Catholic high schools to recruit students for athletic reasons.

[tnolan]

Sounds like it's time for a mercy rule in CT...
In PA it's 30, only in the 2nd half.

While it may help, it doesn't sound like it will stop this team from drubbing other teams by 30+ as noted from their other game scores in the article.

I have to agree with the suspension and I hope it helps. Adults need to have a clearer vision that this is just not in the spirit of the game and no one wants to see this happen. Players (while out of their control) can't be having fun playing teams that are just not up to their level of competition. Hopefully this team schedules other games that are up to their ability and results in an actual athletic test.

[ilyazhito]

In DC, the mercy rule is 30 points at any time in the game. In MD, the mercy rule is 35 points in the 2nd half. In VA, the mercy rule is 30 points in the 4th quarter. In both MD and VA, the mercy rule is cancelled if the difference in scores falls below the threshold. For DC, the mercy rule is canceled if the difference falls below 20 points.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

In DC, the mercy rule is 30 points at any time in the game. In MD, the mercy rule is 35 points in the 2nd half. In VA, the mercy rule is 30 points in the 4th quarter. In both MD and VA, the mercy rule is cancelled if the difference in scores falls below the threshold. For DC, the mercy rule is canceled if the difference falls below 20 points.

Simpler to just use 5-5-3 (quarters may be shortened), but by some type of state mandate.

[ilyazhito]

I agree. I'd rather have shorter quarters (with normal timing rules) to end lopsided games. The states could set guidance as to how the lengths of quarters will correlate to score differentials.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

I'd rather have shorter quarters (with normal timing rules) to end lopsided games. The states could set guidance as to how the lengths of quarters will correlate to score differentials.

Agree 100%.

As I've stated before, I always feel rushed in a running clock game. While nobody is actually rushing me, I still feel rushed.

Some middle school leagues I work have a running time period, or two, after the varsity game for junior varsity players (who have sat on the bench entire varsity game). We get paid extra to hang around. Last week we had a player on the line for two free throws, made the first, horn sounded to end the running time game, free throw would not affect the result of the game, no second free throw (referee's decision, not mine), we packed up, and turned out the lights as we left the gym. Underwhelming way to end the game.

Other middle school leagues pay us to work a few extra stop time six minute periods. Feels more like a real game than the running time games.

[RefLarry]

Sacred Heart Academy 52, Lyman Hall 30: A far, far cry from the infamous 92-4 game in Hamden on January 3, the Sharks posted the SCC interdivisional victory in Wallingford in a game played before parents only.

Sacred Heart (12-1) suited up 21 players and played all 21. Gianna Pye led the way with 12 points.

Lyman Hall (1-11) got two 3-pointers and eight total points from both Macy Buccheri and Brooke Dennis. Callie Chordas pulled down eight rebounds.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RefLarry

Rematch Score, Sacred Heart Academy 52, Lyman Hall 30 ...

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice and your'e fired.

Originally Posted by RefLarry

... game played before parents only.

From what I understand, this was not due to COVID, but to avoid student fan altercations.