What would you have done?

Had a boys varsity game last night at a youth detention center. There was only 1 clock, no arrow at the table & an incompetent table crew (prisoners) who started/stopped the clock whenever they could remember.

So 2:31 left in the 4th quarter, home team down by 8… they inbound the ball in their b/c (I’m new L in 2 person game facing the lone clock) then the baseball pass to the big guy right in front of me. As the baseball pass is coming to me I sneak-a-peak & notice that the clock is still at 2:31 I didn’t want to kill their opportunity to score. I hoped the clock would miraculously start (once again) as the fans/coaches of the visiting team were singing the theme song of the night “start the clock”. It didn’t start and there was a quick shot, a miss, an offensive rebound, another shot, miss, rebound & finally a score.
I hit the whistle & got intercepted by the V coach on my way to the table. He was livid, saying “I had to take some time off the clock” and he is protesting if they lose…
I tell him I don’t have definite info to do so (no counts) & that protests are not recognized by the Feds in basketball.

How could I have handled that situation better?