Great game last night

[Rich]

I know I've probably ragged on girls' games in the past. Many of them are held-ball and travel contests and I've considered cutting back and only working boys games in the future.

But last night I had a great game, 2-person. Visitors ranked #3 in the state (Division 2 of 5). Home team under .500 in the conference. Yes, we had a few held balls, but all of them were the scramble around on the floor variety. We had a total of 2 traveling violations the entire night. One of them was a pretty good get by me, if I say so myself -- long pass in transition and the player caught it in mid-run and then (very quickly) lifted her pivot foot (actually both feet) before the ball left her hand on a dribble. I was probably 30 feet away, closing quickly from behind. Partner had the other travel.

Anyway, the home team was incredibly scrappy all night and just "went after it." They led by 7 at one point in the first half, but when the best player for the home team (a freshman, BTW) got into foul trouble, the visitors chipped into the lead. They took the lead with about 2 minutes left and it was still a 1-possession game when a V player missed a free throw with 10 seconds left. V player gets the offensive rebound (which is significant, because the home team outrebounded the visitors almost all night long) and puts it back in to push it to 5 and that's how it ended.

2 officiating moments (before I'm accused of posting something not about officiating): We had a girl get the basketball while sitting on the ground. She started a dribble from her butt and managed to get up and start a break (all very quickly). The visiting coach started yelling, "she can't start a dribble from the ground." Huh? He kept saying it until I finally (in front of him) said, "of course she can -- it's the only way she can legally get up."

Also, I hung my partner out to dry in a funny way with about a minute left. I was the T, tableside. Ball got knocked loose in the corner and ping-ponged right off the leg of the home team player (whose bench I was right in front of). I made the call and before the bench could protest, I had already started the run portion of the bump and run and was opposite the table in the new frontcourt before the home team could protest vehemently. My partner had to come over to administer the throw-in on the sideline and he got all the grief. But they were calling it with their hearts -- I had a great look at what actually happened. And my partner told the coach that -- that I was standing right there and had a great look at it. Then he put it in play and got out of there, too.

[grunewar]

As a predominantly VG official, it's good to get an exciting, well-played game. I've got one of our better local team's scheduled this week (weather permitting).

Too often I get the haves vs the have nots.

Now, when I get the have nots vs the never hads........ARGH!

[mj]

I've wondered about only doing boy's games as well but we've had a good streak of 'decent' girls games as well.

We had a great game last night as well. Cross-town rivalry game with a packed house. Gotta love it!!

[Rich]

The paper reported this as a 3-point game, but that's not how it finished. I know, I was there.

I went over to talk to the scorer/timer on the final timeout and there was no discrepancy between the book and the scoreboard -- at least as they knew it then.

If it was a 3-point game, the last possession would've meant something. As it was, the home player jacked up a 3 from the corner and the home coach was already yelling for a timeout while the ball was in the air -- except that the shot missed and the V player rebounded it and ran out the remaining 2 seconds. Definitely a 5 point game. Wonder how it ended up 3 in the paper (with matching boxscore).

[Rich]

Oh, forgot the best part.

I had called a technical on the home coach over Christmas. One of only 2 this season (in 34-or-so games). He had it coming, trust me.

When I went for the meet-and-greet with about 1:00 left on the clock, he had a somewhat awkward smile on his face and he said, "No quick T's tonight, right?" He then told me it was his 3rd in 14 years. I'd like to know the truth -- there are technicals I've forgotten, I'm sure.

I knew he'd behave and he did. Besides, the game was so good and so close throughout, the coaches needed to spend their time and energy coaching.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Went for the meet-and-greet with about 1:00 left on the clock, he had a somewhat awkward smile on his face and he said, "No quick T's tonight, right?".

Good ice breaker.

I'm on my board's training committee. During one of our sessions, there were, understandably, a lot of questions about technical fouls being charged to coaches. When it came to ejections, the chair of our committee told the newbies that the ejection of a coach is a very rare event. To demonstrate, he asked the members of our committee, there were about eight of us there that night, "Who has ejected a coach". I raised my hand, the only one to do so in our little group. The chair asked me, "Who?". I responded by simply pointing and said, "That coach". There were two former varsity coaches in our training group. The coach responded, "And now that I know the rules, I deserved it".

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

When I went for the meet-and-greet with about 1:00 left on the clock, he had a somewhat awkward smile on his face and he said, "No quick T's tonight, right?"

I hope that he realizes that's he's the only personal responsible for how quick the "T" will be. All Rich is doing is reacting.

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by mj

I've wondered about only doing boy's games as well but we've had a good streak of 'decent' girls games as well.

We had a great game last night as well. Cross-town rivalry game with a packed house. Gotta love it!!

It has been an interesting season for me. In my primary association, I had two girls games before Thanksgiving. No girls games until January. Then opened with a couple of DHs the first week of January. Gave back a girls DH due to an illness in the family. And a single game last week. All the rest have been boys and will be right to the end.

With my secondary association, it has been close to the opposite. Had 5 GV tournament games in late December. And I think all but 5 games with them have been on the girls side.

Most seasons, it has been more of an even mixture.