Last game of the high school season and it was a dozy.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Mark, Jr., and I had our last game of the high school (in both Ohio and Michigan) season (even though he does have a girls Jr. H.S. DH in Michigan on March 10th). It was a boys' jr. varsity game in Ohio; at two-man crew and it was a heck of a way to end the season (we still have the Ohio Special Olympics Final Four at the end of March though).

The games are seven minute quarters in this league (three minute overtime periods per OhioHSAA) and I tossed the jump ball right on schedule at 06:00pmEST (Junior was the R, but I toss the ball so I do not have to start the game by runnng. Of course Junior will tell you that he never sees me run on the basketball court.

I called the first foul of the game with just over 3:30 left to play in the first quarter on the V-1 and put the H-1 on the line for two free throws. H-1 made them both for the first points of the game. From then on the game did not get any better.

The Home Team jumped out to a 10-2 lead and then proceeded to let the Visitors back into the game. After I called the first foul of the game the foul total by the 6:00 mark of the second quarter was Visitors -- 10, and Home -- 2, and yet the Home Team could not extend their lead to no more that three points. The Visitors did make it to the 1+1 bonus by the end of the second quarter though but was still losing the game by three points.

The second half was not better except that the Home Team was the team that wanted to foul and foul they did. The Visitors were into the double bonus by the end of the third quarter.

I need to say that we did not call any ticky-tack fouls. Both teams went at each other hammer and tong.

And while the foul total was Home -- 10, and Visitors -- 2, at the end of the third quarter, and the Visitors still could not take the lead but was only losing by one point.

Finally in the fourth quarter the Visitors went on a scoring streak and took a five point lead which they held for almost the entire quarter, but with less than 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter the Home Team rallied and scored the tying two-point field goal with 1.9 seconds left to send the game into overtime. Both teams had used all of their timeouts in regulation.

The Home Team jumped out to a two point lead which they held for most the the "first" overtime period. The Visitors tied the game with about 50 seconds left to play and then stole the ball with just seconds to play but committed a player control foul (called by me) on attempted field goal try with 0.8 seconds to send the game into the "second", , overtime period.

The Home Team jumped out to a five point lead which the held the entire period to win the game and Junior and I walked off the court exactly two hours after we started.

Our first H.S. umpiring assignment is Monday, March 31st, I cannot wait.

MTD, Sr.

[grunewar]

Glad you had a good one Sr.

My last game was Fri night, GV Conference Semi-Final. A clunker. I hated to end the HS season on a sour note, but, what are ya gonna do?! Home team won going away......Jr center had 34 pts. Visitors were displeased with our performance. SHOCKER! Obviously, we were homers.

[Stat-Man]

Must be something about overtimes this week. I had my first overtime game last night in what should be my season finale (girls JV). Near the end of regulation, V requests a timeout. Official book says they have none even though neither my partner nor I were notified, and the scoreboard shows both teams have one timeout left. Although it wasn't by the book, Home offered to call his final timeout instead and my partner allowed that. The up side: my partner and I knew both teams were out of timeouts at that point.

Visitors get a basket to tie and a foul -- and miss the free throw which leads us into overtime. Visitors go on to get the game winning basket in the closing seconds of overtime. I also happened to see the varsity game also went to overtime as well.

###

Side question: Is it good game management to ask the table if both teams still have timeouts (yes or no) to help avoid this late in the game? I'd like to learn from what happened last night, and try to avoid it in the future as much as possible.

[Sharpshooternes]

Originally Posted by Stat-Man

Must be something about overtimes this week. I had my first overtime game last night in what should be my season finale (girls JV). Near the end of regulation, V requests a timeout. Official book says they have none even though neither my partner nor I were notified, and the scoreboard shows both teams have one timeout left. Although it wasn't by the book, Home offered to call his final timeout instead and my partner allowed that. the up side: my partner and I knew both teams were out of timeouts at that point.

Visitors get a basket to tie and a foul -- and miss the free throw which leads us into overtime. Visitors go on to get the game wining basket in the closing seconds of overtime. I also happened to see the varsity game also went to overtime as well.

###

Side question: Is it good game management to ask the table if both teams still have timeouts (yes or no) to help avoid this late in the game? I'd like to learn from what happened last night, and try to avoid it in the future as much as possible.

That is very sporting of the home team to use their timeout, although I am sure there will be people who will come along shortly and say you can't give back a timeout once it is requested and granted. (Although why is this different from when a coach requests a TO when a player is about to get a five or ten second violation but gets fouled and bailed out. I would still ask if they still want the timeout.). Any who, I also had a crazy overtime season with at least 2 OTs and one double OT. All were very fun games to officiate.

And as for your question about asking the table about TO's, absolutely yes, yes yes. Ask during Any other timeout or when it is close just to be sure. As an official part of your responsibility is to inform a couch when they are out of TOs. How do you tell them if you don't know? And I think most will agree, but we will find out, that you should only tell a coach when they are out of timeouts not that they have two or three, or one left.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

In the seven years that Junior has been officiating I can't remember a single OT game that we had together and this year we have had five.

MTD, Sr.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

In the seven years that Junior has been officiating I can't remember a single OT game that we had together and this year we have had five.

MTD, Sr.

Happy to say I had none.

This year you were the "Anti-Padgett."

I need to stop reading this thread before y'all jinx me.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

In the seven years that Junior has been officiating I can't remember a single OT game that we had together and this year we have had five.

MTD, Sr.

You know they say the memory is one of the first things to go.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

You know they say the memory is one of the first things to go.

That is what my wife and our sons keep telling me, but I keep forgetting what they are telling me.

MTD, Sr.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

In the seven years that Junior has been officiating I can't remember a single OT game that we had together and this year we have had five.

MTD, Sr.

One 2OT game this year. Still time for more - 10 games left.