So like the movie Memento, I'll start at the end. We lost 40-39.
Flash forward (backward) about 23 seconds. We were up 39-38. They come down court, get off a shot, we don't box, they hit a little layup, score is 40-39. I call a timeout with 17.7 seconds left. Tell the boys a few very pertinent points: that we do not need a 3-point shot, and I do not want a 3-point shot, that we need to drive basket to get off a good 2-pt shot, and that the other team has six (6) team fouls and if we get fouled we go to line for 1 and 1.
We inbound underneath opposing basket and the other team let's us roll! We save at least 3 seconds!!! We get ball in across halfcourt, pass, pass, stand still, dribble around perimter for approximatley 12 seconds then huck up a terrible 3-point shot which did not go in. Game over.
Now earlier in the 4th quarter, around the 2:30 mark, my center committed a foul under the basket. To which the corekeeper for home side says "fouled out with 5!", and my scorekeeper disputed, saying that was his 4th foul. BTW, my scorekeeper was 100% correct. Anyway, we have about a six (6) minute interruption as we discern the absolute horror of a book the home side kept. And even though the ref knew we were right (told me afterwards) he has to go by home book by rule, so big man is out. That smarts.
Earlier in game I put a boy in that misses a lot more practices and games than most. To be fair, he had a tough injury (outside of basketball), but he also plays in some GD soccer program, so that apparently takes precedent. We go into 3-2 defense and I call out his spot. When we come down, he's in wrong spot...then he's WAY OUT OF POSITION on a pass across court and a boy has an easy lay-up for 2. Now you may say, "that happens"...and you could be correct. BUt about 3 weeks ago I sent out a video of a major college team explaining the 3-2, with instructions to all the boys to watch (practice time is severely limited), and guess what? He never watched. And even after I found out oh so long ago and told him to watch, he still has not. So he doesn't know what's what. And that's a shame. But it's also on him.
So we play the 2nd best team in league (by record) on Saturday night and win or lose, we will be limping into the playoffs. Next year I give an IQ test at tryouts.
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