Honaker Bombs the Day Away

[longtimerhsfan]

The Lady Tigers were on fire from three point range (do they always shoot that well?) including a bunch from NBA range as they rolled over the Lady Gladiators 81-56. I counted nine in the first half alone. Not so sure about the sportsmanship angle of knocking down one more at the buzzer with the game already well in hand, but hey, if you've got it, flaunt it I guess.

So Riverheads clearly met its match today but at least they did not quit and put up 40 second half points. Have a safe trip home and let's get ready for some football and volleyball.

 

[BigWinners]

I'm sure girls were just excited at the end and not trying to rub it in.
They always shoot very well, they're just a steamroller. They may have won the 2A title as well.

 

[WP02alum]

Let’s hope the same energy is devoted to admonishing Casto if RHS scores too much this football season. Complaining about teams “running it up” is so lame. Play defense.

 

[Fairlawncat]

Two great teams on the floor with the Glads and Honaker. No offense to the Gladiators or any other 1A team, but this one I had no doubt about. Very, very little chance any other 1A and arguably, any other 2A team was beating this bunch. They are one bad outfit in ladies Hoops. Congrats Honaker, 1A 2020-21 State Champions!

 

[longtimerhsfan]

I stand by my point....we have all watched enough basketball to know that with a 30 point game, you don't fire up a three at the buzzer...you just dribble around and let the clock run out. It is the same principle as taking a knee in football to avoid scoring again. And before anyone else accuses Riverheads of not doing that in football, I can remember half a dozen times in the last year or two where they not only took a knee at the appropriate time, but they have also taken delay penalties, declined second half kick offs that they were entitled to, and attempted impossible-to-make 50 yard + field goals just so they could turn the ball back over to the other team.

But I also stand my other point...which is that Honaker was an incredibly talented team that could shoot the lights out....better than some college teams. I am sure the girl that shot the last one did not mean anything disrespectful. She was just doing what comes natural to them. It is obvious that they have spent a TON of time in the gym and they very much deserved their title.

 

[WP02alum]

Point is, don’t talk about sportsmanship when you’re bitter about a team beating yours. Unless you’re talking about poor behavior/trash-talking/fighting, it just comes across as sour grapes.

There are PLENTY of people who disagree that scoring in a contest equates to poor sportsmanship. I’m one of them. If a coach thinks they should trot players out & tell them not to score, I won’t complain about that coach’s choice. I also won’t complain if they let the kids play the game as intended. I WILL complain when someone tries to say the latter is “poor sportsmanship”.

Again, if a team is feeling embarrassed by the other team playing the game & scoring, PLAY DEFENSE.

 

[Shanpaige]

Honaker played all the second string most of the second half due to it being so far ahead and some in the first half. When it got with in about 15 at one point Honaker did put starters back in but second half she gave the other players on the team time to play in the big dance. I think at the end she just got caught up in the moment and shot it don't think she meant anything by it at the end. I agree she should not have shot it and kept it.
Congrats to both teams on a weird season. A big congrats to Honaker on back to back state championships.

 

[WP02alum]

I don’t disagree with teams that choose to not shoot at the end, but I fundamentally disagree with “sportsmanship” critiques. Backups deserve to try hard too.

 

[longtimerhsfan]

Shanpaige:

Thanks for attempting to see my point. I did not mean to imply that it was the worst and most tasteless display of sportsmanship I have ever seen. Just that it was a questionable decision at the time and a move that a lot of teams would not have made. Now if the young lady in question was a sub who was just excited to be in the state championship game, then her taking the shot is very much understandable. But since I don't know the Honaker roster and was forced to watch only on my phone screen due to the continued poor quality of the NFHS stream, I of course have no idea in the world who she was.

As for my being "bitter" because Riverheads lost the game, that is not accurate either. It was a night and day difference between the two teams in terms of talent and experience, and I thought I had sufficiently complimented Honaker in that regard.

 

[WP02alum]

LongtimeRHS, I never said your critique was scathing. I just think any sportsmanship comments related to the other team scoring too much is weak & that mentality bothers me quite a bit. Scoring at the end of a game isn’t classless. It’s the entire point of the activity. Again, no issues with people who choose to take their foot off the gas. But I get VERY annoyed at people complaining when teams play to the final buzzer/whistle.

 

[longtimerhsfan]

No problem with our different opinions. Obviously I would not have expected Honaker to freeze the ball for the entire fourth quarter. And also it goes without saying that ANY team that is behind should keep playing till the bitter end as Riverheads did.

But in this case, and I am assuming you did not see the game because your team was not involved, Honaker had the ball for the last 20 seconds or so and in that scenario, I have seen many teams at many levels over the years just dribble out the clock or even stand and hold the ball until the buzzer sounds and that just always seem to me to be the prudent thing to do. Any team that would do so would certainly not be criticized for not playing hard till the final horn if they had quite obviously played their behinds off for the first 31 1/2 minutes.

Given the score at the time I think it is quite likely that a sub scored that final triple and was thrilled to have the chance, which I cannot find fault with. Again I make the football comparison. If you are beating a team 50-0, and are facing fourth and goal on the final play, there is nothing to be gained or lost by pushing across one final TD to make it 56-0.

Let's move on and hope your team and mine have plenty of opportunities in the coming weeks to face that decision.

 

[WP02alum]

Sounds good. I do want to reiterate, I don’t criticize teams who choose to hold the ball for those last 20 seconds. But I DO get annoyed when teams who don’t get accused of poor sportsmanship.

 

[toetheline]

it was a great run for the lady gladiators
In a really weird year.