Basketball teams punished for purposely trying to lose game

A pair of Tennessee high school girls basketball teams were removed from the postseason this week for intentionally trying to lose a district game to set up a more favorable matchup in regionals.

Riverdale and Smyrna high schools played Saturday in the District 7-AAA consolation game, and it wasn’t pretty. Girls deliberately missed shots, failed to cross half court to create a 10-second violation and found other ways to attempt to throw the game. At one point, according to the Daily News Journal, one player attempted to shoot at the other team’s basket.

The reason was Blackman High School. Blackman, 26-2 and ranked fourth in the nation, would be set up on the same side of the regional bracket as the winner. The loser wouldn’t have to face Blackman until the finals.

Smyrna ended up winning 55-29, but neither team will advance.

From the article:

The referee wrote that he finally called the coaches together for a meeting after “a Smyrna player was about to attempt a shot at the wrong basket (but there was a 10-second violation call before they attempted the shot) on purpose.

“That was when I called both coaches together and told them we are not going to make a travesty or mockery of the game. WE ARE NOT GOING TO START TRYING TO SHOOT AND SCORE FOR THE OTHER TEAM.”

TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress said the decision to remove the teams stems from the players’ actions on the court.

“The student athletes bought into it,” Childress said. “They were the ones asking to call three seconds. They were the ones stepping back over (midcourt). They were the ones not attempting to shoot at the basket.”

Riverdale Principal Tom Nolan said he is suspending Cory Barrett for the first two games of the 2015-16 school year.

“It’s a total embarrassment,” Nolan said. “In my 35 years at Riverdale I’ve never had that happen. It sends a bad message to everyone. Bottom line is you play the game to win.”

Both schools were placed on restrictive probation by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association during the 2015-16 school year and fined $1,500.

Here are a couple videos via Twitter of Saturday’s game:

Smyrna trying to hand Riverdale the ball back. Intentionally getting called for a backcourt violation. pic.twitter.com/hkBPJIpEY7

— Trevor Goodson™ (@CousinTrevvv) February 21, 2015

Riverdale purposely missing FTs. Tanking to be on a certain side of the bracket. @tssaa @CoachJohnMcGraw @tlownsdale pic.twitter.com/lEPbYb2BaO

— Trevor Goodson™ (@CousinTrevvv) February 21, 2015