[M T]

You missed that at some point around then, a Gonzaga player dribbled to the lane with the ball and jumped to shoot.  One of our players (probably Belibi, but don't quote me) got her hand on top of the ball (blocking the shot).  When the shooter landed, with both her hand and the defender's hand still on the ball, this is a held ball immediately (Rule 6-4.2, which also applies to a jump for a pass that is then pinned to the player's hand by a defender's hand)  That's why Missy kept showing the scorer a hand signal of one hand coming down on the other hand (which is NOT a signal in the rules). 

[If the defender's hand is no longer on the ball, and the ball never left the shooter's hand, I believe the correct call is a travel.  I've seen refs call it a held ball, but the rules are pretty clear it isn't. If the shooter lets go of the ball, then the ball falls (typically to the floor, but that probably isn't required); that's a block that anyone can recover, including the shooter.  I am not sure what to call it if the shooter dribbles the ball (starting while still off the ground); I think that should be a deflection and a new dribble, and legal even if the shooter had already picked up his/her dribble.]

At the time of the held ball, the arrow pointed at Gonzaga, so they got to inbound the ball (continuing their possession).  It was probably 4 possessions later (G (including the held ball, resulting in an inbounds on the end line away from the benches), S, G (the kicked ball was probably during this possession, where the two inbounds were on the end line near the benches), S) that Missy noticed the arrow was still pointed at Gonzaga.   She did not seem happy having to explain it to the scorer, who was not quick to change the arrow.

I think you'll find that a kicked ball is irrelevant to changing the possession arrow.  (I don't know where that quote came from.  Perhaps you were putting it as though Missy said it, and not really quoting anyone.  But if you were quoting someone, you're right to say it made no sense.)

At one point [I think in the 3rd quarter], when GU had the ball and the possession arrow was in GU's favor, we tied them up and a jump ball was called with 3 seconds left on the shot clock.  They took the ball in and, on the inbounds throw, Kiana apparently kicked it with her foot.  The shot clock was then re-set to 20 seconds -- which I understand, as that is the rule now for a kicked ball by the defense when the shot clock is under 20 seconds. 

What I DON'T understand, however, is that the possession arrow did NOT flip to Stanford, a fact which certainly confused a whole lot of people, including many at the scorer's bench, ...and me.  Missy came over during a break in play a minute later and explained to the scorer that, "because the kicked ball was a violation that occurred before anyone touched the ball on the inbounds play, the possession arrow does not change.  It's as if the jump ball never happened."

That doesn't make any sense to me, since the determination of who gets possession following the tie-up is based on the existing possession arrow and, as soon as that team gets the opportunity to throw it in [with the accompanying loss of the possession arrow], the game has moved on.  It seems to me that, whatever happens thereafter shouldn't impact the flipping of the possession arrow.

Can anyone confirm whether this is, in fact, the rule, or did Missy and the gang get it wrong?  And, if it is the rule, what is the rationale?

[M T]

You missed that at some point around then, a Gonzaga player dribbled to the lane with the ball and jumped to shoot.  One of our players (probably Belibi, but don't quote me) got her hand on top of the ball (blocking the shot).  When the shooter landed, with both her hand and the defender's hand still on the ball, this is a held ball immediately (Rule 6-4.2, which also applies to a jump for a pass that is then pinned to the player's hand by a defender's hand)  That's why Missy kept showing the scorer a hand signal of one hand coming down on the other hand (which is NOT a signal in the rules). 

[If the defender's hand is no longer on the ball, and the ball never left the shooter's hand, I believe the correct call is a travel.  I've seen refs call it a held ball, but the rules are pretty clear it isn't. If the shooter lets go of the ball, then the ball falls (typically to the floor, but that probably isn't required); that's a block that anyone can recover, including the shooter.  I am not sure what to call it if the shooter dribbles the ball (starting while still off the ground); I think that should be a deflection and a new dribble, and legal even if the shooter had already picked up his/her dribble.]

At the time of the held ball, the arrow pointed at Gonzaga, so they got to inbound the ball (continuing their possession).  It was probably 4 possessions later (G (including the held ball, resulting in an inbounds on the end line away from the benches), S, G (the kicked ball was probably during this possession, where the two inbounds were on the end line near the benches), S) that Missy noticed the arrow was still pointed at Gonzaga.   She did not seem happy having to explain it to the scorer, who was not quick to change the arrow.

I think you'll find that a kicked ball is irrelevant to changing the possession arrow.  (I don't know where that quote came from.  Perhaps you were putting it as though Missy said it, and not really quoting anyone.  But if you were quoting someone, you're right to say it made no sense.)

At one point [I think in the 3rd quarter], when GU had the ball and the possession arrow was in GU's favor, we tied them up and a jump ball was called with 3 seconds left on the shot clock.  They took the ball in and, on the inbounds throw, Kiana apparently kicked it with her foot.  The shot clock was then re-set to 20 seconds -- which I understand, as that is the rule now for a kicked ball by the defense when the shot clock is under 20 seconds. 

What I DON'T understand, however, is that the possession arrow did NOT flip to Stanford, a fact which certainly confused a whole lot of people, including many at the scorer's bench, ...and me.  Missy came over during a break in play a minute later and explained to the scorer that, "because the kicked ball was a violation that occurred before anyone touched the ball on the inbounds play, the possession arrow does not change.  It's as if the jump ball never happened."

That doesn't make any sense to me, since the determination of who gets possession following the tie-up is based on the existing possession arrow and, as soon as that team gets the opportunity to throw it in [with the accompanying loss of the possession arrow], the game has moved on.  It seems to me that, whatever happens thereafter shouldn't impact the flipping of the possession arrow.

Can anyone confirm whether this is, in fact, the rule, or did Missy and the gang get it wrong?  And, if it is the rule, what is the rationale?