[81alum]

This may be a brilliant strategy, but I just can't deal with it.  It means not running the offense. It means not taking any shots.  It means not rebounding or playing with energy.  It means giving up!  Surely there is a better way.

I don't follow you.  Far from giving up, the strategy was meant to guarantee a lead, to guarantee that USC had very little time to overcome our lead, and to guarantee that we knew exactly what kind of shot USC would have to take (only a three point shot could tie.)  Given that we could not run the clock out entirely, it gave us the best chance to win.  As it turned out, Littleton had to take USC's desperation shot with Lepolo's two hands in her face.  We knew exactly what they had to do and we defended it perfectly.  The ball did not even hit rim--so we defended it a bit better than the national championship heave that Arizona made at the buzzer.

However, I do agree that the strategy should have been more nuanced, and if we had a very easy shot available with only a few seconds left on the shot clock (as turned out to be the case) we should have taken it.  We basically gave up a high chance at 2 points in order to kill 3 more seconds, and that probably wasn't the best trade.  If Iriafen passes out of that layup early in the shot clock, then I think that would have been an excellent decision--but not with three seconds.

I also wonder if we were surprised that USC did not foul us early in the shot clock.  It was a tough call for USC to make, down 3.  Had they sent us to the line with about 30 seconds left, then they could have played the fouling game back-and-forth a bit and hoped we would miss all our free throws.  But we were 5/5 at that point.

Our team does deserve credit for improving its inbounding passes.  USC had several fouls to give at the end and used them up trying to force us to turn the ball over while inbounding it.  We have been vulnerable to this before.  But we got the ball in successfully every time, and then they let us run clock without fouling.

---

Here is a question for our basketball rules experts.  Let's say Iriafen with 3 seconds on the shot clock just reaches up and taps the ball on the rim.  Does that reset the shot clock to 20 seconds?  Does she at least have to pretend it is a genuine shot?  Does the ball have to leave her hand?

[81alum]

This may be a brilliant strategy, but I just can't deal with it.  It means not running the offense. It means not taking any shots.  It means not rebounding or playing with energy.  It means giving up!  Surely there is a better way.

I don't follow you.  Far from giving up, the strategy was meant to guarantee a lead, to guarantee that USC had very little time to overcome our lead, and to guarantee that we knew exactly what kind of shot USC would have to take (only a three point shot could tie.)  Given that we could not run the clock out entirely, it gave us the best chance to win.  As it turned out, Littleton had to take USC's desperation shot with Lepolo's two hands in her face.  We knew exactly what they had to do and we defended it perfectly.  The ball did not even hit rim--so we defended it a bit better than the national championship heave that Arizona made at the buzzer.

However, I do agree that the strategy should have been more nuanced, and if we had a very easy shot available with only a few seconds left on the shot clock (as turned out to be the case) we should have taken it.  We basically gave up a high chance at 2 points in order to kill 3 more seconds, and that probably wasn't the best trade.  If Iriafen passes out of that layup early in the shot clock, then I think that would have been an excellent decision--but not with three seconds.

I also wonder if we were surprised that USC did not foul us early in the shot clock.  It was a tough call for USC to make, down 3.  Had they sent us to the line with about 30 seconds left, then they could have played the fouling game back-and-forth a bit and hoped we would miss all our free throws.  But we were 5/5 at that point.

Our team does deserve credit for improving its inbounding passes.  USC had several fouls to give at the end and used them up trying to force us to turn the ball over while inbounding it.  We have been vulnerable to this before.  But we got the ball in successfully every time, and then they let us run clock without fouling.

---

Here is a question for our basketball rules experts.  Let's say Iriafen with 3 seconds on the shot clock just reaches up and taps the ball on the rim.  Does that reset the shot clock to 20 seconds?  Does she at least have to pretend it is a genuine shot?  Does the ball have to leave her hand?