At ONU: The game winning play with three seconds left in OT – an alley oop from @OwenTreece7 to @place_nate15! Final score: @VanWertCougars 27 Defiance 25. pic.twitter.com/xYM7oTQpD3
— Van Wert independent (@VWindependent) March 7, 2019
(3-8-19) This week’s D II District semifinal boys basketball game between Van Wert and Defiance at Ohio Northern University might give those who want a shot clock in Ohio a basis for defending their side of the argument.
Van Wert Head Coach Mark Bagley told the Times-Bulletin after the game:
“I told the guys if we win one to nothing I don’t care, in tournament time you survive and advance.”
The Cougars would control the ball several times for two minutes or more during crucial times in their OT win over the Bulldogs 27-25.
Van Wert calls time out with 2 minutes left. Holds the ball for final possession and can’t connect on ISO. To OT we go.
Van Wert 25
Defiance 25 pic.twitter.com/HdHGAsAOLk— TimesBulletin Sports (@tbsports) March 7, 2019
WOW!!! Van Wert holds the ball for last two minutes again and run a lob play to Nate Place and get the bucket!
Defiance calls timeout, Van Wert leads 27-25 with 2 seconds left pic.twitter.com/BYMkLPCDMc
— TimesBulletin Sports (@tbsports) March 7, 2019
Depending on who you ask after this match-up you might see two different opinions emerge.
In several states the shot clock is already used, but the change has come slowly. During tournament time the ‘mercy rule’ is used in games that are blow outs, so that is one recent change Ohio has embraced. Should the shot clock be next?
Looking at the box score below you can see that Van Wert took full advantage of slowing down the game to perfection, the reward they will play Shawnee for a District title and a chance to move on. For Defiance the season came to a sudden end. Not helping Defiance during the night they shot just 22.4% from the field on a 11 of 49, that didn’t help their cause in the loss.
But when it came to ‘crunch time’ the Cougars put the ball in the ‘deep freeze’. This game may not speed up the addition of the shot clock in Ohio…but it keeps the debate alive.
BOX SCORE
Stateline Sports Network 
Does Ohio Need A Shot Clock? No, No, No. No, No!!!
High school basketball is already filled with players who cannot work for or take good shots and when they do shoot it results in lower shooting percentages. Makes the game no fun to watch at all. Add a shot clock and force these players to take more bad shots faster, just make no sense.
And what happens when team that shoots a high percentage meets one that doesn’t? Blowout games which the public cannot seem to stomach anymore either.
The VW-DEF game is an aberration, not the norm and does not justify the need for a shot clock. Defiance needed to up their defensive pressure and force VW to make mistakes. Results could have been different. Play their game – and you lose. Play your game and win.
You want to improve the game? Take away that stupid 3-point line.
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