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Controversial Missouri high school basketball game draws questions about shot clock usage

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby:Lawrence Fernandez•12/30/24•

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Branson vs. Logan-Rogersville - Missouri High School Basketball
Branson's Jayce Culver holds without advancing towards the basket as the Pirates took on the Logan-Rogersville Wildcats in a Blue Division semifinal matchup at Great Southern Bank Arena during the Blue and Gold Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (© Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

A clip from a recent Missouri high school basketball game sparked an outcry about the universal use of shot clocks. The video is from the Dec. 28 game between the Branson Pirates and the Logan-Rogersville Wildcats.

As Springfield News-Leader’s Wyatt Wheeler shared on X/Twitter, a Pirates player held the ball at midcourt for about two minutes. Branson’s stalling strategy before taking a shot drew jeers from the crowd during that Blue and Gold Tournament semifinal game.

Sadly, Branson tried the approach more than once. However, the Wildcats stole the ball during the Pirates’ second stalling attempt, resulting in a Chase Branham three-point play. Eventually, Logan-Rogersville had the last laugh with a 54-34 victory, bringing them to the title game against Kickapoo.

While Brandon’s strategy didn’t yield a win, their decision to hold on to the ball raised questions about the lack of a shot clock during the game. As Wheeler wrote, the Missouri State High School Activities Association allowed shot clock usage in some instances before this season.

Implementing this rule at the Blue and Gold Tournament would be a good idea because some of the state’s top teams are participating. Blue Division finalists Kickapoo are Missouri high school basketball’s seventh-best team, according to the On3 Composite Team Rankings. Meanwhile, the Wildcats are 37th in the state as of Dec. 21.

What’s Barring Missouri High School Basketball Tournaments from Using Shot Clocks?

Some guidelines must be followed to run games under shot clocks. As Wheeler pointed out, all participating teams in a tournament must agree to use shot clocks. Likewise, three officials must call the game when using shot clocks. However, games during the Blue and Gold Tournament only had two officials.

Wheeler’s clip should give shot clock advocates more reason to argue about its implementation. That said, Springfield Public Schools director Josh Scott confirmed that games during the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions will have a clock that speeds up the game.

The National Federation of State High School Associations established the shot clock at 35 seconds. After what Branson did to Logan-Rogersville, more Missouri high school basketball officials will discuss the pros and cons of its mandatory implementation.