Hoops teams on the clock
Hoops teams on the clock
By STU MERRY
Tick, tick, tick, the clock is running. Basketball games are all about time. Class B girls and boys teams will have a little more to worry about this year regarding time compared to seasons past. One eye will be on the game clock, as it always has. But beginning this year, players will have to keep a keen eye on another clock – the shot clock.
At their board of directors meeting this past summer, the North Dakota High School Activities Association approved several changes to how high school sports will run in the coming years. Topping the list was the implementation of a shot clock.
With the boys season underway and the girls about to start, teams will be on the clock. Boys will have a 35-second time limit, while the girls will only have 30 seconds. Coaches and teams across the state will have to make adjustments.
Trooper girls Head Coach Sandra Essler speculates the shot clock will probably have more of an impact on girls teams who play at a slower pace than the boys teams. She admits there will definitely be a learning curve – not only on players, but coaches, fans, officials and bench personnel as well. She feels optimistic that the team will adapt.
