Basketballers walk out of game

Press, 16 August 1982, Page 36

Basketballers walk out of game

By FRANK DUGGAN In a sensational move, the Butler Auto Spares Y.M.C.A. senior men’s basketball side walked off the court 16 minutes after the start of its match with Collins Real Estate University at the * Christchurch Boys’ High School gymnasium yesterday afternoon. Dot Heslop, the appointed referee for the game, was not available for the first five minutes, and Robin Milligan “filled in” until she arrived. She replaced Milligan when University led five points to four.

. Errors were consistent, for both sides, but Butlers expresseed disatisfaction at some of the rulings. Perhaps the “white heat” of enthusiasm was illogical, but Y.M.C.A. took umbrage as to k what it regarded as being consistently bad calls. The Y.M.C.A. captain, Tom Neumann, was the first to get annoyed with what he thought was wrong calling. His leading centre, John Bosch, agreed with his complaints. After 16 minutes, the referees had ruled that Y.M.C.A. had fouled 13 times against University’s two.

It was a disorganised period of play. No doubt both teams shared the blame, but that does not excuse the walk-out of the Y.M.C.A. side. However, there was no excuse for the minor damage caused to the gymnasium, a light fitting being broken. In sport, participation is the name of the game. Y.M.C.A. fell down on that particular aspect yesterday. A variation of ages, abilities and lots of tension led to the walk-out. The Y.M.C.A. club will face judicial action at tomorrow evening’s meeting of

d the Canterbury Basketball h association. Its fate is probt lematical. e The walk-out was surprisl. ing. Frustrations, and per-’ o haps a few bad calls, led to e it leaving the court. Most of a the players could not believe it themselves and still put up s shots in the break. :. The Y.M.C.A., coach, Mr t Doug Lomax, had very few •. words to say, “I’ll speak to s you after,” he said. But he e did not. Neumann said on reflect--1 ing on the team’s refusal to - continue: “What the hell f were we playing for when

the 'ref' was against us?" However, the association's decision could prevent Y.M.C.A.’s participation this season in the Canterbury championship. University, controlled and well coached from the side, played to Y.M.C.A.’s biggest drawback, its unpredictability. Y.M.C.A.’s frustration at a dedicated mid-court offence lowered the rather “trigger” reactions of a couple of the Y.M.C.A. players. The score at the time of the walk-out was University 23, Y.M.C.A. 10.