Down in Alabama, Bibb County High took on Brookwood in what may be the most epically horrid basketball game of all time. At the very least, it was the lowest scoring game on record.
Tuscaloosa News reports that the two teams shot a combined 1-of-7, with the only field goal made being a layup 15 seconds into the game. Then the two teams apparently played keepaway for 31 minutes, with the only shots fired being missed field goals and free throws.
The last time the two teams faced off, Brookwood won 40-36.
Per Tuscaloosa News:
“It was not my intention to go into that game and stall,” [Brookwood coach Thad] Fitzpatrick said. “The intention was to get as much rest as we can offensively, and do whatever we needed to do defensively. It was our fourth game of the week, and on Friday night we started cramping a lot, so I made the decision. We played earlier in the year and won, and I just decided we were going to try and slow down the offense, and on defense just guard like we normally do.”
After Rutledge scored the lone basket of the evening, the Panthers held the ball for the remainder of the first quarter, and missed a shot at the buzzer.
“They came across half court and kept everything really spread out to force us to extend our zone,” Wallace said. “The first couple of minutes, even with us extending it, they were passing it around the perimeter, so I backed the kids up on defense, and they just stood there and held it.”
“He went back into a zone, and we are a lot better team when teams play man-to-man,” Fitzpatrick said. “Especially as big as they are, so we decided, ‘OK, let’s just hold the ball and see what happens.’ They never came out of the zone. We got a chance to rest, and we thought they might chase us a little bit, so we just held the ball.”
Brookwood received the ball to start the second quarter, and from there, the standstill continued. The Panthers missed another shot during the final seconds, and the Choctaws headed into the locker room with a 2-0 lead.
“Why should I extend my defense when I’ve got the lead is the question that everyone needs to understand,” Wallace said. “I’m sure there is some pointing fingers both ways.
“I’ve got the height advantage and the length — why should I extend over half the floor just for one of them to get loose and maybe make a basket?”
