An Arkansas high school basketball game descended into momentary madness when the victors attempted to collect their spoils, even though they were doing so on an opposing court.
As noted by our friends at The Big Lead, among other outlets, Tuesday night’s Little Rock (Ark.) Hall High School 57-43 victory at Little Rock (Ark.) Parkview clinched the Arkansas Activities Association 5A Central Conference championship. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Hall players brought out a broom (that had first been wielded by their coach) to celebrate, memorializing Hall’s season sweep against Parkview.
According to Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Hall also tried to bring out a ladder to cut down the Parkview nets, though you can’t see it in the video below.
Parkview didn’t take kindly to that gesture, with Parkview players chasing after their Hall counterparts and initiating a classic heated shoving and pushing match.
That could have been the end … but it wasn’t. Instead, just as cooler heads began to prevail near the sideline, a Hall player brought out a chair from the bench and pair of scissors to finish cutting down one of the Parkview nets to commemorate the title.
It was a brazen move, and one which drew more ire from the Parkview crowd and at least one campus security officer, who gesticulated at the players to stop without actually forcing them to.
In the end, Hall escaped with a net, Parkview school security escaped without having to arrest everyone and all sides left with a slight decrease in self dignity.
“That’s petty,” Parkview coach Al Flanigan told the Democrat Gazette. “That’s just like the coach, man. I would never in a million years do anything like that. I would never try to embarrass nobody. If I won the game, I’d just shake hands and go home. That’s what it’s all about.
“He ain’t got no respect for the game. But that’s alright. What goes around, comes around.”
