TUCSON, Arizona — Time is on the side of Steve Botkin's Sahuaro Cougars.
"This team plays particularly fast," said the Sahuaro girls basketball head coach during practice.
"We don't like to stop," said senior Ayjianna Bonapart. "We like to keep going."
So, when a 35-second shot clock was implemented for this season, it was hardly an adjustment.
"We like to run," said junior Dinorah Lagarda. "That's how we play."
Arizona's 3A through 6A conferences voted to adopt the shot clock which is being used for the first time this season. It avoids a team's strategy of holding the ball with a second half lead.
Shot clocks are recommended this year, and are mandatory next year. It is to give teams more time to install them, given the cost and supply chain issues.
"They are on backorder and you have to play for a shot clock operator for varsity games," said Botkin.
It's also caused lopsidedness. Sahuaro has won games this year by final scores of 91-8 and 95-7. They insist the shot clock forces them to shoot when they're up big, and they are not running up the score.
"Absolutely not," said Botkin. "We pride ourselves on doing it right. We run the shot clock down. We don't want to embarrass anyone, for sure."
We reached out to Desert View athletic director Robert Bonillas who said he felt that Sahuaro was not running up the score. The Sahuaro players say the rule change is about time.
"It prepares us for the next level," said Lagarda, who has aspirations of playing college basketball.
Teams that host a playoff game this season must have a shot clock or the game will be moved to a neutral site.
