Nothing But Net for my Referee Bucket List
Monday, July 29, 2024 will go down as one of my Top 5 best basketball officiating experiences in my 31-year career when I got to referee at historic Lahaina Civic Center.
There was an all-day “Westin-Sponsored” tournament and fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in the venerable gym and I was scheduled for four games. My partner (Thomas) was excellent and we let’em play while also controlling a few hotheads.
Had a blast. It was hot-and-sticky inside the old barn but being there was Gold Medal special. It made me smile when I tossed the game-starting jump ball in the revered center circle where so many big-time college officials had done the same. Then you think about all the amazing college players and teams and coaches that have performed on that floor and I was very honored to run the hardwood.
The games were a frenzied blur. Two 18-minute halves running time, two-minute halftimes, and five minutes between games. No rest for the weary. Play on. Gotta get done before sundown. I wasn’t there at the end but was informed that Maui Basketball Association (MBA) took home the $1,500 winner’s check and trophy.
Buzzer Beater – Lahaina Civic Center will be packed and buzzing with elite college action at the Maui Invitational from November 25-27 (Thanksgiving Week) with the following teams on island – Auburn, Colorado, Dayton, Iowa State, Memphis, Michigan State, North Carolina and UConn.
One thought on “Nothing But Net for my Referee Bucket List”
Your reporting live from Lahaina Civic Center brought back many memories of the games I worked in the gym. The court is a college size court 8 – 10 feet longer than a high school gym. So mutiply say 8 x number of trips up and down x 4 games and that will tell you the additional running you had to do. Lahainaluna boys and girls played many games there. One that I clearly remember during the Lahainaluna girls well over 100 straight MIL wins was a game vs KSM when they were only up 2 or 4 going into the 4th quarter. As a Lahaina resident and Houlie sure didn’t want to be on the game when the streak ended. Luckily, Luna girls turned it on in the last 2 minutes and won by 10 I think. Well done former neighbor on the Lower H road in Honokawai!
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