Leaky roof leads to time out at tourney

Lodi High girls basketball coach Brandon Shea can honestly say he’s had an indoor game postponed because of weather.

On Saturday afternoon, Shea and the Flames were scheduled to play Bear Creek in the championship game of the Lodi Flames Invitational inside The Inferno. But a leaky roof that was dropping water near the west end of the gym near the basket, stopped the tournament during the third place game between Rio Americano and Bella Vista of Fair Oaks. The water came from the rain the hit the region that started during the Saturday overnight hours.

Rio American led 17-16 with 4:15 remaining in the second quarter when referees stopped the game, according to Shea. Prior to the game, the roof started leaking during the seventh place game, but Shea said that the leak “wasn’t as bad.”

“We were trying to keep it dry as best we could,” Shea said.

The school’s maintenance personnel took care of the water on the floor during the seventh place and consolation championship games, which were played at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively. But the leak accelerated during the third place game that led to the game’s referees and tourney officials to call a time out in the tourney.

“Water was still coming in,” Shea said. “It became a safety concern, and the referees stopped the (third place) game.”

Shea said that there was the option of finishing the third place game, plus the title contest between the Flames and Bear Creek, inside the old Inferno Gym, located east of the current gym. But only one of the two scoreboards is working, as well as the one of the two shot clocks.

The referees notified their assignor of the Northern California Officials Association of the leaky situation inside The Inferno. One of the school’s assistant principals was also informed, and finalized the decision to halt the tourney, Shea said.

After the tourney took its time out, Shea had his team take part in a shoot around inside the old Inferno for almost

an hour. But his player had another vision of playing against Bear Creek instead.

“They were bummed,” Shea said. “Both teams wanted to play. Obviously, we had no control. Things happen, and we have to adjust.”

Shea and Bear Creek coach Anthony Matthews agreed to reschedule the championship game “sometime in January.” Shea said the game would be played either at The Inferno, if not the Bears’ gym in Stockton. Bear Creek, plus Lodi, Tokay and McNair, are part of the Lodi Unified School District.

Coming into Saturday’s championship game before it was rained out, Lodi is 6-2 and Bear Creek 3-1.

Shea’s squad entertains Monterey Trail of Elk Grove on Thursday. The Lodi High boys basketball team is also scheduled to play home games against Pacheco of Los Banos on Wednesday, and Laguna Creek of Elk Grove on Friday.