Last night Syracuse defeated their arch rival Georgetown 64-61. Not only is Georgetown a rival, which leads to close games, but they are also a legitimate top 15 team. Syracuse had what should have been a comfortable lead late in the game against Georgetown. I say comfortable, not because of a large point differential, but because of how the game had been played up to that point. With between three and four minutes left in the game Syracuse decided running time off the clock was more important than scoring points. This, at least in part, led to Syracuse not scoring a point for the final four and a half minutes of regulation. This tactic has been endlessly debated on internet message boards for years and last night was no different. Some fans blindly support the strategy while other fans blindly bashed the strategy.
What is the right way to deal with a lead late in the game?
One of the trickiest parts of all sports is what to do when you have a lead late in the game. In football many teams use the prevent defense. They allow shorter passes/runs, but protect against the “big play.” On countless occasions ever year teams end up losing games because they use this strategy and a team drives down the field to score and win the game. There are also countless times when this strategy works and the prevent defense does its job preventing teams from scoring.
In January of 1998 I had the opportunity to attend Super Bowl 32 in San Diego. This was the game when Denver beat Green Bay 31-24. I bring this game up because of a conversation one of Syracuse’s prodigal sons, Greg Robinson, had with Mike Shanahan at the end of the game (I am privy to this conversation thanks to NFL Films). Robinson, who was the defensive coordinator, asked Shanahan how he should call the defense after Denver took the lead with about a minute and a half left. Shanahan responded by saying, “Keep calling it the way you have all game.” In this situation the strategy worked and Denver stopped Green Bay and won the game. On a side note, I wish Robinson had asked Shanahan for input when he was the Syracuse coach.
The basketball version of the prevent defense is what many Syracuse fans refer to as “stall ball.” Many teams choose to run the shot clock down to near zero when they hold a lead late in games. Just like the prevent defense in football, “stall ball” is a strategy that has worked many times, but other times has cost teams victories.
There are several questions teams need to consider when determining how to handle leads late in games:
*How big is the lead?
*How much time is left?
*What are the strengths of the opponent?
*What are the team’s strengths?
Some fans and analysts agree wholeheartedly with former NFL Coach Herm Edwards, “You play to win!” Playing to win can mean different things to different people. To some slowing down the pace and running time off the clock is playing to win. To others never letting up and continuing to score is playing to win.
I believe there has to be a middle ground. It is not necessary for teams to try to run up and down the court/field, but there is something to be said for continuing to put pressure on opponents by scoring more points. As a fan of athletics, it is frustrating for me to see a team completely change their game plan when they have the lead. This is especially true for me when a team is really being dominant. I have seen it countless times from high school to professional games when a team works to get a large lead and then completely goes away from their game plan in an effort to milk the clock away. As a fan and coach this can turn a sure victory into a nail biter.
I am not saying a team should run up the score when they are ahead of a lesser opponent. However, I do believe that teams should continue to play “their game.” I am a high school football coach and one of the things we have moved to for the last three years is a strictly no-huddle offense. While we are not trying to have an Oregonian pace, we do try to speed the game up to pressure the defense. One of our biggest challenges has been late in games when we have a lead and want to run time off the clock. As a play caller, I get into a rhythm calling plays (especially when we are having success) and the players also get into a rhythm. It has proven to be very difficult to suddenly try to slow down the pace. On several occasions it has led to game becoming nail biters when we really should have been able to relax. If I am seeing this while coaching/working with high school student-athletes, I can’t imagine the effect this can have on better trained athletes at the collegiate and professional levels.
When push comes to shove, it is up to the individual team/coach to decide when and how it is appropriate to hold on to a lead. The goal of all coaches and teams is to win the game. The method used to secure the win is going to be different depending on many factors, but as the saying goes, “a win is a win.” In reality some of the only people who care about a final score are the fans. To the players and coaches they are looking for wins and constant improvement. Having bad games, but winning can be very advantageous to a team. It allows the team and coaches to see areas of weakness and attempt to fix those areas.
Last night Syracuse beat Georgetown 64-61 in overtime. Some say they won because they played “stall ball” the last three plus minutes of the game. Others say they ended up having to squeak it out in overtime, because of “stall ball.”
One thing is certain and should have been certain before this game: Syracuse is at their very best when they can score in transition and at their worst when they are forced into a slower pace where consistent half court success is necessary. It should be noted that for as long as I can remember Syracuse has always been at their best when they are scoring in transition/fast break situations. The difference is that, even with some of the better Syracuse teams, in the past when they were forced into half court games they lost. This year when Syracuse is forced into half court games they still win, it isn’t pretty, but as they say “a win is a win.”
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