Shot clock gets assist in Bishop Gorman’s comeback vs. Liberty

More than an hour after Bishop Gorman defeated Liberty 97-95 in a double overtime thriller at the Gorman gym Tuesday night, a group of basketball junkies was standing in a circle on the court and still talking about it not far from where Gorman’s John Mobley sank the game-winning shot.

This game was that good.

At the other end of the gym, Gaels coach Grant Rice was holding court with confidants in the bleachers after the nine-time reigning state champs rallied from 18 points down to remain undefeated.

There was a lot to unpack about the big comeback and the frenetic finish, not the least of which was the experimental use of a shot clock and the game being played in two 16-minute halves instead of the usual four eight-minute quarters.

“Sixteen minutes (with limited timeouts) is a long time, so we tried to pick our spots with our press and our pressure,” Rice said after the memorable victory improved Gorman’s record to 10-0. “It wasn’t desperation by any means … so you’ve got to love the shot clock.”

Rice said after the National Federation of State High School Federations approved a 35-second clock for the 2022-23 season, he received the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association’s blessing to introduce a 30-second version at the Tarkanian Classic.

The clock wasn’t expected to dramatically impact uptempo teams such as Gorman and Liberty. But after the Patriots took the big lead and their sophomore playmaker Dedan Thomas Jr. — son of the former UNLV starting guard of the same name — fouled out with 4:10 remaining and Liberty still up by nine, the Patriots weren’t able to milk the clock.

When Gorman turned up the pressure, Liberty’s reserve guards had difficulty adjusting to the quickening pace. It was those developments and some clutch long-range shooting that paved the way for the Gaels’ turnaround.

But give the shot clock the biggest assist.

“It changes the game, and it’s the way it should be played,” said Rice, who predicted the NIAA will fall in line with other state governing bodies in adopting the clock.

Around the horn

— There were few tears shed when T.J. Otzelberger resigned as UNLV basketball coach to assume the same position at Iowa State after two middling seasons. But his Cyclones are 12-0 and ranked No. 9 with victories over Xavier and Creighton and a 20-point blowout of rival Iowa, which must have some Rebels fans reaching for the Kleenex.

Iowa State hosts No. 1 Baylor on New Year’s Day.

— Any local businesses interested in a one-off NASCAR sponsorship opportunity ahead of the March 4 to 6 Pennzoil 400 weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway might want to reach out to Brandon Brown.

The Xfinity Series driver broke his silence last week on the “Let’s Go Brandon” euphemism during a media tour. He said he is having trouble attracting financial support after NBC pit reporter and Las Vegas resident Kelli Stavast mistakenly interpreted a crowd chant disparaging President Joe Biden as a cheer for Brown following his first career victory in October.

— Ohio State defensive tackle and Bishop Gorman product Haskell Garrett has been named the 2021 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year after leading the Rose Bowl-bound Buckeyes with 5½ sacks and being selected first team All-Big Ten.

Raiders backup quarterback and former Oregon star Marcus Mariota was the first recipient of the award in 2014.

0:01

Former UNLV quarterback (and ex-ESPN broadcaster) Kenny Mayne, commenting on a Twitter post showing a time-lapse day on Earth as seen from 36,000 miles away via satellite:

“Now I have a better understanding of the relative significance of a Sonics v Kansas City-Omaha Kings game from my youth. Time moves.”

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.