A Southern California high school basketball coach has been suspended for bad sportsmanship after his team won 161-2 in one of the state’s most lopsided games in history.
Arroyo Valley High girls’ coach Michael Anderson said that he wasn’t trying to run up the score or embarrass Bloomington High during Monday’s game, the San Bernardino Sun reported.
He said if he could do it all over again, he “wouldn’t play the game at all.”
“The game just got away from me,” Anderson told the Sun Friday. “I didn’t play any starters in the second half. I didn’t expect them to be that bad. I’m not trying to embarrass anybody. And I didn’t expect my bench to play that well. I had one (bench) player make eight of nine 3s.”
He said he even opted not to boast his team’s score on Maxpreps.com and didn’t report the blowout to any newspaper. Photos of the final score were posted to the team’s Facebook page, however, the Sun reported.
Bloomington coach Dale Chung said “people shouldn’t feel sorry” for his team for losing.
“They should feel sorry for [Anderson’s] team, which isn’t learning the game the right way,” he told the Sun.
“I’ve known him for about seven years … He’s a great X’s and O’s coach,” Chung continued. “Ethically? Not so much. He knows what he did was wrong.”
Bloomington athletic director Chris Brickley, who was not at the game, added: “I think they crossed the line although I don’t think Arroyo Valley agrees with that.”
Anderson was suspended for two games. He is expected to return for a home game Monday against San Bernardino as part of a MLK Day event.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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