Milwaukee Juneau defeated Regis by a final score of 72-54 during the Division 4 high school basketball playoffs in Wisconsin. The score actually might’ve gotten even more out of hand if there was a shot clock.
This continues to be an ongoing debate.
Roughly 20 states do not use a mandatory, statewide shot clock for high school basketball. That can either lead to severely lopsided results or give the underdog a chance.
Wisconsin does not use a shot clock for high school basketball.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) does not currently use a shot clock in high school basketball. it actually voted down two separate proposals in 2024 and 2025 even though ~80% of coaches are in support.
Arguments against a statewide shot clock are based on three main factors:
- Some coaches don’t believe a shot clock would increase the level of play.
- Bad teams are forced to take even more bad shots with a shot clock
- Scores will get even more out of hand.
- The cost of installing and operating shot clocks can be prohibitive for smaller schools.
- Installing adequate shot clock systems can cost thousands of dollars.
- An extra official would need to be hired for every game to watch the clock.
- An extra official also costs money.
Arguments for a shot clock are rooted in exploitation. There are countless examples.
Appleton North beat Kuakauna during the high school basketball playoffs in Wisconsin last season. The crowd actively booed the Lightning as they stood completely still at the top of the arc and did not move or dribble for more than two minutes. Although the stalling tactics proved to be effective, it leads to a horrible product on the court. And what kind of way is that to win?
The same thing happened between Marshfield and Kimberly. Marshfield jumped out to a big lead during the second half and did not even try to shoot over the last 10 minutes of the game. It waited for the Kimberly defense to commit a foul. There was no way for the losing team to mount a comeback.
That leads us to the semifinal round of the Division 4 playoffs on Thursday.
Milwaukee Juneau beat Ea Claire Regis.
Regis High School defeated each of its first four opponents by at least 10 points during the high school basketball playoffs in Wisconsin. Milwaukee Juneau played its opponent a lot closer during the quarterfinal but ultimately prevailed to reach the semifinal.
It was a high-stakes matchup between two teams with a combined six losses on the season.
The Pioneers jumped out to a 32-25 lead at halftime. The Ramblers came back during the second half and cut the score to 39-37 but they never took back the lead and lost by a final score of 72-54.
This is where thing get interesting.
Milwaukee Juneau took full advantage of the lack of shot clock during the second half. It played keep away from Regis over the last five minutes.
My favorite March tradition: watching the winning team do absolutely nothing for the last 5 minutes of the game because there’s no shot clock pic.twitter.com/gaRC0zDnlJ
— Brett (SaldinoWRLD) (@SaladinoWR1D) March 20, 2026
On one hand, it was the perfect example of why Wisconsin needs to add a shot clock. The stalling tactics prevented the losing side from mounting a comeback. The Ramblers could not score if they did not have the ball.
On the other hand, it’s not like the Pioneers didn’t shoot at all down the stretch. They actually scored seven points during the final two minutes and 39 seconds of the game. Their opponent scored four.
Perhaps the lack of shot clock and subsequent stalling kept the score from getting even more out of hand. Juneau did not keep its foot on the gas while Regis struggled on offense.
Or, perhaps the lack of shot clock kept the Ramblers from closing the gap. The Pioneers did not grant them enough possessions on offense to climb their way back.
This is the first time I have ever seen this debate split down the middle. I typically lean heavily in favor of a shot clock to avoid what happened with Appleton North, Marshfield, etc. last season.
The matchup on Thursday night makes me wonder…
Which way would it have gone with a shot clock? Does Regis get closer to victory or does Juneau pull even further away? Let me know your thoughts at Grayson@brobible.com!