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A high school basketball game in the state of Ohio ended in controversy over the weekend. The Harding Raiders were robbed of a win.
The final shot, which put their opposition in front, appeared to come well after the final buzzer. After a brief moment of uncertainty, officials ruled that the basket would count.
A STUNNER IN HOWLAND!
The Tigers pull off a 51-50 win over Warren G. Harding on a last-second layup by Carter Saul. pic.twitter.com/5mjSbD4RAc
— YSNLive.com (@YSNLive_com) January 10, 2026
Harding High School is located in Warren, Ohio which is about an hour outside of Cleveland. They recently faced off against nearby Howland.
The schools are conference rivals. The outcome of the matchup held significant weight. Unfortunately, one side received the short end of the stick.
Harding High School lost the basketball game.
They probably shouldn’t have.
The Raiders were leading 50-49 on the final Howland possession. The defense did its part to make the Tigers work for the last shot.
As the final seconds ticked from the clock, a Howland player drove to the hoop for a potential game-winning attempt. Time clearly expired before a layup got out of his hands and into the basket.
The buzzer sounded. The ball then went through the net. It was clear to most everyone, including the Harding players and media, that the shot did not get off in time.
Clock clearly at 0:00 and ball not even near the hoop pic.twitter.com/QaRXhmtGct
— Jeff Adler (@jeffadlerlaw) January 10, 2026
After a short moment of confusion, referees gathered for the ruling. They said the shot counted, ending the game to give Howland a 51-50 victory.
An online debate immediately followed.
Should instant replay be allowed?
“Just allow them to go to replay and get it right,” one follower wrote on social media after seeing the final play. “Problem solved. That ball was clearly in is his hand when the clock was at 0.0.”
It was a sentiment echoed by many.
The replay conversation has been brought up frequently in high school sports. There are pros and cons.
Obviously, the technology is there to make it possible. Getting calls correct on the floor should be priority No. 1.
With that said, stopping play to extend games for 14-to-18-year-old kids and their parents is a drawback.
For that reason, we’ve seen some compromise in certain states. Maine, for example, introduced replay for certain scenarios in postseason contests only.
Not every call can be looked at, but there can be reviews for buzzer beating shots at the end of games.
Unfortunately for Harding, replay was not available to the Ohio high school basketball referees this weekend. Rather than pick up their first conference win, the Raiders fell to 0-2 in league play.
Howland moved to 1-0 in the conference with the victory. Hopefully, it does not impact the championship race come season’s end.