107-2 blowout gets big attention

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A girls’ high school basketball game blowout got a lot of attention Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Bloomington South’s girls’ basketball team defeated Arlington 107-2 Tuesday night, and many took to Twitter to comment on the score. Some even tweeted photos of the scoreboard.

In years past, both teams have been powerhouse teams and would give each other a run for their money.

Things drastically changed at Arlington High School this year and that created an uneven playing field that ended with the blowout. The game was scheduled earlier this year by IPS.

Ever since then a private company took over the high school, enrollment dropped and that hurt the team.

The school was reclassified from 4-A to 3-A and it will likely become a 2-A or 1-A school.

Arlington says it wants to honor it's playing schedule commitments. That means it is playing teams that are far more advanced in basketball skills and knowledge.

Some parents were angry about last night's final score. Arlington's Athletic Director had this to say to those parents, “Let's focus on us. Bloomington south's coach and team is well respected.

We certainly feel no ill will towards them” said Bob Wonnell, Arlington High School Athletic Director.

Bloomington South released the following statement on the game Wednesday afternoon:

"We understand the media perception of last night’s game. The girls on both teams played hard and continued to compete the entire game. To do anything less by either team would have been demeaning. Arlington came out and worked on their player development, as did we. The long-standing reputation of our program and coach is one that would validate this information. We regret any unintended consequences that may have resulted from this competition."

As of Wednesday morning, ESPN received word of the lopsided score. CBS News is even in town to report on the story.

Chris Kaufmam with the Indiana High School Athletic Association says blowout games like the one between Bloomington South and Arlington happen rarely. "It's not something we like to see," Kaufmam said.

Current IHSAA rules prohibit teams from forfeiting games and the IHSAA has no "mercy" rule on the books. Those are two options the coached association may consider after the season is over.

Kaufman says neither school has called to file a complaint about Tuesday night’s blowout.