A boys varsity matchup between Indian Lake and Shawnee never made it to tipoff Thursday night after a roof leak forced officials to postpone the game.
According to multiple sources, water began pouring from the ceiling near midcourt just as the national anthem was wrapping up at Springfield-Shawnee High School. The JV game had been completed and both varsity teams had finished warmups when the leak suddenly appeared, sending water onto the floor.
Shawnee’s athletic director quickly placed large trash cans under the leak and surrounded the area with towels, while a maintenance worker was called in. Fans had packed the gym for elementary cheer night, and the young cheerleaders went ahead with their halftime performance as teams waited on the benches.
As the delay stretched close to an hour, players from both teams formed a large game of Knockout to pass the time, drawing laughs from the crowd. Indian Lake’s Cooper Hall won the impromptu contest.
Maintenance crews determined a faulty pipe was the cause of the leak and attempted to shut off the water using a lift. However, water continued to drip onto the court. Around 8:30 p.m., officials, coaches and administrators met and ultimately ruled the floor unsafe for play.
An attempt to move the game to Shawnee’s auxiliary gym was also scrapped due to limited seating and subpar court conditions. The game has been rescheduled for next Friday at 6 p.m., replacing Shawnee’s previously scheduled contest with Bellefontaine.
