Maine high school basketball tournament sees ‘historic’ use of instant replay
By Matt Junker, Bangor Daily News Staff
If you were lucky enough to catch the end of Central Aroostook’s thrilling Class D girls victory over Wisdom, you also caught an example of a new process in action.
In 2023, the Maine Principals’ Association approved guidelines to use video replay reviews in certain circumstances during the high school basketball tournament. And as those guidelines have expanded to include more situations, fans have been seeing them put into action for the first time.
While instant replay review was an option during last year’s tournament, MPA Executive Director Mike Burnham doesn’t recall it being used then. It’s already been used in multiple cases during this year’s tournament.
VIDEO REVIEW — Officials review a buzzer-beating layup by Central Aroostook’s Charlie Pierce in a Class D North Semifinal game against Wisdom at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on Feb. 19. They ruled that she did not get the shot off in time, but she was still awarded two free throws and the Panthers won the game 35-34.
“We want to get the call right, and it’s just another tool that we have where we can take a look and make sure it is right,” Burnham said. The MPA oversees high school athletics in Maine.
Those instant replay guidelines were developed by officials and approved by various MPA committees, according to Burnham. Bangor Daily News reporters have seen video reviews used at least twice in Bangor so far during this year’s basketball tournament.
The most notable of those instances happened in the game between Central Aroostook and Wisdom, when it was initially ruled that Central Aroostook sophomore Charlie Pierce made a last-second shot to win the game and was fouled.
“This is a historic moment here, that a game-deciding shot is going to a review,” a WHOU announcer said during the replay review, as part of the live broadcast of the game. Announcers also discussed how a replay review had already been used in the third quarter during a tournament game in Portland this year.
After watching the Central Aroostook replay, officials determined that Pierce did not get the shot off in time. Rather than a game-winning basket, she had a chance at two free throws for the foul.
Pierce stepped up to the line and made the first free throw to seal the 35-34 victory. Her team celebrated for the second time.
Central Aroostook coach Cody Tompkins was appreciative of the replay process, even if it gave his team an additional step on the road to victory.
“As a fan of the sport of basketball, I’m really glad that they reviewed it,” Tompkins told WHOU after the game. “Because if my team was in the reverse role, I’d want to make sure that they got it correct, and I’m really glad that they did.”
The guidelines for instant replay reviews like this one, as outlined in a document that the MPA provided to the BDN, actually requires a review in cases like this one — as long as the necessary technology is available.
“Game officials will be required to use the designated replay monitor when available to
determine if a scored goal at the expiration of time in the fourth quarter or any overtime period
should be counted when the goal would determine the outcome of the game,” according to the MPA guidelines.
Those guidelines have more recently been updated to include the review of shots that occur at the end of any quarter, not just the end of the game or overtime, according to Burnham. The expansion also extended reviews to whether a shooter’s feet are in bounds or not.
This expansion meant that there was a replay review at the end of the first quarter of the Class C North boys regional final between Madawaska and Mattanawcook Academy. Officials used video replay to confirm that a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Madawaska eighth grader Quinn Pelletier was in fact good.
Burnham said that replay review had been used roughly half a dozen times so far this tournament, “and used correctly.” He said that the expanded guidelines to apply replay review in more situations has provided more opportunity for its use.
“And it calms people down, because they know they’re going to get it right,” Burnham said.
Under the guidelines, the replay review process applies to games at each of the four basketball tournament venues — the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, the Augusta Civic Center, the Portland Expo, and the Cross Insurance Arena — when “official video equipment and replay capabilities” are available. Practically speaking, that means instant replay can be used at all semifinal, regional final and state final games.
Certain video monitor equipment is needed to conduct the reviews, and those monitors are only available when WHOU or Maine Public are broadcasting tournament games, Burnham explained. WHOU broadcasts the semifinals and regional finals, and Maine Public broadcasts the state finals.
“It’s definitely a valuable tool, and I am glad that we have a system in place on how to use it during the tournament, absolutely,” said Jeff Benson, the MPA’s commissioner of officials.