AAU title game shut down after official leaves the floor (with video)

IOWA CITY - A highly competitive AAU championship game ended early Sunday afternoon when an official left the court in the first half to protest multiple fouls and trash talking.

At the University of Iowa Field House, the local Iowa Barnstormers led the Madison-based Wisconsin Force 20-15 with 3:07 left in the first half in the Spring Fling Tournament. After a series of fouls, shoves and a heavy amount of trash talking, an official called the game.

"I've never seen a referee quit," said Iowa Barnstormers Co-Director Jamie Johnson, who was in charge of the tournament. "I get it. It was a rough game going on. There was a lot of pushing, a lot of shoving. But to me as an official you just keep calling the fouls and eventually they'll quit doing it or there won't  be any players left to play. We're here to play, so I have a feeling the kids will back it off.

"It just got too rough, they let it go too long and our referee quit. What do you say to that?"

Barnstormers Coach Jamie Pettigrew and Force Coach Craig Everson both were displeased with the way the game was called. But both said afterward they wanted to continue to play.

The game featured several potential Division I prospects, including Wisconsin Force guard Junior Lomomba, who stands about 6-foot-5. Lomomba originally planned to visit the Iowa campus on his way out of town but the team instead chose to drive to Madison.

"There are some calls you have to call, otherwise it gets out of hand," Lomomba said.

Lomomba sank a 3-pointer to start the game. Then the Barnstormers' Joe Scott (Davenport West) hit back-to-back 3s to take a 6-3 lead. But twice there was game stoppages for minor scuffles that prompted technical fouls.

The Barnstormers won two of the three titles outright, claiming the 16-year-old and 15-year-old championships. In both games the Barnstormers beat the Wisconsin Shooters for the titles. The outcome of the 17-year-old title was left undecided.

"I know we were winning by five when they called it," Johnson said. "I know we beat them in the past. I wanted to finish the game. I'd like to see in the long run who the winner was. Again, I've never seen this before so I don't know what to describe it or what to call it."

The Barnstormers' 15s rallied from a nine-point second-half deficit to beat the Iowa Mavericks 69-64 in the semifinals. Kyle Haber of Dubuque Senior scored 15 points, while Bettendorf's Cole Clearman added 11. Clearman provided one of the top plays late with a steal and then icing the game with a pair of free throws. Wyatt Lohaus, son of former Iowa player Brad Lohaus, added 10 points.

In two years the tournament grew from 24 teams to 38 and teams came from four states.

"I think the weekend overall was successful," Johnson said. "There's a lot of good basketball players here from a lot of different cities and a handful of states. It was good. It grew. I expect it will grow even more next year and I look forward to getting after it again next year.

"I thought the competition this year was a step above. Again, I hoped it would have ended a little better than a sour note. "