Clue #7 - The Detective

As luck would have it, the local detective, Detective Max Dunkwell, happened to be at the competition, watching his children's teams play. After learning about the missing basketballs, he swiftly found his way to the referees' office and joined the scientists to assess the situation. All the scientists were in agreement that, upon their arrival at the tournament early that morning, the basketballs were safely stored in the closet. Therefore, the crime must have occurred on that day.