IMO leaving the ball there during the game would be an unfair distraction.So they don't have any other basketballs they can use?
I don't see why they just don't bring a ladder out.In gyms where I play rec volleyball, there's usually a flexible pole to knock down stuck balls, and the ceiling in even a middle school gym is much higher than the top of a basketball backboard. Odd that they don't have something like that in a college arena.