THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BASKETBALL
TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE
Basketball fans feasted heartily during the holiday season. Their sideboard groaned under the weight of the Motor City Classic, the Gator Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Big Seven, the Queen City Invitational, the Blue-Gray, plus a dozen or so other major and minor elimination tournaments. But the best basketball of all was savored at Madison Square Garden where the feature was an elimination series among eight top teams of the country.
The finalists were La Salle and Duquesne whose lineups include three All-Americas. La Salle's was tall Tom Gola, 6 feet 7 inches, probably the finest collegiate player today. The Dukes had towering Dick Ricketts, 6 feet 7½ inches, and Sihugo Green, a 6-foot-2½ inch forward who bounds incredibly high off the floor.
Gola poured in 30 points, starred magnificently on defense but two All-Americas proved better than one. Duquesne, playing without a single substitution, beat La Salle 67-65.
Hook shot is tried by SI Green of Duquesne during game against Dayton. Bill Uhl, Dayton 7-footer, makes futile attempt to block the ball.
Gola passes ball out to teammate Frank Blatcher after snaring a rebound during the game against UCLA.
Duquesne out in finals with La Salle brings Si Green (front left) dashing in to take pass. Guarding center alley is Gola while Alonzo Lewis of La Salle waves his hands and prepares to block possible throw to Dick Ricketts in back court.
Driving hard past La Salle Guard Fran O'Malley, Mickey Winograd, Duquesne play-maker and guard, goes in for a lay-up. Adroit ball handling by Winograd, who played his best game this season, helped Dukes to play possession basketball, control tempo of game.
Gola blocks one-handed push shot by high-jumping Green. Despite this failure Green managed to get 23 points, same amount scored by teammate Dick Ricketts, who played fine game even after he suffered a sprained ankle from a hard fall during the first half.
Gola scores using his great height to tap the ball against the backboard. He scored last five baskets made by his team but Duquesne staved off the La Salle rally by intercepting passes, freezing the ball, forcing Explorers into costly fouls.
SEVEN PHOTOS