THE WEEK
WEST
Tex Winter of Washington says he is not snowed by UCLA. After his Huskies doggedly chewed a 27-point Uclan lead down to a mere nine-point loss during the last six minutes Winter barked, "Off this game, I don't believe UCLA is as good right now as it was last year. They're not playing quite as cohesively. I think some people can run with them—play their normal game—and beat them." That was just upside-down from Washington State's point of view. From trailing only 41-39 at halftime, the Cougars were convinced by a 95-71 pasting and gave out some satisfied testimonials afterward. But John Wooden agreed with Winter. "We played less as a team than we have in a long, long time," he said.
USC got to see the same two teams and wasn't bored for a minute. Both Washington and Washington State led the Trojans with seven minutes left. Troy blew a 15-point half-time lead over the Huskies, and only the last-minute heroics of Guards Dennis Layton and Paul Westphal saved a 12-0 record. "Crude but effective," Trojan Coach Bob Boyd said in his review of the 79-72 thriller. He was smiling but breathing irregularly.
Oregon's Ducks, anything but cold this year, tramped on Stanford 82-72 and California 100-81. Oregon State lost to California 101-100 in overtime, then beat Stanford 88-70.
New Mexico got balm for Friday night's misery (Brigham Young 72, NM 62), and Utah got heartburn when the two met again at Albuquerque on Saturday. It came down to the last 23 seconds with New Mexico one point ahead and Petie Gibson trying to hold on to the ball. When Utah's Eddie Trail went for it he was called for an intentional foul and then Utah Coach Jack Gardner drew a technical. Gibson went to the line and missed two. Willie Long missed the technical. Aw,——. But Utah committed another foul, sophomore Tommy Roberts sank two-and that matched Mike Newlin's last-seconds layin. Said Lobo Coach Bob King, "We lost this game eight times—and won it nine." The score: 78-77.
Utah State's Aggies, ranked 15th in the AP poll with a 10-2 record, defeated Denver 82-73.
1. UCLA (11-0)
2. USC (12-0)
SOUTH
Maryland froze second-ranked South Carolina almost to death (the Terrapins led 4-3 at half-time on a Howard White shot at the buzzer) and then roasted the Gamecocks with not one but two come-from-behind finishes (the second overcoming a 30-25 Carolina lead with 24 seconds to go in overtime). The Terps' heroes were two sophomore guards, Howard White, a hot dog who showed up for a team picture with a derby and umbrella, and Jim O'Brien, a newly cool cat. O'Brien, it develops, has an ulcer. His doctor ordered him last week not to think about the game, "so I thought how nice it would be to spend the evening skating on the lake near my home in Falls Church [Va.]." White and O'Brien kept the Terps close until, in the last seconds, White hit another jumper to put Maryland within a basket, then missed a one-shot foul—only to have 6'7" O'Brien lay it up and in. Overtime. In the wilder finale, five points behind, O'Brien drove and scored with 16 seconds to play. White stole the S.C. inbounds pass, and Dick Stobaugh scored. One point down, eight seconds to go. Another turnover, a pass, and O'Brien hit his sixth basket in six shots: 31-30 final score. As the net was cut down the home crowd sang Amen. Which was a lot better than fighting, as happened the last time the teams met.
South Carolina was also upset by North Carolina 79-64 in what was the big game of the week until Saturday. Forced out of their zone for the first time, the Gamecocks lost their first man this season on fouls and drew three technicals. They also lost their first game.
Western Kentucky defeated Eastern Kentucky 83-64 and Tennessee Tech 95-82, the former in front of Western's largest home crowd ever, 14,006. After another close win, this time at Mississippi State (79-71), Kentucky had its first easy victory of the year, beating Florida 101-75. The Wildcats celebrated by twice leaving 7'2" Center Tom Payne alone to bring the ball down court. The second trip Payne, pressed, dribbled behind his back and the crowd went crazy.
In a 51-47 game too controlled even for the ball-hugging Volunteers, Tennessee shot only 34% and was nearly upset by Georgia. Earlier the Vols throttled Mississippi's Johnny Neumann down to 26 points and won 98-85. Neumann upped his output to 37 points against Mississippi State—just seven points under his season's average—and the Rebels won 83-74.
Jacksonville crushed Miami 124-82, aided by 20 points or more from Pembrook Burrows, Artis Gilmore, Harold Fox and Vaughn Wedeking, and by the performance of the Miami team plane, which was three hours late on a 40-minute flight.
1. W. KENTUCKY (11-1)
2. S. CAROLINA (9-2)
MIDWEST
Marquette' bringing the visiting fathers up short, whipped Loyola 78-63 and Xavier 91-60. Loyola felt shortest around 6'11" sophomore Jim Chones, who got 27 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and six blocked shots. "He looked like the top of a mountain out there," Coach Al McGuire said gleefully. Marquette's thrashing of Xavier was its 23rd straight victory—the longest current winning streak among major teams—and its 49th straight at Milwaukee Arena, both school records.
Kansas was taking a study break. Northwestern wished Indiana's George McGinnis would go read a book somewhere, too. The 6'7" 235-pound sophomore from Indianapolis scored 38 points, snatched 23 rebounds and generally put words—extravagant words—in everybody's mouth. "Unbelievable," said Northwestern Coach Brad Snydor. "He has more physical talent than any other player I have seen in the Big Ten. Yes, more than Cazzie Russell." "George can go inside and outside or go down the middle and lay the ball in behind his back," said Indiana's Lou Watson. Snyder saw just one failing in McGinnis: he can't count to three. "The lane violation was not being called," he said. "Those guys were camped in there and eating lunch." That might account for the fact that Indiana pulled down 31 more rebounds than Northwestern, which was losing by a mere 69-68 before the muscle began to tell. After the 101-90 final Snyder concluded, "I'm tired of playing good games against great teams and not winning."
Purdue barely got by Minnesota 83-76 after the Gophers had suspended high scorer Ollie Shannon for missing practice. Taking up the slack, sophomore Jim Brewer scored 30 points and helped his team to a 37-32 halftime lead. But after four minutes of the second period Purdue was on top 45-42 and Minnesota was in foul trouble, mostly because of the muscular Purdue front line of George Faerber, William Franklin and Bob Ford. Purdue made 15 of 17 attempts in one-and-one foul situations, and Larry Weatherford scored 25 points, putting it away.
Illinois beat Michigan State 89-61, using four sophomores consistently and employing 14 players. Wisconsin lost to Michigan 90-89 on a last-second goaltending call, but beat Australia's indefatigable nationals wandering around the outback of Big Ten ball 94-63.
For the first time in 23 home games Drake lost, and to Tulsa 66-60, the last team to beat the Bulldogs in Des Moines. Now 8 and 5, Tulsa's Golden Hurricanes were led by Center Dana Lewis, who got 15 rebounds and blocked eight shots, and by Guard Steve Bracey, who got 21 points and stole the ball seven times. Louisville cheered up hospitalized Coach John Dromo with a 115-76 victory over Kentucky's Georgetown and a 90-72 win over North Texas State, but came a cropper for the second time this season when it lost to Memphis State 78-75.
1. MARQUETTE (11-0)
2. KANSAS (9-1)
EAST
Although Penn continued to dominate the East, Fordham extended its unbeaten string to 12 with a 102-78 smashing of Holy Cross. Kevin Stacom of the taller Crusaders scored 28 points, but Charlie Yelverton's 16 and a total of 36 points from two sophomores, Bart Woytowicz and Ken Charles, more than compensated.
St. Bonaventure, still operating without its most effective player, Matt Gantt, had to go without its other center, Tom Bald-win, against Kent State, conquerer of Purdue at Lafayette and loser of only three games by a total of just six points. The Bonnies won anyway 85-68. Unfortunately, three days earlier they were knocked off the undefeated list by Detroit, whose 7-5 record belies its fast improvement. Reviewing a defective first half, Detroit changed to a man-to-man defense from a zone, thereby overcoming an 11-point deficit and winning 75-73. "We're proving we can play under pressure." Detroit Coach, Jim Harding said. Then he almost lost to Loyola of Chicago and added, "But a lot of it is self-instigated."
Undismayed by subzero temperatures and a big dedication-night crowd at North Dakota State's new fieldhouse, Villanova scorched North Dakota 103-63 and North Dakota State 94-61. State was able to shoot over Villanova's zone in the first half, but when the zone began collapsing against the drive-and-fade jump shooters, the Dakotans were smothered.
Villanova had less trouble in giving St. Peter's the gate. The Wildcats ran past St. Peter's so quickly, in fact, that they looked like the Villanova track team off to an early start in the indoor season. "Where's the defense?" St. Peter's Coach Don Kennedy kept screaming. What defense? St. Peter's, giving up an average of 98 points going into the game, lost 118-84. Said Villanova's Jack Kraft about the Peacocks' one-way game: "Let's say they gamble on your missing."
Brown was eased out of an almost unprecedented Ivy League lead by Columbia 79-74. Previously a loser only to high-ranked South Carolina and Tennessee, Providence was beaten rather soundly by Boston College 83-71. Coach Dave Gavitt, who had implied before the game, perhaps a trifle too broadly, that Providence was the best team in New England, was reduced to saying afterward, "At least we'll never have to face Jimmy O'Brien again." O'Brien, the Eagle captain, scored 28 points. Boston College has now upset: Providence; Harvard at Boston Garden; St. John's at Jamaica, Queens and Davidson on its Charlotte court. Or is upset the correct word? Undefeated Massachusetts (10-0) was idle.
La Salle, now 9-1, walked away from Temple with a 63-58 victory when the Owls committed four turnovers and managed to hit just one field goal in the last four minutes. Niagara salvaged a 61-55 victory over Canisius in Buffalo, changing from a zone to a man-to-man in the last eight minutes to forestall a Canisius slowdown.
1. PENN (11-0)
2. FORDHAM (12-0)