Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1943)
What a lot of difference one little point can make. In a lop-sided game, one point either way is infinitesimal, a mere nothing. But in a close game that one, tiny point may reach gigantic proportions. And so it was Saturday night. One little point loomed mighty big when Bill Morris was fouled by A1 Popick of the desperate Ducks who were battling so furiously to gain possession of that ball and smash the 30-30 what with only 59 fleeting seconds remaining. Ever so calmly the veteran Husky backcourter, who was elected as all-conference guard last year, strolled up to the foul mark, figuratively with the fate of a ball game in the palms of his hands. Carefully he measured the distance to the hoop, drew a deep breath to clear his throbbing head, and swung the ball up unerringly. The minute it left his outstretched fingers, it was labeled “good". “Swish!" and Washington edged ahead ever so slightly. But it was enough. The timekeeper's gun slashed brazenly through the bedlam created by hysterical fans. Tt was all over. It Was a Heartbreaker To 2500 who were there the game will live for a long time as a heartbreaker hard to drop. But to the cruel, business-like record books it will go down as just another defeat. The two-game series which could have been a boon for the Ducks if they could have swept it, consequently boom eranged, and now our Oregons must cling in desperation #to that thin thread which is all that holds them within striking distance of the league crown. Laird H. Gfegory, the Oregonian’s veteran sage of sports, in his years of athletic reporting has seen come about through precedent, a sort of “unwritten law” regarding the qualifica tions of a championship contender for the ND loop. Number one requirement, Greg has found is that no team can win the pennant with more than four defeats. Rule Is Hide-Bound For twelve years now Greg's little “five defeats and you’re out" law has ruled with an iron hand. However, last year pre cedent was sent a-flying when Oregon State managed to stum ble into the championship throne room with five defeats and only eleven wins. Maybe this is another season for the grand, old law to take another pulverizing blow. From every corner of the conference comes the word that play in the league this year is the toughest ever. You can see ^rat yourself from the closeness of the scores and the way even wlider-dog Idaho has shown surprising fierceness at times. This corner wouldn’t be taken aback very much if Greg’s revered law of the “fatal five" was kicked around again. Oregon Still in Race So harken you Duck fans. Our Oregon’s aren’t out of this race yet. Not by a long shot. They were fighting with a lion’s heart the entire 40 minutes both nights, but those pesky breaks, which pay off in such big returns, were against them. Another thing was that the more-experienced Washington outfit was just a might steadier in the home stretch when the going got the- toughest. Washington’s outstanding man? Well, that’s a hard nut to crack in itself. It’s pretty hard to name one on the mere basis of two games. Chuck Gilnmr, 6 feet 5 inches of dynamite under the hoop, was a painful thorn in the Ducks’ side Friday night with his big 20-point evening.- He was an extremely wise one in work ing- under the bucket and a finished master of the fake-and Brioot style. Morris Heavy Scorer Another big gun in the Husky attack was Bill Morris, al ready mentioned above as contributing vitally in the second defeat Saturday. He garnered an even dozen markers in the first contest, was limited to only four in the second, but one of those paid off .... and how!! Thin-haired, paunchy Doug Ford was a constant scor ing threat with his wicked left hook shot from the keyhole. He got the boot in the second game on four personals, and despite his 15 points for the series, was a disappointment compared with last year. But we feel that more than anyone else, it was Wally Leask, the happy-go-lucky Indian-Eskimo kid who captains the Wash Agtons. who was the main spark-plug in the Edmundson ma chine. Wally is no scorer. He got seven in the first, only two in the second. But his value lies in his ability to hold the team together, kid them out of a serious situation, and keep that old run-run attack on the boom. .......iiiimumiuHiiimiiiiiimiiiiiiiHHllimillllllllllllillli|IIIUI'i:!ll!lllIIII|||tlmKI!ll1IIIIIUl|itlIJJIU|{J{j|lIj:i|| Washington Husky> Pre-Season Choice,, Finally Works Back to League Top Spot Washington, everybody’s favor ites before conference play was born, but later chucked for seem ingly greener pastures, was back in first place on everybody's league chart after trimming Ore gon's erstwhile league pace - set ters in a couple of speed-burners in Eugene Friday and Saturday. The Huskies started slowly and and unsteadily. Oregon State mop ped up the boards of their Cor vallis gym with the rated Husky pelt last Tuesday, 42 to 39. Wash ington looked very bad in missing the basket from nearly every an gle and position. The next night the Seattle quint seemed to recover its sea legs be cause they hung one on the Stat ers, 44 to 39. Then to Oregon where the Ducks stood aloof from their position at the head of the league. Ducks Whacked Twice “Boom! Boom!’’ Two quick games and the disillusioned Duel; was sitting on the floor surprised ly looking up to that silver plated perch where such a short time be fore he was seated. Brother Hus ky was lolling there, confident and self-assured. On other fronts, those door-mat Vandals of Idaho took number three on the chin, but gave Wash ington State a scare before going down for the count. The score was 54 to 46 but the Vandals were on the big end of the tally for almost half the first period. By halftime, however, the Cougars had recov ered enough self-composure to claim a 28 to 22 advantage. Forward Gail Bishop, WSC’s hope to reach the individual scoring mark of 192 set last season by Kay Turner, Idaho, rammed 16 points in the buck et, one more than Jack Ryan of the Vandals. Washington State on the wings of the victory plummeted into sec ond place with a two-and-oi e re ? ord. Oregon with three wins and three defeats and Oregon State with one-and-one pulled up in a third place dead heat. Washington Can Improve This weekend Washington eith er has a chance to greatly improve her none-to-secure position or have the props knocked out from under her. Oregon, still stinging from the double defeat, shoves off for Seattle for a two-game show ing on the unstable floor of tho Husky pavilion. Also planning games for Fri day and Saturday, Oregon State’s powerful Beaver unit goes up against Idaho's weak kneed Vandals in Moscow. Results of these series are on the questionable side. Washington will enter the Oregon game with, a slight advantage, while Oregon State appears to be a shoo-in over Idaho's impotent crew. Frosh Massacre Byerly’s Portland Outfit, 62 to 39 By MART POND After suffering a game drought which lasted more than a week, the University of Oregon frosh came through to swamp a touted Byerly quintet from Portland by a score of 62-39 Saturday after noon in McArthur court, just four nights after their victory over the Junior Rubensteins in another high scoring tilt. Apparently Coach Sandness of the Yearling squad has little need to worry about his club having to take vitamin capsules for any extra zip, for it was little of that substance that served the Frosh to out-distance the Portland men. Score Frequently The experienced Frosh team took great pains by means of the final score, to establish their su premacy over the out-of-town team. Running- things in much the manner that they desired, the freshmen started the contest minus their first team threat, John Miller, but succeeded ad mirably in convincing the Byer ly boys, that speed can be a de ciding factor in any game. Diminutive Dutch Simmons took over at the guard position for the Ducks and teamed with Bob Caviness who plays the op posite guard. These two boys started the flurries of scoring for the Ducklings by placing the ball in a scoring position under the Sportsmen’s backboard. While this skirmish was taking place, with the Ducks in posses sion of the ball, a pestiferous Mr. Rankin for the Byerly’s was not at all out-maneuvered by his op ponents’ scoring rash, and dropped some 17 points into the tally race before the contest had diminished into just another ghost of a hoop meeting. The scoring should have in deed been a comfort to the fol lowers of future “Tali' Fir” fans, for in their last three con tests, the Ducklings have scored more than 200 points. The last period of the fray Sat urday afternoon in the Igloo was torrid, with a tepid Bod Hod gins dunking 13 of his 14 points in this eventful period. Frosh Byerly Hume, 11.F. 17, Rankin Dezaney, 2.F. Nels Simmons, 2.G. 10, Prater Caviness, 9.G. 5, Metzler Sempert, 7.C.. Rade\ Substitutes: For Freshmen Hodgins, 14, Hamilton 7, Coen nenberg 16, Pupke 4, Hull 2; for Huestis, Smith New Co-Captains; Swim Times Show Improvement Last Saturday’s time trials for the swimming team showed some improvement over the Saturday before, but the team is yet below par for conference competition. At the time trials Ralph Huestis and Dick Smith were chosen co captains for the team for the en suing season. In the events, Prowell and Hoff man showed the most improve ment over last Saturday's time trials. Prowell turned in nis best 100 yard time in the alternating stroke medley, and turned in his best time this season in the 150 yard backstroke. Herb Hoffman turned in a good time in the 220 freestyle evert. He won the 100 yard dash, and swam the fastest leg on the free style relay. Last Saturday was Herb’s host day this season. Jim Gautier, the freshman flash, fell down on his time in his freestyle event, not showing quite as much as he has in the past practice sessions. A slight drop in time over last week’s, Dick Allen, freestyler, showed quite a bit of improve ment, and Saturday showed his best day of the season. Jack Pennington, freshman swimmer, had his best time in the 50 yard dash. The rook meet with Oregon State has been cancelled, which means that if the freshmen are up to it, they will have to swim in varsity competition, and like-> wise with the Oregon State fresh men. Buyerly, Burtis 2. Officials: Dick Ashcom and John Bubalo. HEADS DUCK SCORERS . . . . . . In their losing battles to Washington. Rolph Fuhrmun, firebrand forward, who gathered in 20 points over the weekend. <§ET THE URGE TO HELP PURSE m x HITLER/