Here’s a pre-exam week tip: Before you start pounding those
books, physics, math, chemistry, law . . . and even journal
ism . . . with unabated fury in an effort to convince that prof
he should give you a “C” and not a “D,” and thereby allowing
you to remain in school, keeping the claws of the navy or mar
ines from your shirt-tails for a spell at least, why don’t you take
a jaunt up Igloo-way for a last parting glance at our tall Duck
hoopers this Friday and Saturday?
Not in any pessimistic vein, because there’s been enough
bloomy Ouses around anyway, but just a plain fact, it might
he the last gander that you will get of college basketball—top
quality at any rate—for the duration. With the reservists just
on the fence, waiting to get their big orders envelopes through
the mails, just how many male-folk hanging around this old
institution by next casaba season is a matter of conjecture.
'I hey seem to be plucking them off at a pretty rapid rate.
Plenty of Action
. . . and anyway for a bit of a tonic before the finals week
grind commences, litis speed-bound, stirring action drama be
tween our Ducks and the WSC Cougars can’t be matched.
From past observations the Cougars, trained by Head
man “Black Jack” Friel, have always been partial to quick,
short passes with plenty of casting away at the cords. The
Pullman troop can honestly be classified with the speed
laden Washington Huskies for giving the fans a treat for
their shekal, or S. B. card.
Last year the Cougars were a tough pecan to crack with
jtf’qhain Kirk Gebert snapping- the big black whip which drove
the hrielmen relentlessly. By 1943 Gebert had gone the way
of all diploma men and in his stead has risen one Gail Bishop,
who even a year ago was making enough noise to rate an all
star first string corner. Tall Mr. Bishop has popped the big
round leather through the hoop for one of the best game aver
ages in the circuit.
Not All Alone
It isn't all a one-man job for Bishop. He rates plenty of help
from his supporting cast. Now take Bob Sheridan, a kid who
even as a frosh at Oregon two years ag-o, had b-ball connois
seurs ogling with approval. And since then he has fashioned
himself into an even more potent laddie. His scoring ability is
fine and his backboard stuff is better vet.
The rest of the Cougar assault rests on the husky shoul
ders of Scotty Witt of Longview, Washington, and A1 Ak
ins, aggressive guardsman.
Friel has seen his proteges popping in and out of first place
ldjUj a cuckoo in a clock, but always remaining within shout
distance of the pacesetter. "Black Jack" was seemingly
all set for the top berth without too much argument from the
league rabble, but then he awoke one morning to find his- cap
tain and floor leader missing. Yep, Owen Hunt, lanky and
smooth of action, was now toting a Garrand automatic and
thinking more about bumping off Japs than flicking the seed
through a string-surrounded hole.
Bad Break
I hat was a tough break . . . but the Cougars rallied from the
blow and went on without Hunt, and nicely too.
Though Webfoot hopes for the league pennant are now just
a prayer whispered at eventide, stranger things than that have
occurred in this zaney sports world. It still might be done
if Oregon State can maim Washington twice on the trouble
some Seattle boards.
Boost Oregon
_ As a parting blurb for this term .may we once again stress
I1®.' important to the welfare of your school, Oregon, to do a
little campaigning when you trot home for your six-day respite
at the end of winter term. You as college men and women, can
wield a lot of influence around your high school pals in their
decisions whether to attend college or merely wait till they
are nipped by the draft.
A few timely words now and then and a little urging on
your part can do a lot to erase dubious thoughts from their
minds about trying to pursue a higher education. And while
you’re talking colleges up don’t forget to put in several good
plugs for your own institutions—OREGON.
SPORTS STAFF
Co-Sports Editors: Fred Trcadgold, Fred Beckwith.
Swimming: Rollie Gabel.
Frosh Basketball: Mart Pond.
Intramurals: Art Carlson, Stan Pierson.
Features: Don Lonie.
Coed Sports: Mary Alderson.
Courtesy the Oregonian
EX-DUCK RETURNS HOME . . .
. . . Bob Sheridan, an Oregon fresh star before G-Man Ed Atherton
said “nix,” will be Jack Uriel’s starting choice at the center spot for
the VVSCers when they clash with the Ducks this weekend.
Tap
What with every game count
ing, and fie on all slips, the two
state of Washington casaba crews
face major tilts in their quest for
Nl) hoop superiority this week
end.
At present the Cougars of
Washington State and the Husk
ies of Washington are riding on a
Whirling, crazy, merry-go-round
which first dips one into the top
spot and then the other. So upo.i
these struggles Friday and Satur
day a lot rests, honor, prestige
. . . and money which will come
with the coast playoff tilts to be
ht Id in the north this year.
Washington finds itself facing
the questionable Idaho Vandals.
Ordinarily the Moscovites would
he chalked up with a defeat before
they even dribbled onto the Seat
tle hardwoods. Their record is
about as impressive as that of the
Eh: w'elphia Phillies. Witness:
one win cad eleven reversals. Any
thing but brilliant.
BUT, those wily boll-heaver.',
of J’ .••<* Brawn have sulked long
n in the gloomy basement
cf place to wish for a little
f.c1 -■h-ysrovement. Hence they
v i he lv pped up to whack those
greedy, out-stretched Huskies
i which are clutching
wildly at the loop crown.
Though the Vandals might slip
a “Mickey” to the Huskies, chanc
es are pretty slim, and you could
name your own odds if you cared
to In betting with a Washington
adherent. Look for the speedy
lads of gum-snapping, bow-tic
wearing Hec Edmondson to coast
in both nights.
Down here in Eugene the Ore
gons, almost ruled out of title
contention, but still striving to
raise their stock to second place,
play hosts to the itinerant WSC
Cougars, now on tour of the Ore
gon country.
An Oregon conquest in both
games would mangle Cougar
championship wishes beyond re
cognition. On the other hand
Washington State victories
would put the Pullman-men
hack up in there with more than
just spirit to hack up their
claim for the flag.
This series is a hard one to ana
lyze as anything is apt to occur,
probably will. From here things
seem to point for a double-Duck
victory. Partial home crowd, fam
iliar floor, more rest, and a good
morale make this forecast ring
pretty sound.
Ail-Operatic Program
(Continued from pane one)
Feminine voices include Marie
Rogndahl, coloratura soprano;
Margaret Zimmerman and Betty
Fields, dramatic sopranos; June
Johnson and Marjorie Junor, lyr
ic sopranos, and Barbara Bent
ley, mezzo soprano.
Male voices include Lee Ghorm
L. Beck Paces
OSC Victory
Northern Division
W. L. Pet.
Washington .8 4 .667
Wash. State.7 5 .5315
Oregon . 8 6 .571
Oregon State .8 6 .571
Idaho .1 11 .Ob.J
Slats Gill’s upstart Beavers
heaped more misery on the heads
of the fast-folding Washington
State Cougars when they once
again belted their visitors ail over
the floor at Corvallis last night
to win 54 to 84 and shove the
losers down a full game into sec
ond place.
It was the second successive
waxing that the Cougars re
ceived at Beaver hands, losing 51
to 35 Tuesday evening.
WSC moves over to Eugene
Friday night for a two-game se
ries against Oregon.
Close for While
Up until the last six minutes
of Wednesday’s battle the strug
gle was as hotly contested as a
crap game between two niggers.
Matters were knotted at 34 to
34 as the Cougars had come up
beautifully with a concentrated
scoring uprising.
Then the infuriated Staters
started hitting; Washington
State started missing, getting
nary a point in the final half
dozen minutes. Before you could
say Novorossisk twice, the
Orangemen had potted nine
points and the Cougar tail
drooped another notch lower.
The Washington State debacle
in the two games definitely gave
the Washington Huskies a fat
edge in this rapidly waning sea
son. They have but four games
left, two with Idaho and a pair
with Oregon State.
Berk On
Little Lew Bock was the big
gun in the Oregon State offen
sive, slipping home five field
goals and eight free throws for
18 points. Scrappy Don Durdan,
connected on five left-handers
and got one gravy toss to rate 11
counters.
Once again it was Gail Bish
op—plus Big Bob Sheridan—
who kept the Cougars in as
long as they were. Both gar
nered 13 points, hut that just
wasn’t enough when the Stat
ers commenced connecting.
Halftime count was 24 to 18
for the winners who moved into
a third place tie with Oregon by
virtue of their conquest.
Wash. State, 34
Witt, f .
Bishop, f ..
Sheridan, c .
Mahan, g .
Akins, g .
O’Neil, g .
Shoeff, f .
Davidson, g .
Oregon State, 43
Fg Ft Pf Tp
10 12
5 3 0 13
.6 1 1 13
.0121
.10 3 2
114 3
.0010
0 0 2 0
Fg Ft Pf Tp
0 14
12 3
0 12
8 2 18
5 1 2 11
...2 1 0 5
Cecil, f .2
Anderson, f .1
Warren, c .1
Beck, g .5
Durdan, g ...
Holman, g .
Officials—Emil Piluso, Hal Lee.
ley, lyric tenor; Raymond Leon
ard, James McMullen, and Wil
liam Putnam, baritones.