‘Dvj'A
By Bob Robinson
Emerald Sports Editor
The halfway mark has been passed in Northern Division bas
ketball play, and, as happens nearly every year, many of the
teams are pretty well eliminated from the championship race.
,\\ ashiugton, Washington State, and highly rated Idaho have
all fallen bv the wayside as the race has tightened up in the last
two weeks.
\\ ith these three teams falling behind it leaves only the Ore
gon Ducks and Slats Dill’s Oregon State Heavers to battle it
out for the crown. It hat; been many seasons since the two rivals
of the state of (tregon have been the top contenders for the
championship in the same season and if history repeats itself
there ought to be many thrills in store for rooters of both teams
before tin- pennant chase closes.
Actually, the Heavers have the definite advantage at the
present time. Although their seven won and three lost record
i- exactly duplicated by the Webfoots the Orangemen have a
much easier set of game- remaining than do their Kugene ri
vals.
Empty Seat Explanation
Athletic News Director, Art Utchman, called something to
our attention the other day which ought to he interesting to
many university students. It.seems that at the la->t Oregon-OSC
game in F.ugcne there were many complaints made concerning
the four rows of empty scats right behind the Oregon players'
bench. Many people who were forced to either stand up or sit
on the floor were quite perturbed that they were not allowed to
sit down in the seemingly vacant seats.
l.itchman explained that this section has in the past and will
be in the future saved for a seating area for the two competing
teams in the preliminary game, in this particular instance, the
Oregon Frosh and Clark Junior College. Litchman went on to
saj that if these places were not saved for them they would be
lucky to ever find a seat by the time they get showered and are
ready to watch the varsity fracas.
The whole Oregon athletic department is quite anxious to I
have this situation understood by all students and spectators so
that no more confusion and hard-feelings will be caused at fu
ture games.
Those Poor Referees!
We have heard so many wild stories and weird complaints
concerning the refereeing in the Washington State-Oregon
series of last week that we cannot help but stick our noses into
the matter and say a word or two.
In the fir-t place we don't believe that the two whistle-tooters
in question, Al Lightner and John Murphy, did nearly as bad a
job as the grapevine seems to indicate that they did. We won’t
say they didn't make some mistakes because we are well aware
of the fact that they made some very lousy calls for both sides,
especially in the last quarter when the game was getting tight,
lint, what we would like to know is if any basketball fan has
ever gone to a basketball game in which the referees did a per
fect job, one in which at the conclusion of the game everyone
in attendance was completely satisfied that the arbiters had
called everything just as it should have been called? It is our
belief that if a person is honest he will have to admit that at
every game he has attended there has been someone in the
crowd who was far from being happy with the course of events.
And that is only natural., When the rooter’s favorite team is
taking it on the chin it is awfully hard not to get aggravated
with someone and of course the first person handy is the ref
eree.
Different Attitudes
A good example of the above statement can be taken from the
Duck-Cougar tussles. With the crowd in attendance very much
a pro-Oregon gathering at both the games there was a great
deal of difference in the attitude of the rooters at the conclus
ion of both battles. In the first game, which the Ducks won
handily, 66-51, there were hardily any complaints at all to the
refereeing of Lightner and Murphy. But in the second rassle,
whoa! WSC took command of the game early in the fray and
immediately the Oregon fans began to take it but on the poor
striped-shirt men. Now, the thing we would like to know is that
with the same two officials doing the tooting at both games
how could there have been so much difference in the way they
called the fouls and infractions?
We don't think there was any difference. It was just a case
of Oregon rooters building up so much withheld emotion that
it just had to come out in one way or another. Since their bas
ketball team was sinking under the Cougar barrage, the quick
est way to get rid of it was to start heckling the referees and
that they did. Referees are hardly ever popular when the home
team loses a close game.
Phi Delfs Win
I. M. Hoop Fray
From Beta Five
Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Nu
scored basketball victories Mon
day afternoon in I. M. basketball
action and Alpha Tau Omega won
over Delta Upailon by forfeit in
another scheduled contest. All the
games were between “B” teams.
The Phi Delta continued their
march into the play-offs with an
easy 39-23 win over Beta Theta
Pi. Leading the way for the vic
tors was Pete Williams with ni.it:
points. He was closely followed by
A1 Mundle with six counters.
Chandler Sogge led the losing
five with eight points.
Sigma Nu had a much harder
time in winning their encounter
with Phi Kappa Sigma as they
were forced to go all out to win
a 33-27 decision. The Sigma Nus
grabbed an early lead and were
ahead most of the way but the
Pi Kaps were constantly pressing
their favored opponents and were
a threat right up to the final
whistle.
High point man for Sigma Nu
was Johnson with 14 points while
Waliscr hit the same number for
the Pi Kaps.
Monday’s games were some of
the last ones to be played in “B”
team action as most of the leagues
are through. Thursday will be the
last day of I. M. basketball play
with the championship tourna
ments the only action remaining
on the agenda.
O' to Meet Wed.
The Order of the “O,” variety
letter winners’ Huh, will hold a
very important meeting at the
Sigma Alpha Epsilon house
Wednesday noon, February 10.
All member* are urged to be
present because at this meeting
the election of new officers will
take place.
Only those members with
membership cards in their pos
session now will be eligible to
vote in the election.
SPORTS FARE
Tuesday. February 9. 1954
BASKETBALL
3:50. Court 40, Sigma Phi Epsilon B vs.
Chi Psi B.
3:50. Court 43, Nestor Hall B vs. Stiteer
Hall B.
4:35. Court 40. French Hall B vs. Susan
Campbell B. •
4:35. Court 43. Chi Psi A vs. Pi Kappa
Alpha A.
5:15. Court 40. Phi Gamma Delta A vs.
Delta Tau Delta A.
5:15, Court 43, Sigma Phi Epsilon A vs.
Theta Chi A.
HANDBALL
4:00. Courts 42, 44, 46, Theta Chi vs.
Beta Theta Pi.
In 1948 Stan Musial of the St.
Louis Cardinals led the National
league in runs, hits, singles, doub
les, triples, total bases, batting
average, slugging average and
runs bated in. He missed the home
run crown by one, smashing 39 to
40 for Ralph Kiner and Johnny
Mize, who tied.
Sports Staff
Desk Editor: Bob Robinson.
Staff: Bruce Tennant.
SWIM
Winter Swim Schedule
Afternoons 2 to 6
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Nights 7 to 10
Wednesday, • Tliurs., Fri., Sat.
BENTON LANE
NATATORIUM
4 mi. No. of Junction City
on Highway 99 West
Phone Junction City 8-2836
Webfoots Begin Drills
For Vandal Contests
Bin Borcher ran his Oregon!
Duck basketball team through an !
extensive workout Monday after
noon as the speedy Webfoots
looked ahead to their crucial week
end series with the Idaho Vandals.
h aced by a pair of games in
which they must win at least one j
to stay in the running for the j
N o rt hern Division basketball!
championship, the Ducks showed j
much determination in their first |
practice session of the week.
Borcher drilled his team on both
offensive and defensive maneuvers !
m hopes he could iron out some of \
the mistakes that were made in i
the last Washington State game j
last week.
The Webfoot team will indeed1
have the pressure on them when
they take to the maple boards
against Chuck Finley’s Idaho
hoopers. The Vandals, who were
all but eliminated from conten
tion by their two losses to Wash
ington last Friday and Saturday
nights, will have everything to
gain and nothing to lose in their
skirmishes with the Ducks.
On the other side of the ledger
Oregon will simply have to win if
they are to stay in the champion
ship race with OSC.
In the Monday practice session
it was much too early to tell just
who would gain the starting nods
against the Idahoans. ’The only
Duck to look real good against
W SC m the second game was
guard Barney Holland who dump
ed in 32 points and he is about the
only one whom Borcher is sure to
start.
SELL IT THRU THE
WAN?ADS
Don Wenil, Classified Advertising Mgr.
FOR SALE — Modem compact
convenient two bedroom home,
five blocks from University
campus. 566 East 18th. 2-9
Pianist wanted for 10 o’clock
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
dance class. Ex. 226. 2-10
Afternoon work for 3 men. Apply
1404 E. 21st. 7-9 p. m. Tues.,
Wed., Thurs. or call- 3-2977.
__ 2-11
IT PAYS TO PATRONIZE
emerald advertisers
BARNEY HOLLAND, stellar
Duck guard, will be counted or>
for Mime heavy scoring tW«s
weekend when the Ducks play
Idaho at Moscow.
Wednesday, Feb. 10
McArthur Court
7:30 to 10:00 p. m.
Tickets S5c
Now On Sale At The
S. U. Main Desk
Shearin
and his quintet
playing
at
v
SALE
On the balcony of the Co-op
Some odds and ends which have accumulated over '~e years—
All of these items will be sold at one-half price cr [ov» er.
Stationery
Ash Trays
Matches
Books
Pipes
Scrap Books
Drawing Instruments
Drawing Boards
Typewriter Ribbons
Chair Cushions
Founto-Ink Sets
U of O Co-op Store