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By Chuck Mitchelmora
^■■■■iwmmmmmmwmammmmm Emerald Co Sporlt Editor ■■■
'I rouble at tin- foul Fine seems to be the foremost topic
for sports writers' discus-ion this week, so since it’s Fridas
when we try to pour what’s been left,amt all week into a
warmed-over hash, we ll take our turn carrying the torch
for a few paragraphs.
Writers have batted around the three minute rule, two
kinds of one plus ones, statistics and figures, but tin* present
question at hand is just why can’t the Oregon Duck find
the basket when they get into that big circle all by them
selves ?
Sports hditor I tick Strite of the Kcgister-f luard came out
with the rather astonishing fact that the Webfoots lost a
total of 50 points at the foul line during last week’s pair with
Washington. This, of course, is acting under the assumption
that the locals could have hit all their free shots,
Oregon's season average for foul shooting is a meek .578,
while its Northern Division mark is even worse. The Duck
figure look pretty anemic alongside the N'D leader. Oregon
State, w hich is hitting at a .698 clip in conference play. George
W ashington university, number six n the Assocated Press
natonal hoop poll, tops the nation with a season’s mark of .752.
The answer to the question which naturally follows all the
comparisons is one which Coach Hill Borcher wants to know
right away, preferably before Oregon drops any more N’D
games because of the inaccuracy.
J lie Oregonian s I,. II. Gregory has been delving into the
matter often as a space filler and has attracted several theories
from his industrious letter-writing readers. ()ne of the stronger
possibilities concerns method at the foul line, with the reader
favoring, along with quite a few coaches, the old two-handed,
underhand shot.
OSC Example
The writing reader pointed to Oregon State as an example
of the success of the old method, hut chose a poor time to
point a linger. 'I he Heavers shoot all their free throws under
handed, but just before being bragged about, tliev hit their
low peak against Oregon and the argument was weakened.
The old system of dragging the hall up from the floor is
the most natural one, according to an assistant college coach
we know. "As our friend, "and when it comes time to shoot
a foul shot, their muscles tighten when they lift up the ball
for a one-handed try. The natural way is to let their arms hang
down and shoot underhanded.”
Practically all the Oregon players shoot one-handed at the
foul line, hut they are free to choose the best method that gets
the ball through the basket. It appears that they haven’t found
the best one yet. Horcher gave up prolonged practices at the
foul line after the team s \\ ashington series following a week
oi hour and a half workouts on free throws each day.
I nless one of Gregory’s readers can come through with a
cpiick solution, the Ducks appear doomed to the poorest mark
on the coast.
Odds and Ends
Congratulations to Hal Reeve on his lucrative Canadian
contract with Edmonton's Eskimos and on his brand new
daughter . . . Also good luck to Jack Patera in his professional
career, beginning next year with the Baltimore Colts . ..
Apologies for the Sports Department to Hill Bowcrman for
slighting him as track and field coach, and also to Bill Horcher
who lias enough to do without taking on Bowerman’s duties
. . . More apologies to Jasper McGee, not McGhee, and good
luck in the junior college of his choice . . . Still more apologias
to Alex Hyler. Looks like news side will never spell his name
right , . .
Thanks to Emerald Columnist Hob Funk for the asked-for
satire on the grand old black-and-white-dressed men of the
maple court in Thursday’s paper . . .
In conclusion, a comment of the week cut from our part
ner’s Monday column . . . Following Saturday night’s Wash
ington game, Husky Coach Tippy Dye bemoaned his team’s
shooting, “we’re the worst shots in the league,” he said. "If
we could get somebody that could hit, we might win some
hall games.”
The Huskies won Friday hitting .244. Saturday they lost
with a .424 mark. As Jerry said for Monday, ‘‘it’s a tough
league.”
Hale Kane Drops Eagles for League Title
(Continued from l>af/c four)
a 1-1 deadlock, but the Legal
Eagles drove to a 7-6 halftime
margin. Hale Kane then fought
back to take a 14-12 lead at the
third quarter mark. Hale Kane
moved to a bigger lead in the
final stanza and they won the.
gtime going away. Pinjuv’s nine
points led the scoring.
Hale Kane
Fujita 5 ....
Attig .
Averill 2
Kanada 1
Burt‘2 .
(19) (14) Eagles
.F. Moore
.F. 1 Peterson
.C. 1 Thalhofer
.G. 1 Ingerson
.G. 1 Altman
Subs: Hale Kane — Yano, Pin
juv 9, Chang. Legal Eagles —
Givan 4, Waliser 6, Nash.
Shaw Selected
As Outstanding
Sports Figure
PORTLAND (APi — George
Shaw, the University of Oregon’s
star quarterback, was named the
state’s outstanding sports per
sonality of 1954 in the annual
Banquet of Champions here
Thursday night.
Shaw, the nation’s offensive
leader in college football and the
fitst man selected in the annual
professional football draft, re
ceived the Bill Hayward memor
ial trophy at the banquet spon
sored by the O r e g o a Sports
Writers and Broadcasters associ-|
ation.
Selected by the vote of 50
members at the banquet, Shaw
was picked over eleven other fin- !
alisfs in the final voting. A
plaque was awarded to each of
the others, including Oregon’s top
miler, Bill Dellinger and OSC’s
basketball 7-footer, Swede Hal
brook.
Other finalists, were Dale Lea
bo, Portland, softball; Ray Hyde,
Portland, semi pro baseball;
Wayne Sturdivant, Milwaukie,
high school coaching; Duane Mel
lcm, St Helens, high school ath
lete; Carole Jo Kabler, Suthcr
1m, golf; Bill Goetter. Hil'sboro.
bowling; Jack Puscas, Eugene,
amateur boxing; Clay Brown
Portland, baseball ownership;
and Maureen Murphy, Portland,
swimming.
Duquesne '5'
In NIT Field
NEW YORK (API — The big
grab bag ia now open for the
post-season c o 11 e g e basketball
tournaments, and the National
Invitation at Madison Square
Garden has taken the initiative
by plucking fourthwanked Du
quesne.
The Iron Dukes, runners-up
last year to Holy Cross in the
event and present holders of a
14-3 record for the season, con
firmed Thursday they would play
in the garden tournament March
12-14-15-17-19.
The National Collegiate Ath
letic association championship
gets under way with regional
playoffs March 7-8 and closes
with the finals at Kansas City
March 18-19.
Even if there were not a con
flict in dates, NCAA rules would
forbid a team playing in both
tournaments. So there usually is
a brisk tug-of-war this time of
year for available strong inde
pendents.
The NCAA field consists of
champions from 15 conferences
and nine teams picked at large
i from the various regions.
The official college tournament
is expected to get most of the
; members of the top ten in the
i national rankings, including the
i three leaders — San Francisco,
Kentucky and LaSalle in that
I order.
San Francisco is an inde
! pendent team which the NIT
officials will make a strong bid
for, but don’t expect to get.
“Our information is that Frisco
is being pressured to play in
: the NCAA,” a Garden spok£s
l man said.
Utah, George Washington, and
UCLA — No. 5, 6 and 8, respec
tively — are slated to go NCAA,
if they qualify either through
conference titles or special bids,
as is the Big Ten’s Illinois, No.
10. North Carolina State, No. 7,
is on NCAA's, probation list and
ineligible.
Marquette, No. 9, is one of the
teams in the squeeze, sought by
the NIT and likely for an at
large invitation from the NCAA.
DO Wrestlers,
Mermen Ready
Oregon's wrestling squad trav
els to Corvallis Saturday to
tangle with the Oregon State
matmen in a dual match in Gill
Coliseum at 3:00. The event will
be part of the Oregon State Dad’s
Weekend.
Last week the Beavers and the
Ducks squared off in Mac Court
and the Staters emerged on top
by a 23-3 score. In evidence of
last week's match, the Beavers
will be favored again because of
more experience and depth than
the Ducks. However, the Oregon
team gave a good performance
last week and lost six of the
eight matches by only a few
points in decisions.
OSC Claims Champs
The OSC squad has two PCC
champions in Gary McLain in
the 123 lb. Class and Art Keith
in the 147 lb. division. Coach Jim
Dixon will pin his hopes on the
performances of sophomores Mel
vin Lehman, Ron Hicks, Lou
T a u c h e r , Bud Gienger, and
George Meyers in the heavy
weight group. Last week Tauch
er was the only soph to wrestle
and not win.
Oregon Coach Bill Hammer
named Roy Schlesser to wrestle :
in the first match against Mc
Lain of the Beavers. Schlesser
will be out to win this for he
previously lost only two points.
In the next bracket Darrell
Klampe of Oregon will face Mel
Lehman of OSC in the 130 lb.
weight. In the 137 lb. division
Bob Williams will grapple with
Orville Swindler.
Newland vs. Keith
PCC champ Keith will risk his
record against Oregon's Dave
Newland. In the 157 class Roland
Wilson will tangle with Ron
Hicks. At 167 for Oregon either
Jack Hendrickson or John Woyat
will wrestle against Bud Gienger.
At 177 Oregon's Ken Kesey
will grapple with Lou Taucher
and Dick Barker of the Ducks
will face Jim Schuster or George ,
Meyers in the heavyweight j
match.
ATO Keglers Top
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Alpha Tau Omega topped Sig- !
ma Phi Epsilon in an intramural!
bowling league match Wednes-1
day night by a 3-1 score. Other !
matches saw Hale Kane top Sig
ma Chi 3-1, Phi Kappa Sigma
down Alpha hall 3-1 and Gamma
hall tie Sigma Alpha Mu, 2-2.
It was Scott Page as usual
pacing the ATO triumph. He
bowled a high singles of 231 and
a top series of 560. Maurice Bell
led the Sig Eps with his high
singles of 188 and top series of
513. Pins went to the ATO’s,
2395-2290.
Bob Takano's high series of
529 paced Hale Kane to its win
over the Sigs’ The high singles
for Hale Kane was 206. Sigma
Chi was led by Bob Pollock, with
a high singles of 202 and a 469
series. The pin score was 2448
1935, with Hale Kane on top.
In the Phi Kap-Alpha match,
it was Sam Sorenson leading the
way for the winners with a 168
high singles and 456 top series.
Norio Takayama had a 160 high
singles while the high series for
Alpha was 413. Phi Kappa Sig
ma took the pin totals, too, 2033
1825.
Gamma hall edged Sigma Al
pha Mu in pins, 2060,1906, but
the match ended in a 2-2 dead
lock. Topping the Sammies was
Norm Seidenverg with a 167 high
singles and a 449 high series. The
Gamma high marks were 176 and
438.
Coach John Borchardt’s Duck
swimmers will attempt to get
back into the winning habit in a
pair of weekend meets with Ida
ho and Washington State at the
UO pool Friday and Saturday.
Beaten last week by Oregon
State for the first time in 18
years, the Duck mermen will en
tertain the Vandals Friday at 3
o’clock and the Cougars the fol
lowing day at 2 p.m.
The Cougars are making a
strong bid for the conference
title now held by the Univer
sity of Washington team, while
the Vandals claim an outstand
ing individual performer in 208
yard freestyle man Fritz Hottz.
A good chance is being given
to Harry Fuller and Yoji Matsu
shima of the Ducks in the 200
yard freestyle event and Pete
Tyerman, the top Oregon diver,
will face a reputedly-good Idaho
board man.
Another pair of close races
are expec ted Friday when Jerry
Froebe and Howard Hedinger
of the Ducks-go against Van
dal sprint star Jerry Jones in
the 60-yard and 100-yard free
style events.
The rest of the Oregon lineup
for both meets will probably be
as follows: 300-yd. medley relay
team — Bob Hays, Phil Lewis
and Jim England; 180-yd. indi
vidual medley — Boh Hays and
Fuller; Diving — Walter Ching:
200-yd. backstroke — England;
220-yd. breastioke — Hays and
Jean Bowles; 440-yd. freestyle —
Fuller. Froebe. Hedinger, Matsu
shima and Lewis.
WashingtonClub
Aims af Second
SEATTLE (Special) — Third
place—and an outside chance at
a final second spot—will be at
stake Friday and Saturday night
in the Northern Division basket
ball series between Washington
and Washington State at Seattle.
The visiting Cougars, with a
4-7 mark, currently are in third
place, a half game ahead of Tip
py Dye’s Huskies, who have a
3-7 record after splitting a series
with Oregon last weekend at Eu
gene.
The Eugene split left the Hus
kies with hopes of overtaking the
second place Ducks in the final
six games of the season, but it
will require a clean sweep of their
next four games, all in Edmund
son Pavilion, against the Cougars
and Ducks.
Washington State naturally is
the first target, and the Huskies
hope to win both games to atone
for what they consider a lost op
portunity. That came three weeks
ago when the Cougars edged
them 74-73 with a foul shot after
the final gun.
Since Dye's quintet won the
first game of the series 89-68,
they have been installed as favor
ites in the Pavilion battles, but
first must find a way to slow
down Ron Bennink, second high
scorer in the division.
Jerry Johnson held Bennink to
three field goals in the first game
at Pullman, but was injured that
same night and hasn’t seen action
since. Husky medics hold little
hope that he will play much, if
any, this weekend. With Johnson
out of the lineup, the defensive
assignment on Bennink probably
will fall to Ron Olsen, his replace
ment.
Dye came up with a new of
fensive pattern last weekend as
the Huskies beat Oregon 54-52 in
overtime Friday and lost a 64-63
chiller Saturday.