Augustana College - Rockety I Yearbook (Rock Island, IL)

Page 190 text:

2? Jifififg, S '11, Q fe 4 .f-. ' P x bfflila' if at , f 3 N . f-fa I f .if f X ks - gi JI' Ni, V A Augustana rebounds against Ca t age 5:-'QFIEAV Although the Hnal record for the 1947f1948 Augustana basketball season was seven games won and 13 lost, the team- had a fairly successful season. The Vikings ran up a 5Ofplus average per game, and after a slow start, struggled upward to finish in a tie for fifth place in the Little Nine. Augustana also boasted the second highest scorer in conference play-Guard Bob Gildea who averaged 14.3 points. Gildea received honorable mention in the Little Nine allfconference selections. The Vikings lost single games to Grinnell, Wheaton, Western Illinois, Illinois Wesley' an, Illinois College, Lake Forest, and Millikan. They lost both games with St. Ambrose, and took one out of three contests with Monmouth. Knox won in Galesburg, but Augie took the Rock Island contest. Elmhurst followed Knox's path in splitting with Coach Butch Stolfa's cagers, and Carthage dropped both of its games with the Vikings. Augie also won matches with North Central and Cornell. . At the lettermen's banquet at the end of the season Gene Schryver and Clair johnson were elected cofcaptains for the 19484949 season, and Bob Gildea was awarded the most valuable player trophy. Perhaps the most thrilling and morale building game was the Vikings' first victory of the season. Augie came on to its own court with five losses and no victories, and walked off with a '52 to 51 triumph over the Monmouth college Scots. Bill Burgus sank the free throw that clinched the game with one second left on the clock. Four more losses were in the book before the Vikings again tasted victory. The Vikings started to move the way they had been expected to on January 28. With nine losses and one win behind them, they took a thriller from Carthage in the Augie gym, 5 3 to 51. It was the Vikings' Hrst Little Nine victory. Again it was a free toss that asf sured the game for Augie as Captain Bob Riley scored with 15 seconds left on the clock. Augie was on the win road at last, and took Hve of the season's remaining nine games. Cornell fell next, 'i 9 to 5 4, and a pepless Knox squad was downed by the Vikings, 5 7 to 46. The Cornell clash was probably the most rough and tumble affair of the season. The Vik' ings scored 33 points in the second half, 28 of them divided between Schryver, Gildea, and Riley. Thirtyffour fouls were levied against Cornell. Schryver toed the charity line 18

Page 189 text:

KENNY NYBERG Center GENE SCHRYVER End DICK OLUFS End WAYNE SIMONSON Tackle PERRY ROOS Fullback ART WHALEN Halfback

Page 191 text:

times, a onefman season record, and sank ten of the shots. The Augie men led throughout the Knox clash, Cildea garnering 19 points. Most reserves saw action for the first time. The last athletic contest between Augustana and St. Ambrose college of Davenport was fought on the St. Ambrose home court, and as luck would have it, the Bees set aschool record by reaching 80 points, the highest Ambrose tally in the school's history. The sea' son's only serious injury occurred in this fray, with Rutch Johnson being carried from the floor in the opening minutes of the second half with a twisted knee. The ifth victory of the season was scored by the Viking cagers over Elmhurst, 46 to 40, on the Augie court. It was the slowest moving tilt of the year. Augie had the speed, but Elmhurst had the height. Riley topped scoring for both teams with a low 13. MOr1II1outh took the Vikings into camp at Monmouth for the second time on February 17, but the Augie courtment staggered back from their 65 to 5 7 defeat to win the next two. North Central came first, 49 to 45. Augie led at 47 to 35 with only four minutes remaining in the game. Stolfa put in the reserves, and the Cardinals got hot, but the clock was too far around to cause anxiety. Augie had its poorest charity toss night sinking only 11 of 27 attempts, but Gildea set a season record by dumping in 31 points. In downing Carthage, 59 to 52, Augie won its first awayffromfhome game of the sea' son. Schryver paced the Vikings with a sizzling 22 points. The season closed with a loss to james Millikin university on the Augie court, 65 to 51. The giants of the south tied with Wheaton for the Little Nine crown, and convincingly demonstrated to the Augie fans that they deserved that position. The Augustana B team cagers were coached this year by Warren Westcott. The Knox college freshmen were the B's first opponent, and after the, gun, the team no doubt ref gretted making the trip. Knox 46, Augie B 19, was the final tally. Moline Junior college fell to the Cats in the second clash, however, 48 to 32. Monmouth took the next one, 28 to 26, and Muscatine Junior college won 37 to 27. Augie overcame St. Bede 45 to 37, but lost to St. Ambrose, 47 to 32. Clinton junior college won 47 to 44, and Augie took its second from Moline, 41 to 26. Knox won a close one, 40 to 39, and Muscatine again won, 59 to 30. Bob Scott was high point man with a total of 62 points for the 11 games. BASKETBALL RECORD 1947 f 1948 Amon: OPPONENT Dec. Grinnell at Grinnell 53 56 Dec. Knox at Galesburg 43 52 Dec Wheaton at Rock Island 63 78 Dec. Holiday Tourney- Western State 47 62 Dec Holiday Tourney - Monmouth 53 69 Ian. Monmouth at Rock Island 52 51 Ian. Illinois Wesleyan at Bloomington 55 71 Jan. Illinois College at Jacksonville 60 73 Jan. St. Ambrose at Moline Fieldhouse 38 55 jan. Elmhurst at Elmhurst 33 42 jan. Carthage at Rock Island 53 51 jan. Cornell at Rock Island 59 54 Feb. Knox at Rock Island 57 46 Feb. Lake Forest at Lake Forest 52 54 Feb. St. Ambrose at Davenport 58 80 Feb. Elmhurst at Rock Island 46 40 Feb. Monmouth at Monmouth 57 65 Feb. North Central at Rock Island 49 45 Feb. Carthage at Carthage 59 52 Feb. james Millikin at Rock Island 51 -Q TOTAL 1,038 1,161 Tipfoff against Ambrose