Temple University - Templar Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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Dick Koecher makes a one-handed shot Back on the winning ways again, Cody ' s lads three straight, topping West Virginia, 46-32; Canisius, entrant in the National Invitation Tournament, 46-33, at Buffalo; and La Salle, 73-45, to set a new mark. Frosh Koecher, whose set-shooting, backboard play, and fine work featured the last half of the season, scored 47 points in these three games, totaling 19 in his Convention Hall debut. Muhlenberg came down to Philly and stopped the Owls for the second time, 48-38, wiping out a Temple halftime edge of 27-23 with a terrific flurry of shots. Once again pulling themselves up by the bootstraps. the Cherry and White courtmen scored four straight wins. They opened their streak by upsetting St. John ' s, 47-44, after trailing, 25-23, at halftime, and near the close of the game. Budd ' s 12 and Joyce ' s 11 points featured the Owl attack. Washington and Jefferson ' s quintet was the next victim. The Western Pennsylvania team couldn ' t cope with the attack of the Templars, which was greatly aided by Koecher ' s 18 tallies, and went down, 56-41. The Owls successfully invaded State College for the first time in years, downing the Nittany Lions for the second time, 31-30, in a thriller that was decided by Dave Fox ' s layup shot. The bigger they come the harder they fall

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Franklin and Marshall ' s service-manned quintet was the first victim of the longest winning streak of the for the Cherry and White, a five-game string. The Lancaster team fell, 51-41, Ingerman popping home 19 and Budd tallying 14. Hi Diddle ' s Western Kentucky team was the next Owl prey, dropping a 67-48 score-fest. Then the Sad Senors from Havana University found the Temple tempo too much for them, and they went down, 43-22, in a slow game that saw Budd, Blumenthal, and Ingerman accounting for 32 points. Winning their fourth straight, the fifth of the season, the Owls then punctured the Penn State zone, 45-38, for the first Temple win against the Nittany Lions since 1939. Long John ' s 16 points featured the winning onslaught, Ingerman placing second with 10. Some revenge for the Temple loss to Ursinus in football was gained with the aid of Ingerman ' s 15 counters, the Bears dropping a 42-34 contest after leading at half-time, 17-15. Four of the nation ' s top teams then proceeded to make life miserable for Josh and his minions, the Windy Corners ' lads going victory-less for two weeks. St. John ' s began the four-game down-trend by handing the a 36-32 defeat, and Norfolk Navy kept the Owls sliding with a 47-29 trouncing. The Cherry and White team staged one of the greatest rallies seen in Convention Hall, but lost to New York University, 45-43. Trailing at halftime, 16-29, and later at 29-41, they fought back to a 45-45 tie only to have Albie ' s game-saving goal disqualified. Albie scored 18 Blumenthal 13. Navy ' s top outfit, despite Ingerman ' s 12 tallies, brought the losses to four straight with a 45-33 triumph at Annapolis. Intense action at Convention Hall as Penn State and Temple tangle Marvin Sukonik takes time to do a handstand

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St. Joe moves the ball around Blumenthal snares the ball The Codymen rose to their greatest heights of the year in their last victory of the season, stopping the vaunted Western Michigan five, which had previously scored sixteen consecutive wins against collegiate fives, 55-51. Budd and Koecher totaled 34 points. Two days after the announcement of their N. C. A. A. Invitation, the Owls, slightly off as a result of the strain of their past games, failed in their attempt to retain the City Title. The fighting Hawks of St. Joseph ' s downed Temple, 48-46, to revenge their 1943 loss. They led at halftime, 28-20, splurging in the closing minutes of that period for a lead they never lost. Joyce scored 21 points in this game, the highest total for an Owl player during the 1943-44 campaign. Climaxing a highly successful season with an easy win over Catholic University, the Owl courtmen came out third in the Eastern N. C. A. A. tournament. the 14 wins for 23 starts does not look too impressive, we must realize that the team is composed almost entirely of Freshmen but who can say what today ' s Freshmen will do tomorrow? Fast action