Xavier University - Musketeer Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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Ofe MUSKETEER. Basketball WiLHELM Hl ' GHES Tracy y In past years, Xavier has been noted tor the high calibre ot its basketball teams. Blue clad quintets of tormer decades have astounded the sjiorting public bv startling leats ot stamina and prowess. Stars have come and gone, leaving their names carved in the golden niche reserved tor Musketeer athletic heroes. Despite this, it remained tor the season ot 1951-52 to turnish the greatest five ot them all and one that will be remembered at Xavier as long as the game itself exists. Faced by one ot the most ditTicult schedules ever arranged tor a Musketeer squad in anv sport, the team survived a series ot bad breaks to hand m the marvelous recortl ot ten victories and three deteats. Two ot the teams to gain an edge over Xavier were detected m later games at the Field House. This record was compiled in spite ot the tact that Bobby Sack, one ot the co-captains and high point scorers tor two years, withdrew trom school at the semester, break- ing up the smooth working, winning combination that Coach Aleyer had built up. Captain John Tracy kept the hoopmen together, however, and as soon as Jordan had gained the needed e.xperience, the team again clicked merrily along its devastating path. The Musketeer inaugurated the season by romping over Cedarville College to the tune of 56-12. With the high powered scoring combination of Sack and Tracy in action, goals were showered in trom all angles to the bewilderment of the up-staters. National spotlight was focused on the Big Blue in their next game, when they gained a well earned decision over the clever Carnegie Tech Tartans. The Pittsburgh quintet came to the Field House with an exceptional eari season record and were ta ' oreil to take the Musketeers with comparative ease. To the delight ot a large crowd. Sack and Tracy led their charges through a stubborn uphill battle that was climaxed when Kenny Ionian was inserted into the lineup and proceeded to run wild to tally seven points and put the tray on ice. The final score was 26-21. Following the Christmas holidays, the hoopsters returned to the wars with Centre College affording the opposition. The services of Sack were badly needed and the team played list- lessly in running up a 51-22 score on a team that they outclassed by thirty jiomts. The game was close until the waning minutes of the second halt, when Tracy and Mercuno slipped field goals through the net to place the Blue on top. The first road trip of the year ended disastrously tor Xavier. The team entrained for Michigan, where Michigan State and Detroit University were met on successive evenings. In the first game, the Alusketeers played a miserable first halt to trail 12-7. In the second period, they came to lite and outplayed and outscored the Spartans, only to be nosed out in the last tew second. The final score was 22-20. At Detroit, the team tell into a terrible slump which caused them to tlrop a contest to a club that simply was not in the same class PiU]e 170

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:7fe MUSKETEER. FRANK MERCURIO Captain-Elect In sports it does not lollow that the man who always makes the most points is the most valuable man on the team, althou h generally undeservedly, it is he who gets the most pub- licity and praise. It is logical that all the men on a well balanced team cannot be the point scorers. The Xavier basketball team ot the 1951-52 season showed their ability to recognize individual worth when at the annual basketball banquet they elected Frank Mercurio, ' 35, Cin- cinnati, to lead the ' 52- ' 55 Musketeers. Alerk started his basketball career under the late Dan Savage at Xavier University High, where he was a regular guard tor two years. In football Alerk also was a star at Xavier High. During his iirst year on the Varsity squad Alerk , at the beginning ot the season, experienced some difliculty in breaking into the starting lineuji. But once having been given the opportunity, he soon proved his worth, and betore the end ot the season his team- mates lound it seemingly impossible to disloiige him. The brand ot basketball he e.xhibited during the past year was ever commendable and praiseworthy. The manner m which he stopped innumerable shots of the opjionents in mid air. might indeed make applicable to him the name ot the man ot a thousand arms . For indeed his arms seemed to come from nowhere to trustrate the enemy when goals seemed in- e itable. His alertness e er proved an asset to the team in jienetrating the various defenses ot the opposition. Off the hardwood, Alerk is an active lellow in school activities, a good mixer, and possesses a host ot triemls. With a feeling of coniidence in his ability, we most heartily wish to him and his tellow teammates of the coming ' 52- ' 55 season go od-luck and success. Page 169

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CTfe MUSKETEER. Jordan Mekcurio ble was with the Musketeers. An overtime period was necessary for the Titans to eke out a 22-21 win. Everything went wrong for Xavier in this game and it may only be explained that it happened to be one of those very rare occasions when each man was off form, Bernie Wdhelm played well at Detroit, with Tracy and Corbett the shining lights at Michigan State. Back to the home court, the Blue netmen gave vent to their outraged feelings by administer- ing an unmerciful beating to the Dayton University Flyers. Every player had a field day, especially Dan Corbett, who scoretl thirteen points in the first half. The F lyers were una to score until late in the first halt, at one time the score standing at 22-0. The final score 46-12. The Washington and Lee Generals, members of the Southern Conference, were the next victims of the Xaverians. John Tracy placed the Musketeers in the lead early in the tilt and they held it all the way down to the final whistle. The score was 28-25. Tracy tallied sixteen points to lead all scorers. What may be considered at the highlight of the season, was the brilliant battle waged by the jMusketeers against Indiana University, one of the strong teams of the Western Conference. The Hoosiers. expecting little in the way of opposition, were surprised rutlely with the opening whistle, when Xavier hopped out into a lead of a few points. Their surprise turned to near panic when the Alusketeers clung tenaciously to the lead throughout the first half which ended 9-6. One of the greatest exhibitions ot smart ball playing was unfolded during the torridly contested second halt. The crowd went crazy as Indiana tied the score and the lead seesawed back and forth. With the score tied and twenty seconds remaining, an Indiana forward cut loose with a field goal to make the score 18-16. Xavier had no oppor- tunity to attempt a score as the timekeeper ' s gun ended activities for the evening. Revenge was the order of the day when the Titans of Detroit University met Xavier in a return game at the Field House. The visitors were soundly thumped and sent home with a 37-23 defeat tacked on them. lordan cut loose in one ot the most brilliant individual scoring rampages of the season ami dropped no less than nine field goals and a foul. The entire team played well in this sparkling effort. The annual game at the Dayton Coliseum pro ed to be more sad news for followers of the Dayton Fivers, as the Alusketecrs again crushed them this time by a 20-10 count. The team played sluggishly throughout the evening but their worst was still too good for the Flyers, who were never in the running. Corbett led the scoring with seven points. Two days later the Alumni threw a scare into the team and almost defeated them. The score was 25-23, with a last minute rally pulling the game out ot the fire. The Spartans of Michigan State met with the same fate as Detroit, when they faced the Musketeers for the second time. Xavier was set and prepared for them and in a systematic manner proceeded to administer a bitter, crushing defeat. State had defeated some of the best teams in the country, including the University ot Alichigan, but a determined blue clad Pa e 171