Loras College - Purgold Yearbook (Dubuque, IA)

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Five seniors end careers Senior's Mike Thissen, Scott Petersen and Mike Jones all made important con- tributions to the program during the I975-76 season. All of them have been starters at various times during the four years they have played and all of them will be missed next year. Coach Bob Mullen started an all-senior lineup against Iowa Wesleyan in the final game of the year and the fact that the Duhawks finished the season with a 75- 7l victory demonstrated the ability of these young men and ended the season on a very positive note. Randy Skemp and Gerry Eggers, a pair of sophomores with bright futures at Loras, were han- dicapped at times by injuries but they were able to play together enough to demonstrate that Duhawk fans have something to look forward to next year and that Duhawks opponents have something to look out for. Skemp was second only to Bob Wagner in rebounding with I46 as compared to 268 for the big 6' 8 post man and IS3 for play making guard Mike Meyer. He was also well represented in the scoring column as his 288 points averaged out to ll.5 per game. This was third behind Bob Wagner who scored 529 points and had an l8.2 points per game average and Greg Gibney who scored 470 points for a I6.8 points per game average. Jeff Vorwald with 259 points, Mike Meyer with 2l5 points, Mike Thissen with l4O points and Scott Petersen with I36 points were the other scoring leaders for the Duhawks. Eggers, who many people feel is the most exciting player on the Duhawk team, has the ability to completely change the tem- po ofa game with about three quick trips down the floor. Unfortunately his ankle was in a cast until an early practice ses- sion and he was not able to play up to his full potential until late in the season. Jeff Vorwald, who became eligible this year after transferring to Loras from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. demonstrated his offensive punch on numerous occasions and in the games with Olivet Nazarene, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Westmar, and St. Mary's led the team in scoring. Co-captain Greg Gibney Cl4J shooting from deep in the corner, has become a familiar sight to Duhawk fans during the past four years. The diminutive Duhawk is about to score two points against the Redman of St. Mary's in a game the Duhawks won 96-7l. The scoreboard shows that at this point Loras led 32-I6. 4 L. Q i. Loras leapers. Mike Thissen C345 and Gerry Eggers C323 were air borne du ii this action a ainst St. Ambrose in V 19 S . the Loras fieldhouse. The Duhawks used a solid team ef- fort to defeat the Bees 77-70 in the first game between the two schools in the fieldhouse in many years. Mike Thissen C343 of the Duhawks is on his way to a basket in the 88-75 victory over Lakeland College. Thissen overcame a knee injury, suf- fered earlier this year, and proved to be one of the greatest defensive players on the team as well as a deadly accurate outside shooter.

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W' lt 'I Duhawk co-captain Bob Wagner used shots like this to score l396 gsm--14,5 Ig! 'A ith! . Y n . Q. iq g 1 3 1 E f Y ti s Ai sf.. points during his four year career at Loras. Wagner is about to score against Mc Kendree College in the season opener in the Loras fieldhouse. Other Duhawks watching the action include co-captain Greg Gibney CI45 Mike Thissen CBetween two Mc Kendree players5 and Randy Skemp. The Duhawks topped the Bearcats 93-76. Duhawk guard Gerry Eggers 4325 delighted the fans in the Loras Fieldhouse with this play against Briar Cliff. Co-Captain Bob Wagner Q525 and the Duhawk cheerleaders are in the background. gixfibsfiwfifiini EX' 3111'- L x f - ,-,, tm, ., ,. , ,.. , A gg tt at is , ., -5 24 -at ii Duhawk forward Randy Skemp C405 used shots like this one against Briar Cliff, to establish himself as the next candidate for membership in the Loras IOOO point club. Looking on is Bob Wagner 4525 the most recent addition to the IOOO point club. Jim McCabe scored 46 points against Upper Iowa during the l949-50 season while Bill Pender scored 44 points during the war year of l944. In the record breaking depart- ment Mike Meyer, generally considered to be one of the finest play making guards in the history of Loras basketball, broke All-American .lim KelIy's record of most assists in a single season when he posted 239 this past year to surpass the mark of l8I set by Kelly during the l973- 74 season. ,wid-MWW.....,.... .0-M .-iq I x J Scott Peterson C435 proved to be just as hard to stop on the road as he was at home. He is about to launch this shot despite the efforts of seven foot Tod Danen 1455 of St. Norbert. Greg Gibney QI55 Mike Jones 4455 and Gerry Eggers are following the action. Jeff Vorwald 1245 of Loras proved to be a tough man to stop in the game with Briar Cliff. Teammates Bob Wagner and Scott Peterson C425 await the outcome of this shot. LSU v I 'a ... , .. Loose Ball: Gerry Eggers U25 and Mike Jones C445 of the Duhawks controlled the ball during this action in the 88- 75 victory over the Lakeland College Muskies.

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M .Xml 6- Co-Captain Bob Wagner C523 of the Duhawks is demonstrating to a pair of wide-eyed Muskies from Lakeland College that just because he is 6'8'i and weighs 225 pounds there is no reason that he cannot get up in the air and control a rebound. N tion against Lewis University. -..-.W M rj 77.1.-.U -f Kevin Foley U29 of the Duhawks has just launched a shot against the University of Dubuque. Former Duhawk cagers from left Mike Weeber, John Gruber, Jim Kelly, Greg Rhodes and Gary Schenkelberg watch the action at the Alumni-Varsity game. .,,,..,,t ,...,. 'HES ,Jw Ron Norman 1509 and Greg Jury 1227, two new ad- ditions tothe Duhawk roster this year, are shown in ac- ,,..,.,,L , tw. H Co-Captains Greg Gibney O43 and Bob Wagner C523 of the Duhawks are on the move during action against .LP Junior Kevin Foley saw action at both guard and forward this year and he will play an important part in next year's rebuilding program. Ron Norman and John Bussan, who played their high school basketball at Galena when Bob Mullen was the Head Coach and Athletic Director at that traditional western lllinois prep power, saw plenty of action and will be counted on heavily next year. Opponents Loras McKendree 76 93 Stout State 5l 50 St. Norbert 96 78 U. N. l. 70 73 Loyoia 88 48 U. of Dubuque 9l 85 Luther 66 67 Northeastern Illinois 99 94 Lewis University 75 68 Augustana 75 80 Oiivet Nazarene 76 72 Piattevilie 75 6l River Falls 83 76 Westmar 52 87 Culver Stockton 82 IO6 Quincy EOI 84 St. Ambrose 70 77 Iowa Wesleyan 82 Sl Briar Cliff 68 66 ' Ll. of Wis.-Milwaukee 77 70 Lakeland 75 88 Lewis 6 75 IDS 7 Upper iowa 73 82 McKendree 83 77 fi Quincy 87 73 ll A 'J St. Ambrose 67 48 St. Norbert 90 77 St. Mary's 7l 96 Iowa Wesleyan 7l 75 Briar Cliff in a game played in the Loras fieldhouse. The two captains gave the team a real inside and outside threat during their four years on the Varsity. Bussan broke his leg during the fall practice sessions and was not at full strength until the second semester. His injury serves to point up the way the injury jinx hit the Duhawks this year. During the Dan Donovan tournament at Christ- mas time, seven of the I5 members of the Duhawk squad were either out of action or seriously hampered by major injuries. It is a tribute to Coaches Bob Mullen and Barry Beekman, and the boys themselves, that they were able to post a record of I2-I7 despite the many injuries they suffered this past year. Keith Daniels and Randy Gibbs a pair of junior guards joined with freshman guard, Greg Jury, to round out the varsity squad. All of them are fine ball handlers and shooters and with more experience they will be an in- creasingly important part of the Duhawk program. Freshman Dick Lammer saw some action with the varsity and gained valuable experience when he played against teams like Loyola University of Chicago.