Ashland University - Pine Whispers Yearbook (Ashland, OH)

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The Baskethall Season It was prophesied by most sports writers that this basketball season would be like the football season. That is, all teams would be unpredictable and the upsets would be many. A.C.’s squad had more than its share of upsets. The season started out with a loss to Fenn, 50 to 45. This was the fourth game for the Foxes, while the Eagles were playing their first game and on a foreign court. For the second game the squad traveled to Columbus to be beaten by Capital 83 to 45. That isn't as bad as it sounds, for Capital had the best team in the state—barring none—and thirteen men on its squad were over six feet tall. The first home game was also our first victory, for we beat Ohio Northern 63 to 59. This was the game in which Vince Barr, our nominee for a berth on the All-Ohio squad, broke the individual scoring record for one game. The record had been previously held by Virgil Scobey, with 29 points, until Vince came through with 30. Our second home game brought the Eagles their second victory and they won it the hard way. They were behind by at least 13 points for 8 minutes of the first half. At the start of the second half things were dif- ferent, for Marietta was held scoreless for the first five minutes while Ashland scored 23 points. Findlay came next and it won 65 to 40. Again it was the same old story—in a basketball game the team with the greatest height has the advantage—and Findlay had a 15-inch overall advantage on our starting line up. We played Hiram next and lost a heartbreaker 65 to 62. Wes Peterman scored 16 points in the last 10 minutes of this game. Then came Wooster. The Scots were out for revenge because of the defeats we gave them last year, and they got it by a score of 72 to 36. Next was Kenyon, whom we beat 76 to 73, followed by Heidelberg, to whom we lost by two points, 63 to 61. Then the Eagles played Ohio Northern, which was out to revenge its earlier defeat at the hands of the A. C. squad, and which did so to the score of 87 to 45. The story of that game can be told in the statistics, for Northern hit 60 per cent of its shots in the first half and 40 per cent in the second half. The Eagles traveled all the way down to Marietta to beat M.C. for the second time this season, 75 to 63. However, this victory was followed by losses to Mt. Union, 67 to 53; Wooster, 69 to 61; Hiram, 63 to 44, and Heidelberg, 61 to 48. As this goes to press, the rest of the schedule has not been played. It is always easy to make excuses for a poor season, but since the team tried hard there is no reason for excuses. The squad this year was composed of freshmen with the exception of Vince Barr, who was the only letterman. It was obviously lacking in height and experience, as was evident to all who saw the games. There were highlights throughout the season; along with Vince Barr there were the Gardner brothers, from Indiana, and Wes Peterman, who made those highlights. At this writing, Vince Barr is within 20 points of break- ing the individual scoring record held by our present coach, Jim Richcreek. All in all, Jim Richcreek didn't make out too badly in his first year as a college coach. ; ‘ ; ¢