Dickinson State University - Prairie Smoke Yearbook (Dickinson, ND)

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’43-’44 Squad 1943-1944 Boasting probably the best all-around de- fensive and floorplay team in Savage history, this quintet also maintained a 44.9 point average per game. Led by Captain Strank- man, guard, who in Coach Gerlach’s words, “Ran the boys on the floor”, they won six of their seven games thus ranking as top collegiate cage squad in the state. The three boys who did most of the scoring were Strankman, O’Keefe, and Sperline. Round- ing out the “first seven”, who did most of the playing, were “Bambi” Harms, Ferger, Vince Bonora, and D. Young, defensive ace. Of these, three were named on the all- state team. They were Strankman, O’Keefe, and Harms; Strankman for his all-around floor play, O’Keefe for his work under the baskets, and Harms for his deadliness in shooting when “ON”. Helping Coach Gerlach with the squad was Warren Ajax Sp(A)lc, one-time Gopher great.

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P. T. Tests Platoon Champs

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1944-1945 With a small but speedy team behind him, Gerlach again won the inter-collegiate basketball crown of North Dakota. Led by co-captains Ernest Johnson and Joe Hicks, the Savages had a remarkable season in which they compiled an average of 51 points a game as compared to the oppositions’ 34. Their only loss was to the Valley City quintet by a margin of 4 points. The Savages capitalized on their fast break and steady ball handling on the offensive side and always played a cool, aggressive defensive game. In one of the most outstanding games the Savages tangled with the powerful N. D. A. C. Bison in a game which should have been closely contested. Grabbing an early lead, the Savages came through to a decisive 58-31 victory. The Bison had previously shellacked the Valley City squad, which was the only team to drop the Savages. ’44-’45 Squad