Kentucky Wesleyan College - Porphyrian Yearbook (Owensboro, KY)

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Athletics bring Wesleyan National Fame 'Q ii

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Panthers inish third among 403 colleges The Panthers received third place plaques after the NCCA finals. Members of the team pictured lfrom left to right! includes: Tom Hobgood. Steve Deskins. Sam Smith. Danny Barker. Roger Cordell. Yan Stinnett. David Matthews. manager. Second row: Vliesleyan finished as the nation's No. 3 college di- vision basketball team in the NCAA Finals and com- piled a 25-4 record. After defeating Stetson University 68-55 of Deland, Fla., in the first round action of the South Central Regional, the Panthers advanced to the finals to meet South Carolina State. Having built a 47-33 halftime lead. the Panthers rolled past South Carolina State 87-70 for the championship of the NCAA South Central Regional. Wesleyan entered the NCAA Finals at Evansville to meet the East Regional entry, Cheyney State, in the first round action. The Panthers grabbed a I3-point halftime margin and coasted to a 66-53 victory over the Cheyney State team. In semi-final play the Pan- thers faced Winston-Salem. The Panthers fell behind late in the first half and could never regain the lead as the Rams. the eventual tournament champs, rolled to an 82-73 victory to end the Panthers' hopes of re- peating as national champions. Wlesleyan rolled over Illinois State University II2-73 to win third place with a record point total for one team in consolation play. During the season. the Panthers won both meetings from arch-rival Evansville College. but lost both games Billy Anderson. manager: Jesse Flynn. Ernie Simpson. Joel Bolden. Guy Strong. coach. Dallas Thornton. Dick O'Neill. Bob Daniels. assistant coach. Dick Romer. manager. to Southern Illinois University. the team the Panthers beat for the national championship in I966. Southern went on to win the National Invitational Tournament this year. Wcsleyan's three regular season defeats were by a combined total of eight points. The largest crowds ever to watch the Panthers turned out at the Sportscenter where the team attracted three straight capacity crowds during one stretch of the season. The Panthers. set three new all-time records during the season. The season-ending statistics show the new marks established by the Panthers includes the most wins in one season, 25: the best won-lost percentage, .862 125-4Iq and the best field goal percentage, 47.3 1972 of 2.055l. Sam Smith, the Panthers' 6-7, 24-0-pound center, was the team's leading scorer and rebounder for the second straight year. Smith averaged I7.-I points and I2.3 rebounds. The muscular Smith was named to the All-America teams announced by the Associated Press. the United Press International and the Wheaties Sports Federa- tion. Smith and teammate Roger Cordell played in the Kentucky-Indiana all-star game and Smith performed in the Kentucky-Tennessee all-star clash.