St Francis College - Franciscan Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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BASKETBALL connoted hind-the-back two-pointer. The next game proved to he an unimpressive 61-57 victory over a mediocre C.C.N.Y. squad. An atmosphere of nonchalance prevailed as partisans fraternized and carnival music filled the Convent Avenue Gym during half-time. The subsequent trip upstate resulted in a third one-point loss, this time to LcMoyne 65-64. The Syracuse rooters went all out to prove how partisan partisan could be. But the Terriers moved on to Albany, where, although the crowd was the same, a vendetta-driven Siena team handed us our first solid defeat, 56-51. Disappointed, shaken ami angry, the Terriers returned to knock off an inept Queens College team by S3-54, with some colorful playing on the parts of Richie Marquadt and Jim Rishe. King’s College succumbed next, S5-6S. Jim Rafter)' received the ball with which lie-had scored the thousandth point of his three year career, and a proud and congratulatory student lxxly contributed to present him with a trophy. The next obstacle was the talented Manhattan College combo, who managed to keep up in the first half, but were lynched in the second by the quality defensive play of Ray Nash and Dick Alexander. Raftery again led the Terriers, with a total of 20 points, as the Jaspers were put down, 61-46. A pressureless game with the remains of the St. Peter’s squad produced a 70-65 victory, and we all waited for the N.I.T. bid, wondering what the selection committee was waiting for. The nationally-ranked New York University team, sporting All-American Barry Kramer, handed a 76-62 defeat to St. Francis, but only after seeing fit to set three men on Raftery. Nash proved high scorer in this game, and exhibited defensive acumen once more, in holding Kramer to 11 points in the second half. George Steinmann subbed ably and showed a remarkably accurate eye from the foul line. The defeat hurt, but was not nearly as disturbing as the silence of the selection committee. We felt that we had earned an invitation to the N.I.T., but hope began to fade. Our rhythm l egan to decelerate. And then, almost suddenly, the announcement of the selection of ■’little” St. Francis College to the National Invitational Tournament. That same evening, with the pressure off, the Terriers dropped one to a Scton Hall team handicapped by the loss Tod Knrowski loops slmt over giant defender in the 53-52 overtime low by the Terriers to St. John's. Gaining the extra stop, Richie Alexander drives by Villa-nova’s defense in back court. 26