The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-23
Columbias Defeat the
Unions at Father
Mathew Hall.
FOOT BALL TACTICS USED.
Holding and Tackling Pass
the Referee With
out Notice.

A hot basket ball game was played
in Father Mathew hall last evening in
which the contesting teams were the
Columbias and Unions, the former
winning. The contest was rough at
times and the players didn't show as
extensive a knowledge of the rules as
the league teams that play in the same
hail. The referee was lenient to a re-
markable degree, however, and allowed
the men to go without calling penalties
except on rare occasions.
There was an attendance of about
400 composed of hot partisans. The
game was advertised as being for $50
a side and the gate receipts. While
there was a suspicion that they played
for the gate money alone that made
no difference in the heat of the play.
1t was warm enough to burn. A few
of the men gave evidence of being foot
ball players. Some of the tackles they
made would have been cheered beyond
measure if they had been playing foot
ball. Although tackling is not allow
ed under the rules of basket ball, the
players who were guilty of that offense
could hardly be blamed for they did it
when their opponents were running
with the ball, which is not permissible
either
Although the play was rough and
fast and the rules were violated in re-
spect to running with the ball and
tackling, there was nothing like slug
ging in the game. None of the players
overstepped the bounds in this respect.
The ColumbiaS played the strongest
p
through the contest, keeping the ball
near the Union goal and making the
latter work to protect themselves.
Stevenson and Reidy played excellently
for the Columbias and Tracy and
Thompson for the Unions.
The Columbias got the first chance to
score when foul was called on New
for tackling. Stevenson missed the only
free throw he received during the even
ing. Shortly after Stevenson put the
ball in from the floor and again did the
trick before the half ended. The second
goal was the result of excellent playing
on his part. He dribbled the ball the
length of the hall getting past Union
men handily before making the success
full throw. Thompson put the ball in the
basket for the Unions and the half end
ed with the score to 2 in favor of the
Columbias.
A FOUL was called on Powers in the
second half, and Sullivan added a point
to the Union score by caging the ball
But the Unions were soon hopelessly out
of the race, for their opponents put up
a fast game. The Columbus made four
goals from the field in the last half
Reidy, who took Kenney's place, played
finely, getting two goals, one of which
was hard throw from the side of the
hall. Tracy finished the scoring for his
team by clever work. He carried the ball
the length of the hall and threw it into
the basket. The goal made by Thomp-
son in the last half was one of the best
plays of the evening. New, who had the
ball. was tied up in his endeavors to do
anything by Columbia men, who forced
him hard. He passed out to Thompson,
who stood at the side of the hall, and
before the Columbia men could block
him off, he tossed the ball into the bas-
ket. Powers made excellent tries for
goal from the field, but narrowly
missed each time. The score:
COLUMBIA. UNION.
Powers, If RIB, Tracy
Whalen, IF lb, Leyden, Sullivan
Kenney Reidy, C, New (capt.)
Donahue, lb IF, Murphy
Stevenson, RIB (capt) IF, Thompson
Score Columbia r. Union Z; goals
from field, Stevenson 8, Reidy 2; Dona-
hue, Thompson 2, Tracy; goal from free
try, Sullivan; missed free tries, Steven
son, New; fouls, Powers 2, New; ref
cree, George Smith; timers, S. O'Cor-
man, P. Rooney; time Commute halves.