The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-20
AMUSING But
NOT CLEVER
Woonsocket Basketball Team in
Its First Appearance on
the Canvas Drops a Game to
the Father Mathews
VISITING TEAM WAS
SIMPLY BEWILDERED

Points Scored by the Rhode Is
IanderS but Didn't Play Up to
the League Standard
Father Mathew Basketball team won
its first game in the Massachusetts, Cen
trail League series by defeating Woon-
socket in Father Mathew Hall last
night by score of 80 to 4. But there
was little credit for the victory. In its
present form Woonsocket basketball
team would have to exert itself to its
playing limit to win from an aggrega-
ton of shoulder bound blind men with
crippled limbs.
The Woonsocket team was so thor
oughly lacking in basketball knowledge
that it was positively pitiful for the
home team to wade in for a big point
total, but that's what the Father Math-
ews did and had Capt. Noonan's men
shown form up to the league standard
so points might be arrayed against a
zero. But one member of the visiting
team was possessed Of enough basket
ball ability to command the respect
of his opponents. That man was
Blackler, the shfty little Millbury lad
who played in that town last season.
Blackler is fast enough for any league
team and but for tendency to indi-
vidual play, he might be considered a
star. Last night this fault of Black
lers seemed a blessing for it was the
one good feature of Woonsockets work.
| Blackler broke up the passing of the
home team on numerous occasions and
because of the inability of his team
mates to figure In either defensive or
offensive work, Blackler played all over
the floor.
In addition to being the only talented
| member of the Woonsockets, Blackler
wore the only basketball suit that is
accepted in Massachusetts Central
League as the thing. Greene
wore trousers of civilian style
! as did Barry, Brewer a Providence
/ Y. M c. A. player, wore the loose
| trunks that amateur players persist in
presenting for basketball garb. But
Wrenn was the slickest of the visiting
| quintet. He had white duck trousers
carefully creased. and because Of his
| height more than six feet, Wrenn was
| conspicuous.
| But that was not the only reason for
| Wrenn's prominence. Early in the
game he became the target Of the
bleacher patrons, any one of whom
might have equalled the exhibition
given by Wrenn. While the Woonsock-
| ct centre was celebrating upon the
proper course for him to pursue, II
was easy for Father Mathew men to
| swarm down on him and bat the
| sphere away. This was done so otter
| that it became tiresome, so the pro
gram of sport was varied, and Wrenr
was allowed to throw the ball, amuse
ment being provided through the yelli
| of tha 6rpwd FOR Wrenp n make
throwing record. Once the tall gentle
man from Woonsocket threw the bal
Is feet, using only his two hands.
Greene scored the only two field
goals made by the visitors. He led the
| team, and although not in condition
showed possibilities as a basketball
I player. He had a good eye for the
! basket and, compared to the number
of tries. his two field goals gave him
as good an average as that attained
by any of the Father Mathew men.
Barry, the former Brown University
baseball player worked hard and, al
though a newcomer he was rugged in
defensive work, and when he gets a
better line on the duties of a back, he
may be valuable. With new men at
centre and right forward, and plenty
of practice, Woonsocket should be able
to keep well up in the Massachusetts,
Central League race.
Father Mathew team played poorly,
and not with any attempt to let the
visitors down with small score. Capt.
Noonan's men at times displayed abil-
ity to keep the sphere zigzagging up
and down the hall and eventually into
the basket, but that might be expect
ed against a team of green men, with
a single exception. In real team play,
the Father Mathews didn't show up as
the equals of the Webster or Millbury
teams This may be wiped away by
practice, but the Father Mathews GER
tainly need plenty Of it, If Manager
Thompson has hopes of keeping abreast
of the league leaders.
Cullen had seven chances TO score
from the foul line but he wasted all.
Eight chances were granted the Woon-
socket men to tally from the foul line,
but no points were registered. Referee
T. j. O'Reilly of Webster, last year
manager of the team in that town,
made his first appearance in Worcester
as an official His work passed al
most unnoticed because of the amuse-
ment provided by the visitors.
After Noonan had scored from the
field in the first half on a pass from
Cullen, Greene got the ball in front of
the basket on a pass from Brewer and
scored from the field, tying the score.
rms was the only scoring uOne Dy
Woonsocket in the half. After five
minutes of playing in which the visitors
showed absolute disregard of the ref
eree's whistle, the Woonsocket men
We're tired, and goals came easily.
Noonan tossed in three more Cairns
got two and Cullen and Sweeney one
each. The half ended with the score
16 to IN favor of the home team.
There was little. if any improvement
in the second half, but Capt. Noonan's
men gave several clever exhibitions of
passing. Cullen and Cairns scored three
times each from the floor and Smith
who had replaced Noonan when the
captain moved up to O'Rourke's place
at right forward, tossed in the leather
twice. Greene shot another field goal
for the Woonsockets. Summary:
Father Mathew Woonsecket
Cullen If, IF, Blackler
O'Rourke, Noonan IF, If, Barry
Cairns c, c. Wrenn
Noonan. Smith h. IF, Brewer
Sweeney rb. IT, Greene
Score, Father Mathew 80. Woonsoc-
ket a: goals from field, Cairns 5,Noonan
4, Cullen 4, Sweeney, Smith @ Greene
2; missed free tries, Cullen Z, Greene
5, Wrenn 2. Blackler; fouls, Cullen.
ORourke, Noonan 2, Cairns, Sweeney
g. Greene g. Wrenn & Brewer Ref