Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-28
THEY PLAYED
A GREAT GAME.
Illinois and Utah Champions in
Basket ball Meet at
Armory.
WHEATON, COLLEGE VS. IDS. U,
neeIslon Finally Given to Wheaton by
One POlnt-Trne Score 80 to 81
In Utah's Favor.

II was practically a tie. True, Whea-
,on was awarded the game by one
polnt, but that was purely on a tech
nIcality laborously figured out. The
winners at the worlds fair have met
their match. The playing OF the Utah
boys seems 10 be better than that OF
The visitors. Had the game lasted 10
minutes longer, even "the official
score" as dictated by the Wheaton
referee, could not have saved the Illi-
noIs team from defeat. As soon as the
lltah boys learned the peculiar tactics
Of the big team they were opposing,
they outplayed them.
II was the greatest game of basket
hall ever played In Utah. 1t came off
last night between the champions OF
Illinois and Utah in the Armory build
ing on Market street. As n result, the
victory was awarded after a good deal
Of figuring, TO the Illinois team, the
score as finally decided by the judges,
independent scores, however had the
score SO to 81 I'm favor of Utah, and the
announcement of the decision was the
occasion Of much protesting.
Another element that detracted from
the perfect success OF the game was
the lateness OF the arrival of Manager
Bassett who had the keys of the dress
Ing rooms. so that II was nearly
o'clock when the game commenced,
The spectatul nature OF the contest,
however, east lade up for the tardl-
ness OF the opening. From the blow OF
The whistle til time was called, tho
game went like a whlrlwlnd, and was a
battle Of the GIANTS. The Wheaton men
are older, heavier and apparently In
better condition than the local team,
but the latter play faster The audi
ence was delighted thror 1out
It is probable that the istake about
the score arose In this way: AT the
end Of the first half the Illinois team
had II points TO 10 points for Utah, and
later this was changed 10 10 to 10 In
favor Of Illinois. There was n basket
thrown by one player after the whistle
blew and the umpire allowed the east
ern team to count this basket After
wards the referee offered to change this
decision. but the Utah boys were sat
isfed to let the score of the first half
remain at 10 to 10. The umpire an
nounced 10 the audience that the score
Of the first half was Is to II, but as
the official score Of the first half was
finally fixed up at 10 TO 10 this misled
all the Independent scorers and made a
difference In the final result. Apart
from this irregularlty II was great
game
The two teams were Wheaton Coll
lege, Illinois, and the last years team
Of the Latter-day Saints University.
These were the teams that contested at
the Worlds Fair last summer when
Wheaton won by five points. The game
was fast and furious from the start.
For many miputes at time the ball
did not touch the floor. Wheaton
threw the first basket amid great APP
plause, Fouls were numerous and the
Wheaton man was at first more sue
eessful in throwing baskets from the
foul line than was Taylor OF the l.. u.
3 Later however, Taylor developed
into his usual good form and threw the
baskets with great accuracy. The
same was true of "Blg Joe" Smith, who
al first did not understand the peculiar
tactics OF the Wheaton center, and was
ontgeneraled during the whole OF the
hrst part OF the game. In the second
half however, Joe found himself, and
regularly sent the sphere whlzzing into
the L. ID, s. territory, Stanton had
little chance TO do his usual work.
Many times he was about TO throw at
the basket when the referee blew his
whistle and called a tie
IN the tie throws, Wheaton had the
best OF It and got the ball after nearly
every toss up. The Wheaton men kept
well TO the front, jumping TO meet the
pall, The L. d. S. men made some re-
markable plays. but did not team so
wen together as the Wheaton men.
N,eeyertheless, In the second half the
Sah boys steadily gained, TN they
nhally olplayed the Illinois champions.
II now seemed that the Utah boys
would win, and when time was called
e the Utah sympathizers raised a
sMnout, thinking that Utah had won.
Ihe referee called out, however that 40
uecslon had been announced, and after
uuout ten minutes OF figuring with the
score Keepers the result was
announced as 80 to 81 In favor OF
wheaton The Salt Lake boys threw
Ten baskets from the field, making 20