Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-01-31
DOWNS PORTAGE TWICE
DALLAS BASKETBALL TEAM DE.
FEATS NATIONS CHAMPIONS.
Hardest Contests Ever Fought i'm Ore
gOn Are Witnessed on Local
Court.

Can the basketball championship of
the United States still rightfully be
claimed by the giant team from Port
age, Wisconsin, or does the honor now
belong to the swift and plucky little
team representing Dallas College, of
Dallas, Oregon? Are the Badgers en-
titled to the title of champions after
having been defeated by the Beavers
in four successive games-two games
on their home court and two on a
court in Oregon? This is the question
the fans are now asking themselves,
especially those admirers of the popu-
lar winter game who were fortunate
enough to witness the two great con-
tests which took place on the Dallas
court last Thursday and Friday nights.
Into those struggles was cast the
rivalry caused by the double defeat
inflicted on Portage two years ago by
the famous Oregons; into them went
royal basketball game; into them
went the reputation of teams and
players of national fame, and out of
the contests came two basketball
struggles probably without a parallel
in the history of this great game.
The Portage squad was composed
of men developed in various sections
of the Middle States. Three members
of the team are University of Wiscon-
sin men; one is from Beloit College,
and another from one of Chicago's not
ed clubs. Every man on the Dallas
team is product of Dallas and of Dali
las College.
Strong Contrast in Physique.
AS the two teams took the floor, a
strange contrast in the size of the men
was presented. The Portage players
were large, rangy men, averaging
probably 1SO pounds in weight. The
Dallas forwards, Rice and Ballantyne,
were midgets in comparison. The CEN
ter men of the two teams were well
matched, as were the Dallas guards
with the opposing forwards.
When the opening whistle put the
ball in play, the famous Dallas team
work was instantly apparent. BY
quick, short passes and splendid floor
work. a lead was taken over the visit
ors reaching the margin of 1914. But
this gain came at a killing pace and
the Dallas team soon found it neces-
sary to slacken their speed. The visit
ors quickly availed themselves of this |
opportunity and shot several baskets,
running up to a 1913 score with the
close of the first half.
This first twenty minutes clearly |
showed the difference between the two |
systems of play to be expected. The
in advancing the ball, relied
almost exclusively on the dribble and |
long, hard passes, while the locals
depended upon shifty floor work,
which employed the entire team, in
stead of one or two men.
Dallas Gains in Second.
With the opening of the second half,
the battle was on with renewed vigor,
each team fighting for every point. AS
the great struggle approached it's close,
the score was tied, and excitement
lmong the spectators became intense.
one minute of the finish, Bal
antyne tossed a neat field goal and
won the game for Dallas. The score,
95 to 23, was made as follows:
Field Goals-Dallas, Rice 1, Ballan-
yne 5, e. Shaw 8; Portage, Sheppard
!, Swenholt g. Schneider 4.
Fouls-Dallas, Ballantyne z; Port
lge, Swenholt, 2, Harper 5.
Second Game Like First.
The second game seemed like con-
inuation of the first. The same ten
men took the floor and the style of
playing was not different. from that of
he Thursday night contest. Both
teams seemed to realize that a single
basket might mean victory, and each
,layer entered into the contest with