The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-19
BILLINGS HAS FAST FIVE
R Q inine Us independents
Composed Of Five Of Best
Players in Montana.

Billings has an Independent basket
bali team known as the Billings In
dependents. which is seeking games
throughout the state, and is said to be
especially DESTROYS to meet the Mis-
soula Athletic club team in n two or
four game series.
Some years ago Billings had the best
team in the west in the far renowned
Triple Bs. who made several eastern
journeys and also brought many crack
teams. here from Minnesota, Wisconsin
and even further east. The Triple
B's always upheld the honors of the
state and won many of their big games.
The year the Troy team of Troy, n. T.,
won the professional Basketball cham
pionship. for the last time, the Billings
team played them and won one out Of
the three-g game series. The Triple BIS
also broke even with the fast New
York Nationals and with the crack
Minneapolis lAscensions. The team
disbanded, two years ago. due to lack
Of financial support. although none of
the players received money for his en-
deavors.
The team stuck together for about
six years and for five of these six the
same five men played regularly
throughout the season. Joe Mark
ham and Salisbury played forwards
Bishop and Todd, center, and Wick
strom and Thorine, guards. They
made one tour of the east and made a
good showing. Markham later coached
while Wickstrom has played with the
Billings Y. NJ. c. A. for the last couple
of seasons.
Want State Schedule.
The Billings Independents, who are
attempting to arrange games all over
the state this year, present lineup
which should make the most intrepid
of basketball teams waver before TAX
ing them on. OFT Romney, former
Utah and Aggie star, is captain and
manager of the team and plays center.
Otis last appearance in Missoula will
be long remembered. 1t was on the
occasion of the last Aggie Bruin game
and when the game started OFT was not
in the game Poisoned toe" said
Bennion, Aggie coach. In three min
utes Of play the Bruins had the score
six to one in their favor. Then the
willy Aggie coach sent the man with the
"poisoned toe into the game and he
scored three field goals in one minute,
the fastest scoring ever done on the
university floor. After the first min
utes, however, Red Cummins attached
himself to Romney and held him to one
field goal the Bruins finally winning
80 to 35. Romney played three years
at the University of Utah and was an
An-Rocky- Mountain forward. He
played in Mssoula both with the Nor
mons and the Aggies.
Wickstrom, the other forward, was
a veteran of the Triple B's six years
and before that time Played with this
fast Valley City teams, both college
and national guard. Art Barry fol
several years played forward with thu
Minneapolis Ascensions. who, under
his leadership, won three consecutive
western championships. Barry is ont
of the best goal shots the game ha.
ever seen and remarkable fou
shooter Andy Thorine. with thu
TRIBE BIS for six years. and consid
cred the equal of any guard that ha.
ever played in Montana. is at one guart
position, with Vic Goucher, forme,
Billings star at the other guard. I
certainly does look as If the Billings
Triple BIS, once the pride of the entir'
northwest, were to be reincarnated.
The Billings team will play the Ag
gies a week from Saturday, and unles
the Aggies show wonderful form the.
will get bad whipping. The Billing
Independents have already played tw
games against Joliet and Belmont, an
have won both easily. 1t is certainl
to be hoped that arrangements can b
made to bring them here tafter Fran