New-York tribune., 1921-02-14
Royal Battle
For the Lead
I'm Basketball
Columbia and Penn Tied
for First Place; Cullen
Is First i'm Scoring

The race for the Intercollegiate
League basketball championship ap-
pears to have narrowed down to n
struggle between Columbia and the
University Of Pennsylvania, and the
issue Is likely to be settled on the
Morningside Heights court on Wednes-
day night, when the Quakers come here
for their annual game. The winner of
this contest in all probability will be
the ultimate champion for the 1920-'2l
senson.
Columbia and Penn are at present
tied for the leadership, each havin@
won two games and lost one. Dart
mouth and Cornell, which meet for the
second time tomorrow night. are dead
locked for third and fourth places, each
with three triumphs and two setbacks,
Lou Sugarman's Princeton band has
record Of two won and two lost, for a
percentage Of 500, while Yale trails
the pack, with four defeats in as many
games.
Only the efficiency Of Captain Danny
McNichol in goal shooting has kent
Penn's champions up in The van. He
has been responsible for no less than
forty-nine Of the sixty-seven points
credited to the Philadelphians. How
ever, it was McNichol's inability to bag
two extra foul goals that cost Penn
it's first loss in two seasons when it was
beaten by Cornell Saturday night by
1920. True enough Danny Gagged nine
Of the twelve foul tries afforded him,
but he has rolled up better percen-
tage in other games.
Close Guard on McNichol
In their previous meeting this season
Columbia lost to Penn by l6 to y.
McNichol won this game practically
single handed, as he Gagged sixteen
goals from the penalty line. as we'll as
one from the field. 1t is questionable
whether he can repeat Wednesday
night, as the Blue and White team will
take every precaution to hold the fouls
down TO a minimum while keeping Nc
Nichol closely guarded.
The failure OF the Penn squad to
score many baskets from the tioor mas
caused many TO regard Columbia as the
coming champions, for unless the
Ouakers brace they will not be able to
win many more games through the ull-
canny ability of McNichol to dron them
in from the 15-foot mark. All the
teams are extremely cautious against
making fouls when facing Penn, for
they realize it will mean their undoing.
It is noticeable that the number of
chances McNichol has for harvesting
fouls has decreased with every game
Penn plays. -,
Dartmouth and Princeton will not
see any league action this week. for IN
the other two games besides those
mentioned Columbia will oppose Dart
mouth and Cornell will tackle Penn
again. Despite the fact that he has
not played since January 22, Cullen, OF
Dartmouth, is the leader in individual
scoring, with a total Of sixty points;
He is tied with Molinet, the Cornell
captain, in topping the field in floor
goals, with sixteen.
Sidman Now Third
McNichol has displaced Sidman, Of
Cornell, as the runner-up, with forty
nine to the Ithacan's forty-si%. lie
gendre is Princeton's leading point
manufacturer, with twentyseven, while
Johnson, the colored star forward, is
the best of the Columbia five, with
forty.
The Cornell team has Tailed the
most points, 1924, while Yale has been
most scored against, the Blue oppo-
nents having piled up 12o markers;
Dartmouth and Cornell each has scored
forty-fve floor goals, while McNlchol8
forty-one markers are more than any
other team has compiled from fouls.
Following are the individual scoring
and team records: