The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-08
CrimSons Show Unexpected Strength and Give Great Atlanta Quintet a Splendid Scrap Before Losing
By CLIFF wHEATLEY


 Atlanta, February Especially It's getting time for basketball fans of the south to acknowledge that sur prises will attend any basketball game in which the Crimson of the University of Alabama participates Some days ago this quintet started ar invasion of the sovereign states Of Georgia. The invaders were slated for a victory over the Tech Yellow Jackets, but the local colieglaus trick ed the dopesters and smeared the Alabamians with their first defeat of | the season. Surprise number one. Then the attacking forces moved on over to Athens. where it was be- lieved no formidable opposition was available to dispute their massage, | but the Tuscaloosa warriors were l lucky to win by three points. This lconsttuted the second surprise party 1 of the journey.
 l Tonight, the Crlmsous returned for another game in Atlanta. drawing the Atlanta Athletic clubs outfit as ops i position. The wise ones in this pas time could see nothing but over | whelming victory for the local ma 1 chine. but hark ye to the opening 1 paragraph and sec the reference to surprises. Alabama was defeated, ! finally but siN-point margin hard l ly constitutes massacre and 1t was only by 2s to % that the recognized basketball champions of the south land halted these college lads from l Tuscaloosa.
 The clubmen had to play harder to win the game than they have had to i in driving their way to the champion ship. Alabama furnished the stiffest
 sort of competition from the start and had not the breaks smiled so often on the locals. it is extremely doubtful If there would be any clear claim to Dixie's court honors at this writing.
 Alabama showed real power in this game much more, we are led to be- lieye by those that saw the Crimson downed by the Jetcket. than was the case Saturday night, when Coach Der
 nier's outfit lost it's first game of the season.
 The Tuscaloosanfs efforts at long distance shooting were heart-rendlng on many occasions; the ball started through the baskets. only to turn right-about-face and hop right out again. These breaks, however. failed to undermine the spirits of the vlsi-
 tors and they kept fighting, all the time within striking distance of their opposition.
 The few spectators that brayed the coldest night Atlanta has experienced
 were treated to some thrilling mo- ments of the pastime, Accuracy in locating the baskets was a quolity that both quintets lacked, but they
 made up this in the beauty of the passing and floor-worE In general that was nncorked.
 Maintained Close Lead There was no stage of the game when the local clubmen had any large margin. They were always in front. excepting the first minute of | play when free throw gave Alabama the lead Bass bagged a field goal a
 second later and thes A. A. C. players
 were never overtaken.
 The end of the first half found the | Atlantans on top with three points
 to spare, 15-12. and the dawn of the second found them adding to this. A
 rally by the Alabamians again plac-
 ed them in the running and they stay
 ed mighty close the rest of the way. l The scoring honors for the evening went to Rufus Bass for Atlanta, and Carter for Alabama. Both, we be-