Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1923-03-08
Number 36
M. & M. MAKE EXCELLENT
SHOWING AT TOURNAMENT

NdPtdiM JSHhlHS, the NJ. &c M. DaS~
ket ball aggregation left for the
Eastern Ohio Tournament Friday
morning, arriving in Cambridge
about IL O'Clock. In the meeting
of coaches in the afternoon Coach
Fast drew number q, pairing of
with the Strasburg team for the in
itial game of the tourney. The boys
were kept in their rooms until 2:15,
and then rallied forth to the play.
The up-staters were figured one OF
the strong teams of the tournament,
and lived up to their reputation.
The score at the end of the first
half was 14-11 in favor of our op-
ponents, but at the end of ten
minute intermission, the team came
back and after trailing through
most of the second half, put on a
grand rally in the last three min
utes of play, and won 1920. In the
first round, Pleasant City drew a
"bye," and now we were scheduled
to meet them at 9 a. m. on Satur-
day.
After a good nights rest, the
boys started out again for their
next victim. The town of Pleasant
City was there in body, roofing
for their team and fully expecting
to see the colors of their former
conquerors trailing in the dust be-
hind the black and orange of P. c..
Fl. S. The score at the end of the
first half was IT, and again M. C
M. trailed in scoring up until the
last three minutes of play, then
spurted to the front and won 20-18.
This win put the team in the semi
finals, and drew Shadyside for the
afternoon game at 2:30.
Shadyside had team which
would average nearly 6 feet tall and
probably weigh 160-1SO lbs. They
scored points in the first two min
utes of play, and kept the lead all
through the half, finishing the half
with an 1877 score. In the second
half M. & M. came back with the
most sensational basket ball shown
at the tournament and held their
oyertowering opponents to one field
goal and two fouls, while they an
nexed fields and three free
throws. Lewis playing at guard,
dribbled through the entire Shady
side team and shot the basket which
tied. the score The game ended
with tie score, 22-22. A five min
ute over time period was called, and
the smallest and pluckiest team Of
the tournament was forced to con-
cede the victory to their opponents
by margin of one point, 1926.
Shadyside's five spent all its en-
|ergy in the grueling contest with M.
en-, and was so spent that they
were only able to put up half
hearted fight against Wellsville,
who won the tournament by final,
AZ to 20 victory.
1t should be noticed that Shady
side was able to score more points
against the tournament winners
than they were against the "Flashy
Big Reds" as our quintet was
termed by "The Daily Jeffersonian"
(Cambridge).
Hooper's foul shooting record
was unequaled in the first day OF
the tournament, having made good
8 out of IL attempts. Newsome,
playing his first game at center,
contributed largely to the scoring,
and showed uncanny skill on long
baskets. Gorrell was at his best
and sank many counters from
scrimmage.
Perhaps the greatest credit
should go to Lewis and Osborne:
for although handicapped in size
and weight (most notably in the
Shadyside game) their opponents
scoring was held exceedingly low.
In the all tourney mythical quin-
tet, willard Lewis of NJ. & M. was Sc
lected as LETT guard.
Our Jimmy Hooper, received HON
orable mention, his name appearing
first on the list.
The fine treatment accorded our
boys by the people of Cambridge. will
ever remain with them as a most
pleasant memory.
The Cambridge JeffersOnian i'm re-
porting the tournament gave eur
quintet splendid name. We quote
the following from that paper: "Mc-
Connelsville put the scrappiest team
on the floor seen in Cambridge for
some time, and the spectators at the
elimination games supported them
by cheering, because the Red and
White athletes were fighting against
big odds i'm size and experience"
Under. the caption of Overtime
game was a thriller" we again quote
from the Jeffersonian as follows:
McConnelsville high sprung the
big surprise of CamIbridge's basket
ball tourney Saturday afternoon
when eliminated 26 to 25 by Shady
side high in a sensational five-mln-
ute overtime game.
The diminutive Red and White
basketeers won the admiration OF
the tourney crowd when it fought
against apparently overwhelming
odds and was eliminated by the
narrowest kind of a margin The
fighting spirit of the
Morgan county five made tremen-
dous hit in Cambridge as it was this
factor which twice brought
the quintet from behind and carried
it to victory and almost gave it the
right to participate in the tourney
finals.
Shadyside was doped to win cas-
lily and had McConnelsville swamp
ed 1877 at the half, however, Cap
tain Osborne's men came back with
a vengeance and clearly out-pointed
their opponents in the second Ses-
sion. The score was knotted at %
playing period.