New Britain herald., 1926-03-15
GUARDSBEAT TIMZDDLETOWN
 w FINAL TILT SATURDAY.
Nationals Get the Jump in the First Half and Hold It Throughout Game-Rough Playing Draws Boos and Ire of Fans-Down River Team Members Lose Their Heads and Forget to Play Basketball-Re- serves Lose to Hartford Quintet.

The National Guards basketball team took a wild and woo!ly game from the ll-Middlctown quintet Saturday night at the state armory by the score of 39 to 30, Both teams started off playing q whrlwind brand of basketball with the Guards displaying an excellent passing game and q snappy defense. Middlctown was minus the services of Sturm and Carlson at the start of the game. but "Butsy' strolled in a short time after and managed to get into the game just before the end of the first half.
 An individual battle was staged between Mert Taylor and "Dutch" Leonard on the floor following a tumble by Leonard over Taylor's back, lent spice 10 the game for the majority of the fans and q number of them hoped onto tho Middle town guard and made him the sub ject of boos and catcalls for his method of play. He held Taylor to two field goals and helped himself to four of them before he went out of the contest in tho second half on four personal fouls. Sturm. entering | the game near the close of the first session, quickly had three fouls called on him and several technicals | for talking back to the referee Johnny Sheehan took a walk also on four personals while kilduff and Reynolds both had three and stayed in the game by careful playing.
 Reynolds caged two field goals to start the game going and for q time it looked as if the Guards would have an easy time of it. Then Mid | dlotoWn got in some good work and closed the gap in the scoring column 1 somewhat until at the end of the first half the count stood 25 to 16 for New Britain. Through good playing and minding basketball. the Guards overcame their one bad failing. that of the skids in tho start of the sec Ond half and despite the fact that the Middletown tossers found the basket quite often. the Guards pull ed out ahead with q nine point margin for the game. At times, in the second half, the contest looked like a football game, there were so many on the floor. All the New Britain team put in a. good night Reynolds working to perfection both at forward and at center. Giraitis showed world of speed on the floor. Were 1t not for the fact that Leonard seemed to lose his head, his work would have shone for the los ina team.
 First Half
 Reynolds was hacked as he was shooting and he made his two free tries good, scoring the first point al the 55 second mark. Rcstelli follow. cd him with a pretty field goal at the two minute mark. Taylor caged q nifty shot over Loonard's shoulder Leonard then started things fol Mi1dlctown when the clock read 3:20, caging a nice goal from near the center of the floor. Reynolds stood three feet from the basket and with the entire Mddletown tean. looking at him, sank the ball clear through the hoop. Taylor made il nine on free toss.
 Giraitis got Middlctowns second basket from the side on a pretty dribble play coming the entire length of the floor. He added z point on foul shot and followed with another pretty basket. Taylol got another free toss and made f 10, Leonard followed him with { pretty field basket that caromed of the back board through the hoop. At this point, New Britain put ir a fine squirt. Restelli got a brett,