The Bismarck tribune., 1929-03-25
CLAUDE !. M|LLER'S
NSP|REDF|VE TAKES
16 TO 13 ENCOUNTER
Eddie Spriggs and John 0'Hare
Honored With AII.State
Selection
HILINERS DESERVED HONOR
Grand Forks Wins Third Place;
Hcttinger Awarded Spcrts-
mans'ip Trophy
HILINERS DESERVED HONOR
(By WILLIAM S. MoELLER)


Bismarck high schools basket toss
ers lost one game in Ia this season.
and with 1.-THE state championship.
It was bitter pill to swallow.
Valley City's blue clad Hiliners out
fought, cutplaycd, and outshot the
capital city contingent l6 to 13 Satur-
day night in tho final game OF the
sixteenth annual North Dakota high
school basketball tournament at the
state training school gymnasium IN
Mandan
Having defeated Fargo is to Is Fri
day night IN a great uphill battle
which was considered by many at the
time the state championship encoun-
ter. the Demons were heavy favorites
to cop the title 1t was the first time
thai Bismarck had ever reached the
finals in tbs state meet Bismarck
had not sent an entry to tho state
tournament since 1922 until this year.
This year, with an unblemished rec
ord. the Demons. after defeating
Fargo and then walloping Sherwood
80 to in tho semifinal5 Saturday
morning. wore tho glory OF those
about To become champions.
Fad Bad start
Valley City. coached by Claude l..
Miller. former athletic star at the
North Dakota Agricultural college. on
tho other hand. had won only three
of 13 games before tournament play.
Then-slccr fight and wise counsel
from their mentor brought them
seven straight tournament victories In
tho last two weeks and the state
championship. 1t was great triumph
for Valley City It enabled them to
keep that confidence in tournament
play which Valley City teams have
always possessed. The best team on
the floor Saturday night, they be-
wildered tho Demons with their great
defensive play and the fast breaking
offensc. and. in short, we'll deserved
their coveted triumph.
Despite this fact, Valley Citys vic
tory will 60 down in the big book as
the greatest upset in is years Of state
tournament basketball In the Flicker
tail state. Such a sudden mastering
of strength never before had been
witnessed by North Dakota cage en-
thusiastS
Valley City and Fargo have cacl
won four state titles in the last II
years. The Hiliners held the title Ii
1918. 1920. and 1921. Grand Forks
ha- won the title twice. Teams thai
have won the gonfalon once art
Devils Lake. Tower City, Minot, Mich.
igan. and Petersburg.
The Hiliners have always been 9
feared tournament team. Last year
their first under the guidance ol
Claudio Miller, they walloped Fargo
In a big upset in the semifinal roune
and gave Grand Forks tough battle
in the title round.
Gave Early Warning
Saturday morning, in defeating tn,
favored Grand Forks five II to 13
Miller's men gave hint of hidder
strength. Saturday night their power
beamed from every point on th'
court.
For the champions, the work OF twt
valiant guards, Leonard Ferguson
and Lester Jarvis. and a driving. Ct
fective center, Captain Vivian Mckay
stood out. Ferguson, playing tn,
greatest game in his career, Tough
like wildcat and kept the would-b'
Demon scorers at bay. many times al
most single handed, though every Hi
liner in the game fought every inch o
the way. Lester Jarvis, acting a
general for the victors. played a mas
terful game, though, as 1t happene,
in all three tourney games in which
he participated, he was forced t,
lsave the game two minutes befor
the final gun with four personal foul
chalked against him. The two for
wards, the least conspicuous mem
bers Of the quint, played great games
however. William Duvall passed lik'
q veteran and covered more groun,
In the game than any other one man
Robert Nugent scored two field goal
which came in handy to the member
Of the Barnes county crew.
For Bismarck there was no individ
ual star. They all played hard game
ia q vain effort to cop the game an,
were kept at bay in the closing min
utes when they made their creates
efforts.
Takes Early Lead
Valley City took an early lead of
u o and at the quarter held an 8 to
advantage. Failing to make q fiel'
goal. Bismarck counted heavily Of
free throws and had pulled up to
tie when the half closed. The scor
WAS 8 to 3. O'Hare gave the Demon
-. - n - kAA - -