The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1930-12-18
Showing of Locals in Games to
Date Has Not Been
Impressive
FANS ARE DISCOURAGED
Offensive and Defensive Team
Play Leaves Much to Be
Desired
BY Wilfred Hetzel

day when smooth passing Alex
andria quintette administered
% to defeat to them in a Twenty
Third district game.
Alex displayed plenty of scoring
power but loose Sank Centre de-
Tense made the winners look better
than they really were. Though Alex
flashed strong offense, their de-
Tense was not as sound as that pos
sessed by Bertha which appeared
here in the opening battle. Alex
seems to enjoy having good nights
here at the Main Streeters' expense;
the visitors won here last year SO
to Is and two years ago they copied
a 30 to II decision here.
The invaders lost no tine in
building up substantial lead by
exhibiting a burst of scoring power
which threatened to raise their to-
tai to grotesque proportions. When
this pent-up scoring fury had been
unleashed, they had accumulated
the staggering sum of 16 points
while Sank Centre had been held
scoreless. The result of the first
period scoring virtually decided the
issue. Alex piled up II points in
the initial stanza. The locals soli-
tary offensive gesture occurred as
the whistle ended hostilities for the
first half; this came in the nature
of short shot by Benson which
slipped thru the cage to provide
the losers with their lone field goal
of the game. The first half caused
the writer to contrast this game
last year when Melrose established
a II to 0 lead at half-time on this
same court. Alex boosted a 16 to z
lead at the half.
The third quarter ended 20 to
and in the final canto the two
teams battled on even terms with
frequent substitutions hating the
progress Of the mele at intermit-
tent intervals. After amassing a.
comfortable margin Alex evidently
suffered let-down for, after scor-
ing almost at will in the opening
half, they outscored Sank Centre
only 6 to in the last half. This
may have been due to some slight
Improvement on the locals part in
familiarizing themselves with the
visitors style of attack which was
very tricky and deceptive and ably
abetted by clever floor work and
expert ball-handling with Carlson
looming I'D as the main cog in the
offense Of the Red and Black auint
Carlson was the outstanding star
OF the game with Venzke and
Helgeson not so far behind. This
trio scintillated an attack scoring
20 points between them. Carlson
captured high scoring honors with !.
8 points, closely pursued by his
two aforementioned mates who
garnered six each. It is no simple
task to pick out the leading player
OF quint which is out-classed as
badly as the locals were though
there can be little doubt that Ham
ilton really played the best for the
vanquished team and it was no
fault of his that Sank Centre had
but 5 puny markers to show for
81 minutes of completion.
Alexandria's polished and well
balanced five employed an effective
passing game with Carlson, an adept
being the man around
whom the attack is built. At any
rate this intricate short pass was
used often with scoring results and
it also served as a medium to pre-
vent the home five from giving DOS
session of the ball for long periods
during which time the OSTRICH
men waited for favorable openings
which they were quick to accept.
Unusual accuracy at the foul line
by Sank Centre was one factor
which prevented them from having
a lower total. Three chances out
of five were successful. From the
time that the home team scored its
first points till the contests CLOSE :
the locals were outscored by the
slim margin of 6 to but, inasmuch
as Alex had the game in the bag
at that time, little significance is
to this disclosure which
invariably means little or nothing.
Sank Centres single basket was
made with second string Alex
lineup seeing service.
Although the victor's defense was
not above the average, the locals
were unable to penetrate it with
any degree of consistency.
The writer saw Sank Centre in
action in five games last year, three
Of them being with Melrose and
he is of the opinion that the Main
streeters played better brand Of
ball then, though they have six let
termen back this season. If this
is correct there are
number Of plausible explanations
20 substantiate this theory then
here is something radically wrong
with the play of the team
N their first four tussles. So
Far, there are number of criti-
,isms to offer but the real cause
has not definitely been decided
though it is no great secret that
he locals showing in their appear
ances thus far has been highly dis
It is readily apparent
that Sank Centre will get nowhere
In the 1881 district title chase If a
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