The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-01-11
TAFT And ]. SPRlCCS
STAGE WINNING PLAY
AFTER UPHILL Climb
M'leod's Green Demons Over.
come Five-Point Lead Des.
pite Sailing Game
LEAD CHANGED SIX TIMES
Reversal Of Form Of Bismarck
Center In Second Half
Brings Needed Punch
LEAD CHANGED SIX TIMES

Brings Needed Punch
With two minutes to go the visitor!
led IA to Is and were stalling. With
only n minute to go John Spriggs
crept up on Lester Jarvis, visitor
guard who is a past master at the art
of stalling. Taken unawares, Jarvi:
let the ball fly out of the court in the
ensuing feinting. Harold TAFT took
the ball out of bounds and made a
quick pass to Spriggs under the bas-
ket. Spriggs dropped the ball
through in a difficult shot and Bis
marck high schools cagers defeated
Valley City's state champions Is to
IA last night in one of the most ex-
citing contests witnessed on a Capt.
tai City court. The lead had changed
hands six times in 80 minutes of baS-
ketballing, which was exceptionally
clean cut for this early stage in the
season.
Had Roy D. McLeod's Demons been
more accurate in their losses at the
hoop in the first half, they might
have won the game by a larger mar
gin.. But they were playing five vet
Grams from last years state champion
ship squad, coached by Claude Mill
err. and, excusably to a certain extent.
a bit over -eager. The former Bison
stars proteges took advantage of
practically every opportunity to score.
particularly at the beginning OF the
second half.
Overcome 5-P0int Lead
To win last nights game. Bismarck
was forced to come from five points
behind, a task which was done well
but unexpected by many Demon en-
thusiasts.
After floundering about more or
less aimlessly in the first half, miss
ing many good passes and scoring OPP
portunities, Harold TAFT, Capital City
center, came into his own late in the
third quarter and supplied the win
ming punch to his team. His sudden
reversal of form and two field goals
in the pinch gave the Demons new
life.
Bismarck had left the floor with a
6 to 5 advantage at the half. But
Valley City came back with a squirt
in the third quarter and engineered
an. IL to 6 lead for themselves. With
their great stalling game beginning
to function, many signs were audible
in the Demon section. But TAFT
.'came to" at this point.
Jumping bali under the basket, he
tipped the sphere through. Just be-
fore the canto ended, Frank Smith,
cool forward, dropped in a difficult
shot from the side Of the court. At
the opening Of the fourth quarter,
TAFT found his eye for another and
the Demons rel leading IL to II.
Earl Hoffman slipped a gift shot
through to increase the advantage to
Is to IL. At this point, Jarvis. who
had left the contest, returned and he
almost Immediately tied the count
with a beautiful long shot. Robert
Nugent gave Valley City q IL to Is
lead with a free throw, his third in
as many chances. and things again
looked dark for the home clan as the
Hiliners brought their Sailing game
into play. But Spriggs and TAFT pull
ed their little act to save the evening.
Visitors Were Outplayed
Bismarck outplayed Valley City on
the floor practically throughout but
the Hiliners were better equipped to
take advantage of their opportunities.
The v~ictors, especially in the first
half, took many more chances at the
to shat r,ls111 c1~~,v;5 Harv,o AAAa> ,nnLM |
than did the Barnes county crew.
Both teams were raggy and fast, and
local fans saw two Of the best teams
in the state, both Of which will have
to be considered when championship
honors are passed out, in action last
night.
Bismarck started the game impress
sively, scoring from the field in less
than five seconds. TAFT tipped the
ball to O,Hare at the side of the
court and the giant guard took one
dribble and dropped a difficult long
shot from the side Of the court In.
Valley City led 3 to 2 at the end Of
the first quarter, however. /,
Besides keeping the Hiliner for
wards at bay throughout the first
halt, O'Hare and Hoffman, big |,
guards, scored all of Bismarck's six
points during the period, each count
ing . field goal and free throw. y
OrHare played through the last /,
quarter with q limp, the big fellow
suffered q injury to q toe on
his right foot. Lockwood, visitors I
forward, played with his mouth al /
most closed with adhesive tape. The {
Valley City youth was suffering from t
m outbreak Of cold sores.
Play Mandan Tonight !.
Coach Miller will pit his men !
Mandan at $3.50 o'clock to- :
night in the Mandan high school
gymnasium. Bismarck will not play I,
gain until q week from tonight,
Fhen they meet Minot at the Ward 4
city In q game which will be
iedicatory to the northern ctty's new
gymnasium.
Bisrnarck's 1mps, high school Sec
'ndS, also won Z is to IL verdict In
preliminary game last night, but
hey had to play an extra period to q
it. :
With the score tied ct 12-all when q
&c regular playing time ended, Rus 5
~ Enge. Imp center. proved himself
pinch hitter n the overtime session. =
= dropped IN . field goal to give the 3
nps the lead but Fortune retaliated i,
the club men to tie the count d
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