The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-12-28
EIv Defeats TolUer Here;
Virginia Whips College
High School Ekes Out 3-Point
Victory; Tower Pep Club
Scores Hit with Drill.

Fans who turned out to witness Ely's
80 to 20 defeat of Tower on Memorial
court, Thursday night, had nearly
everything in the entire basketball
repertoire paraded before them.
From the opening whistle when the
visitors jumped into an early lead until
the final gun when they came within
an ace of turning in an upset victory,
there was plenty doing to entertain the
crowd of nearly thousand fans present.
Coach Steve Smrekar took full ad-
vantage of an opportunity to let few
of his less experienced squad members
acquire few battle scars, one reason
why Ely's score did not reach any great
size. In all II men saw action.
Easily the hit of the evening were the
81 members of the Tower Girls Pep
club. Under the direction of Miss
Angela Mayerle, general science teacher,
the club staged a series Of intricate
drills.
Dressed in gold blouseS and purple
skirts, Tower high colorS, they formed
the letters ELY, and then an arrow
symbolical of the Arrowhead country,
and then rs for Tower Soudan. The
high school band, under the direction
of Earl Edwards, student leader. pro-
vided music for the drills.
Miss Mayerle is former Ely girl.
Ely couldn't get under way against
, the Tower basketball team until along
in the middle of the second quarter
; THE visitors held So advantage as the
: first period ended.
As the second started, Paul Prols
+ went into the game at forward, and hi
proved to be the sparkplug of the Ell!
, attack. A basket by Prola tied TIT
, count at all, but Tower almost i'm
mediately chalked up a two-point leac
{ again as Hackey slipped in long ont
{ from center court.
, Then Tony Grahek, who started TIT
! game at guard, and Prola went int
! action. Grahek slipped in two basket
! and his teammate three more and
{ free throw to send Coach Smrekar'
, crew into a lead that it maintainet
until the final gun.
D As Coach Smrekar gave his reserve
i an opportunity for a workout during
? the first part of the final quarter, tn
: visitors rang up three baskets and
free throw to come up within fou
y points of the host team. With the scor
D but 1925 in Ely's favor and Towe
apparently getting hot, the local basket
ball mentor sent his first string bac
? into the fray.
Prola sunk a charity toss and T. Ora
HEX followed with a basket to pusl
the count to 1926, but the firework
weren't over yet.
Hackey, who sank five baskets befor
the game ended, marked up No. an
No. at this critical point to brin
the count to 1929 as the large delega
ton of Tower fans went wild. He wa
: fouled on his last shot and given on
free throw, but instead of trying fo
F. the point he chose to take advantag
of the new rule which allowed his tear
to throw the ball in from out-of-bouno
at center court.
AS play resumed, Hackey, about tn
smallest player on the floor, aga1
gained possession of the ball and ser
two shots hoopward that came with
an ace of going through the net. BIZ
his luck had deserted him and tn
game ended a minute later and tn
= Ely rooters breathed deep sigh
relief.
Coach Smrekars use of his enti1
IS squad made the game as even g
10 possible without having it end in
tie score. While the first quarter an
half were rather slow, the rest {