The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-29
JAYSEES DROP
BITTER GAME
Leach-like Guarding of Queen
City Keeps Basket Aces
Away From Hoop.

City Keeps Basket Aces
Away From Hoop.
In bitter battle marked by SO
personal fouls, Ely dropped 40 to n
decision to the Virginia Junior College
on Memorial court last Thursday night
J The score by no means presents a
true picture Of what happened. Coach
Barney Banks sharpshooters had the
edge taken off their effectiveness
simply because the Queen City wouldn't
let them get close enough to the basket
for the pot shot for which they are
famous. The super-close guarding of
the Greyhounds brought them many
fouls, 81 in all, most of them being
committed under Ely's basket.
Matt Mayerle, guard, whose speciality
is to cut across the free throw circle
and then drive suddenly into the bas-
ket, was hooked five times in the pro-
cess OF getting in for pot shots. Mayerle
sank four out of five attempts from the
free throw line, but baskets would have
helped out the cause a great deal more
Joe Novak, who seldom shoots unless
he's in for a setup, ran into all kinds
of trouble. Pelto and Ola turned in an
effective job of screening him out, and
he was fouled three times when he
did get close enough to register Out
of the five free throws he was given,
he sank two. Three times, however, he
slipped in baskets over a defensive
players head
Steve Grahek, center, who is also a
hard charger when he gets close enough
to crash in for a setup, was fouled
three times, making good on two out
of five free throws.
Ely's inability to solve the defensive
problem presented by the talented Vir-
GINA club, complicated by leach-like
guarding of the visitors when the local
Jaysees did crash the defense, was
the reason why Ely scored only seven
times from the floor.
Friday night the Elyites will wind
up their schedule at Duluth. Falling
before the local club, 81 to As, couple
of weeks ago, the Bluejays are the only
team to be defeated by the Vermilion
range quintet. The boys probably have
an edge over the Duluth club in their
return engagement, but the latter will
make plenty of trouble for Coach Banks
if his club isn't at its best.
Virginia clinched its claim on the con-
ference championship by defeating Ely.
just as anxious to turn in an upset
as the Greyhounds were to prevent one,
Ely made it a ball game all the way.
The first quarter was about even.
Virginia showed its hand Immediately,
placing screen around the hoop that
the Ely pot-shot artists had little
success in penetrating. Kortes and
Rajacich, forwards, spent a good share
of the time down in the far corners
opposite their basket, where they were i
supposed to be on the receiving end of !!
floor-length heaves reminiscent of 1920 |
style basketball, but the play fell way
short of whatever it was intended to ,
accomplish as the ball sailed out of |
bounds or into an Ely players hands
In the second quarter the mighty |
Ola, former Gilbert high school flash,
rang up 8 points to lead his club to a |
21-12 lead at the half. Ely scored all |
its points during the quarter on free
throws, making good on six out of
ten chances.
During the third period they were
still very much in the running and it |
wasn't until the fourth started that |
they showed signs of cracking. Gull
leckson, elongated Mountain Iron boy,
got hot in the final frame, putting in |
three baskets and two free throws, for
eight points, the equivalent of all the !
Ely teams efforts.
AS is always the case when they meet |
any of the range college athletic teams |
the Elyites opposed the best that a |
half dozen communities had contributed |
to the particular team engaged. Only |
two of Virginias nine best players, |
Kortes and Pelto, call the Queen City |
home. Besides the out-of- towners |
named previously, Rajacich and Mar
turana are from Buhl, Levin and An
derson are from Mountain Iron, and |
Mesajedie is from Gilbert.
Ely missed II free throws and Vir-
ginia Z. Mayerle established a record |
for himself, and for other team men,
bers to shoot at, by sinking five out |
of six attempts. Ely tried 70 shots |
from the floor and Virginia, 10.
In a preliminary contest, Coach Peter |
junior high basketeers |
whipped Virginia, % to 9, for its fourth |
consecutive win. Undefeated and with |
the best record of all athletic teams of |
the school system, they have beaten |
Eveleth, Hibbing and Virginia twice
The Jaysee box score:
Ely-27 FIG FIT Pr
Novak, f, ..............4 2 4
Banks, f, ..............1 2 2
Franti, C, ..............0 l /