Evening star., 1944-02-20
Two Ti|ts Start
Big Star Meet
Tomorrow
WI. Completes Field
Of Eight; Stirring
Action Promised
BY GEORGE HUBER.

BY GEORGE HUBER.
Eight leading high school basket
ball teams from Washington and
nearby sections of Maryland and
Virginia are lined up and rarin' to
go in the 18th annual Evening Star
Metropolitan interscholastic tourna-
ment. the big midwinter sports event
that begins tomorrow night at Tech
gymnasium and which each year
brings out the best and most excit-
ing moments of schoolboy play here.
On Saturday night, last of four
evenings of torrid play. a new Met
ropolitan champion will be crowned
to succeed Tech, which missed
chance to defend it's title when de-
feated by Eastern last night in the
final of the District public high
series.
Eastern by last nights victory es-
tablished itself as one of the favor
ties for the Met crown, that it has
taken four times in the past. its last
coming in 1899 with a thrilling 1920
victory over st. Johns Aside from
the Ramblers there have been no
repeaters in the 1l-year history of
the tournament.
Washington-Lee Gets Bid.
The eighth and final place to be
filled in the tourney lineup was
taken yesterday when Washington
Lee, runnerup to George Washing
ton IN the Northern Virginia Glass
A League, accepted a bid to COM
pete. The Generals, coached by
Ralph Guinther, started slowly, but
oy taking six of their last nine tits
have shown themselves ready for
the hot stretch of competitive action
facing them in this weeks Star
tournament, Only last Monday they
upset Bulls, one of the events
seeded quints.
Washlngton-Lee, incidentally. is
a previous Met crown winner, hay-
ing taken the title in 1912 with q
l-polnt victory over Bethesda -Chev,
Chase.
In addition to Eastern. George
Washington, Bulls and Washington.
Lee. other teams in this year,
tournament are Gonzaga, St. Johns
Wilson and Mount Rainier. Pickins
favorite from among that list O.
top-hlght clubs is a difficult tasl
with a team needing only a hot
streak of three wins to take the
crown. Any of the teams appear.
capable of doing that. Seeded
teams are Eastern. George Wash.
ington, Bulls and Wilson.
Pairings for Tourney.
First-round games will be Mon.
day and Wednesday nights. semi.
finals are Friday and the title till
on Saturday.
Palrings are: Tomorrow-7:3O 80
George Washington VS.. Mount Rain.
ier; 8:45, Wilson VS.. Gonzaga
Wednesday-7:30, Eastern VS.. Wash.
lngton-Lee; 8:45. St. Johns VS.. Bull.
lis. Friday 80, Mondays winner.
meet; 8:45, Wednesdays winner
meet. The two survivors clash
$50 Saturday night.
! There are some promising tilt
in the above lineup. That ST
hn's-Bullis meeting, for example
should be a honey Bulls won owe
the Johnnies by l point a littl
over two weeks ago. The Gonzaga
Wilson game is another hot number
Both Washington Lee and Noun
Rainier are in underdog roles goin
against Eastern and George Wash
lngton, respectively, but anythin
can happen and favorite or tw
likely will fall early.
But If favorites come through t
the semif1nals, bar the door.
George Washington VS.. Wilson !
1ull OF steam. They have split tw
games this season by the narrowes
OF margins. Furthermore, Wilso
last week halted G. WIS 12-gam
winning streak.
Fight All Way Is Likely.
t And Eastern VS.. Bulls. zingc
When two of this sections TOUCHES
clubs come together, something
going to explode somewhere. The
weren't able to schedule each othe
during the regular season, and tn
tournament affords an opportunit
to settle few things. All they hay
to do is get past their first-roun
opposition, which is no soft order.
It's going to be a fight all tn
way. Not only does the winnin
team get the title of metropolita
champion, big honor, but it ais
will take home a few armloads {
trophies. Trophies-and Star toul
ney trophies are among the best
go to the winning team, the runner
up team. the winning coach. tt
outstanding player and to individu;
members Of the winning team.
Tickets are on sale at all pal
: tlclpating schools, which keep Orc
ceeds from these sales. 1t is sus
gested that spectators purchase the
tickets in advance in order to hel
their favorite club. and that they g,
to Tech High early in order to gra
a choice seat, or any seat at all.