The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1946-12-12
Legion Five Lose
To Baltimore K. C.'s
Local Team No Match For OPP
opnents-To Meet Harrisburg
AMVETS In Armory Sunday.
By Joe Snyder

Playing before the perenially-
sparse opening day turnout at the
State Armory, the Morris Frock
American Legion five, Hagerstown's
supposedly able representatives in
pro basketball ranks this year, made
their highly-publicized debut any,
thing but an suspicious one last Sun
day when they absorbed 51-35 lick
ing by a competent Baltimore
Knights of Columbus team, leaving
the Legionnaires without a win in
their two games played to date.
Utilizing to the fullest advantage
nine-man roster containing such
outstading performers as Charley
Beck, a deadly set-shot artist from
the University of Syracuse, Al Bar
tholome, leading scorer among Free
State collegiate cagers while attend
ing Loyola last year, and Gene Ken
ney, very promising youngster
whose court proWess has earned him
a scholarship to Notre Dame, the WIS.,
iting Caseys hoped right into a
five point lead at the quarter and
slowly tackled onto it the 16-point
advantage by which they gained
their ultimate victory. In only one
period, the final one, were the
Legionnaires able to keep pace with
their opponents, and even in that
one, it was a conceded and plainly
evident fact that the Baltimorites
were taking it easy in preparation
of night game in the Monumental
City that same evening.
Summed up in plain basketball
English and without the use of any
high-broW superlatives, it appeared
to the writer that the main cause
of the Legionnaires' downfall lay in
their inferior display of three of
the basic principles of the game -
inaccurate shooting, bad passing and
loose defensive play. Time after
time they muffed golden opportun-
tiles to draw within striking dis
lance or overtake the Caseys, by
missing easy pot-shots and foul
casts, and ineptly handling the ball,
Possibly after working together I'M
der actual fire for another game or
two, all of these rough spots will be
ironed out, and the Legion will be
fully capable of appearing in the
polished manner witnessed by this
observer in preseason practice ses-
sions. Anyway, here's hoping they'll
get off on the right foot next Sun
day against the Harrisburg Amvets.
A half-time last week the score
stood at 22-14; at the three-quarter
mark, 1922. During both cantos the
deadly aim of Kenny and Beck slow
ly sunk the Legionnaires into the
depths of oblivion, while Vic Barn
hart, who ranked with Kenny and
Beck as the days top scorer, and
towering Hink Rowan were doing
their best to keep the home fires
burning.
The locals received tough break
midway in the third heat when Jim
Brode, who had played a marvellous
floor game, although definitely off
in his offensive efforts, went to the
showers via the personal foul route.
This week, as we mentioned be-
fore, the Amvets from Harrisburg
will be supplying the opposition in
the feature event, following . the
usual prelim in which the Uncle
Johns Cabineers will meet the
lGreencastle American Legion Five.
Several practices are on the Legion
agenda between now and then, and
they'll probably floor a somewhat
revamped lineup come game time.
So don't sell them short; come on
down to the State Arory and root
'em in.