Evening star., 1951-02-22
Tech and Western Favored
In PIoyoH Games Tonight
By Brian Bell, Jr.

whether Tech and Western can
return to early season form to-
night-when it counts most-in
the league playoffs at Uline, start
ing at 8 o'clock.
Western meets Coolidge in the
second game and Tech, the loop
leader with an 80 record, plays
Roosevelt In the opener. Western
and Tech will be favored tonight.
but not as much as they would
have been month ago. The win
ners will meet in the final Satur-
day.
The Trainers were not beaten
in regular season league play, but
came closer and closer to defeat
in their last games while Western
also slipped Tech had not won
by less than IS points before its
last two games. Then the Trainers
had to go all out to win.
Roosevelt tossed "a zone defense
at Tech when the two met last
week and pressed the Trainers all
the way before losing. 1886. Sat-
urday, Eastern used a man-to-
man defense and Tech blew a IA
point lead to win barely on Joe
Caw's tie-breaking layup in the
last Is seconds.
Western Has Slowed.
Western edged Coolidge, 59-57,
in their regular season meeting
and beat five other league foes.
but recently the going has been
tough for the Raiders. They |
dropped 61-59 thriller to East
ern in overtime last week and Fri
day were extended by Chamber
lain, winner of only two league
games. before winning, 1910.
Coolidge played excellent ball to
beat Roosevelt Saturday while the
Riders were impressive in down.
ing Eastern for fourth place and a
playoff spot. 48-44. Tuesday.
One bright spot in the Tech
outlook is the expected return of
Babe Marshall, the only senior on
the starting team. Marshall has
been out for weeks with nerve
trouble in his neck, but Coach
Dutch Usilaner had him in uni
form Saturday and says he'll be
ready to go tonight.
Called my quarterback" by
Usilaner. Marshall was the steady
ing influence and playmaker in
the Trainers collection of stars. |
Since his absence, Tech has looked
more like a group of individual
standouts rather than the smooth
working team it was early in the
season.
Marshall May Steady Tech.
Snookie Herman, the leagues
leading point-getter with a 1851
average. and Bill Breen, the loops
second highest scorer with a 16.5
average, seemed to be trying to
outscore each other rather than
play with the team in the Train
ers' last few games. Maybe Mar
shall will pull the boys together
again.
Frank Sullivan. 6-foot-4 re-
bound specialist, will lead the
Trainers under the boards and
Herman and Breen should get scor-
ing help from Joe Cav and Mar
shall, who had a 13-point average
before he was injured. Dick De-
Cesare and Charlie Hartnett are
capable substitutes at Usilaner's
call.
Roosevelt probably will use the
same four man zone that gave
Tech so much trouble the first
time the two clubs met. Sid
Frank, who roams on the outside
of this defense. is a ball stealer
and a fine floorman. He bothered
the Trainers before and may
again.
The Riders Bill Smith. boasting
a 13.4-point league average, has
tossed in 81 and 10 in his last
two games. Sophomore Hall Pol
lin and Dave Walker, a newcomer
from Florida, will be counted onI
for rebound work, while Bob Potts
and Robbie Smithers will see
plenty of action.
Gabe FerazZi. Roosevelt coach,
is hoping he will have Bill Wright,