Evening star., 1952-01-30
.afe-Siarfer Eastern
Ready for Another
Bid for PIayoff Spot
By Bricn Bell, j.

Il
Slow-starting Eastern seems
-eady to make its usual late-Sea-
son drive toward a playoh spot
after upsetting Coolidge, $3.50, In
the second game of an interhigh
double header at Tech yesterday.
Tech won Its 9th straight VIC
tory over a two-year span and
tied Roosevelt for the league lead
by beating Chamberlain. 1920, in
the nightcap which saw each team
try to outfreeze the other at diff
|ferent stages.
Eastern dropped two Of It's first
three league games to Wilson and
Roosevelt and still face an up-l
hill battle for one of the four
playoff berths. The Ramblers
must meet Anacostia Friday. and
Tech, Bell and Western later In
the season. If the form sheet is
followed the Ramblers will lose
to Tech and beat Bell. which
would mean they woud have to
defeat Anacostia and Western to
stand a good chance Of at least q
tie for a spot.
Team Ready, Coach Thinks.
But Bobby Hart, Ramb1ers'
coach, thinks his team is ready.
We're finally rounding into shape
and I believe We still haven't
played our best ball" Hart said
yesterday.
Hart isn't even conceding Tech
a victory over his team. Perhaps
remembering last years game
when the Ramblers lost a two
point decision to the Trainers in
the final seconds, Hart refuses to-
admit Tech viii breeze past East
ern this season. He says he will
attempt to beat the Trainers at
their own style of race-horseI
basketball nice trick If Eastern
can do it.
RambleFs Overcome Lead.
Yesterday the Ramblers got roll-I
ing in the second quarter to over
come a 1913 Coolidge flrst-period
lead and take q 1924 edge at
halftime. From then on Eastern
was never headed although the
Colts. led by Ardie Baker, rallied
gamely at the end. Coolidge cut
Eastern'S fourth-quarter lead from
SLAP to 51-50 before Gino DAM
brosio sank a one-hander and the
Ramblers froze to win.
Eastern's Dick Torbett was the
games outstanding player. He
and Graham Pennington controlled
the backboards while Bob Ahern
and JEFF Linthicum hit from the
Dave Keys ball-handling
made a big difference for the
Ramblers in the later stages of
the game Torbett, besides taking
most of the rebounds. was hittingl
on hook shots with both hands and
tossed in 13 points. Ahern Gagged
l6 and Baker made the same num-
Der for Coolidge.
Tech Game Slow.
Tech ran into Frosty Powars,
Chamberlain's strategy minded
coach, and one of the dullest inter-
high games ever seen was the
result. Powars employed some of
the tactics that he used when st.
Anthony's edged the Volts, AZ,
early in the season-freezing the
ball until the contest seemed to be
in slow motion.
Chamberlain took only one set
shot in the first half as Techs
high-scoring five. missing fire.
quently from the floor. was held to
a 24-12 lead at halftime. In the
third quarter Dutch Usilaner,
Tech coach. ordered his boys to
slow the action-to the extent
that at one point Bill Breen placed
the ball on the floor when Cham
berlain refused to leave its zone.
The third quarter was a 6-6
and the Trainers, dis
gusted with the slow basketball.
requested Usilaner to let them re-
turn to action. Tech began to hit!
with more accuracy and drew way
ahead of the Volts.
Snookie Herman topped the
Trainers with II points-six
markers short of his % point
average. Only three
Volts, Tony Magnetic, Bob Patton
and Jack Ferrari, scored.