Evening star., 1953-12-03
Garden Offers Francis
As First Attraction
OF Basketball Season
By the AsseeiGtsd Press


NEW YORK, Dec. 3.-Madi-
son Square Garden opens its
college basketball season tonight
with Bevo Francis, as the big
attraction.
The 6-foot-9 scoring sensation
and his teammates from little
Rio Grande College-smallest
college ever to be represented
in the Gardens 20 years of col
lege basketball-take on Adel-
phi College of Garden City, N. Y.
st. Johns of Brooklyn, runner
up in last seasons National In
vitation Tournament, faces La
fayette in the other game.
Under normal conditions the
twin bill might attract more
than $4,000 fans. But, because
OF the newspaper strike, Francis
will get a real test Of his draw
ing power.
Anything above 10000 will
represent a personal box office
triumph for the gangling young
man who in his freshman sea-
son averaged SOL points per
game.
Selvy Starts Fast.
When it comes to scoring,
however, Bevo has a real rival
in Furman's Frank Selvy. Fur
man has lost two games in two
nights, but Selvy, 6-foot-4 Ken
tuckian, is setting a fast pace
in defense of his national scor-
ing crown.
Against North Carolina State
Tuesday night he scored 81
points and last night he dropped
in 40 as his club bowed to
Duke, 110-76.
Selvy, who averaged 29.5 per
game last season, needs only 489
more points to break the three
year major college record of
1888 set by Clyde Lovellette of
Kansas in 1852. And if he re-
tains his title he'll be the only
player other than the great
George Mikan to win twice in a
row.
The new Atlantic Coast Con-
ference opened it's season last
night with Maryland edging
South Carolina, 53-49, in the
final is seconds.
Purdue Opens With Victory.
Flashing well-balanced scor-
ing punch from four juniors and
promising performances by
eight sophomoreS, Purdue opened
with an 1864 victory over VAL
paraiSo.
Purdue, Big Ten tailend club
for the last two seasons, broke
a 1888 halftime tie with a 81
point splurge in the third pc
riod. Junior Ted Dunn, 6-foot-5
forward. topped the Boilermak-
erS with 19 points. Four others
scored II or more points each.
Illinois and Wisconsin are the
only other Big Ten teams to have
made a start, beating Ohio Uni
versity, 1854, and Butler, 1854,
respectively.
Wisconsin is at Marquette to-
morrow night for its second
start. Nine Big Ten teams will
be in action Saturday.
Notre Dame opens its season
tonight at home against Ball
State.
Loyola of Chicago posted its
third straight victory last night.
trimming North Dakota, 9O-85.
Oklahoma Aggies Win.
Hank Iba's Oklahoma Aggies,
always among the top defensive
clubs, held Texas in check, 54-
81. In two games the Okla
homans have allowed just n
points.
The. University of Chicago
won its second game in 56 starts
and broke its own scoring rec
ord. The Maroons beat George
Williams College of Chicago, 80
~. The last time a Chicago team
scored as many as So points
was in the 1850 season against
Coe College.
All-America Tom Cola scored
18 points as La Sale of Phila-
delphia opened with a 1857 vic
tory over Millersville, Pa, Teach
ers.
Z At Brunswick, Me-, o goal In
the last Is seconds gave New
Hampshire q 92-90 decision over
Bowdoin. West Virginia outlast-
ed Carnegie Tech, 96-92, in
overtime.
Loyola Of Chicago won its
third straight, 90-S5, over North
Dakota. Niagara, one Of the best
teams in the East, crushed the
University Of Toronto, 1929.
Out West, Santa Clara, two
time NCAA tournament entry,
beat Fresno State, 71-55.
Buzzy Wilkerson Of Virginia
topped his own basketball scor-
ing record last night in leading
the Cavaliers to q 9S-62 victory
over Hampden-Sydney on the
Virginia court.
Wilkerson'S ~ points broke the
old individual mark of 35 he set
as a sophomore last year. The
Cavaliers travel to Annapolis,
Md, Saturday to meet Navy in
their next game.
Two Basketball Leagues