Evening star., 1953-02-24
GonzaC1F Peak
In Upset Of Tonies,
Gains Catholic Final
By Bill Fuchs

Gonzaga, a slow starter, finally
has hit its peak with the result
that the Eagles, not st. An
thony, will meet st. Johns
Friday night at Ritchie Coliseum
for the Metropolitan Catholic
League basketball title.
The Johnnies, unbeaten in
league competition this season.
will be favored. but the Eagles
last night showed they don't
care about odds as they upset
the TONES, 68-55. in the open
ing round of the playoffs at the
Coliseum. The Johnnies toyed
with Georgetown Prep in rack
ing up an 86-48 victory in the
nightcap of the doubleheader.
The TONES and Georgetown
Prep will meet in a consolation
at Z o'clock Friday night with
the main attraction scheduled
for 8:45.
Gonzaga and st. Johns have
met many times for the league
basketball championship. But
this marks the first time the
Eagles have surprised by getting
into the title picture.
Eagles Coach Not Surprised.
Not acting too surprised by it
all is the Eagles coach. Frank
Gilmore, a 23-year-old law STU
dent at George Washington Uni
versity. The Eagles have an IL
9 record. but. as Gilmore points
oSt, some of those losses were
by close margins to good teams.
The Eagles lost to unbeaten
Roosevelt twice, by 2 and S
points; to George Washington
High by 4 points and to Bulls
which is in the college freshman
class.
But we really have come
along in our last eight games"
Gilmore says. 1.-THE boys are
moving the ball better"
Mike Williams, a 6-foot-4. 200
pound football tackle, played his
best game of the season last
night. Ronnie Bennett also did
a creditahle Job. Tucker Dunn,
who scored % points, and Dan
Devlin, who scored %, have been
"eagle-eyed" all season, but last
night they got that help under
the boards from Williams and
Bennett and Vince Sullivan.
Jack Sullivan Checked.
The Eagles played a Sagging
defense, with Williams doing
most of the guarding on Jack
Sullivan, the leagues top scorer
with a 24.1 average. Sullivan
got 18 points last night, but
scored only six field goals and
didn't get his first one until $40
of the second quarter.
Gonzaga, with Williams. Dev-
lin and Dunn showing the way.
ran up a 17-9 f1rst-quarter lead
and was ahead, Sill, at half
time. The Eagles led, 50-33,
after three quarters.
Williams scored IL points,
Bennett, 6, and Vince Sullivan,
S, for Gonzaga. Denny Dawson
scored 1S, George Sugars 10 and
Bill Cassidy 7 for the TONES.
who were losing their second
game of the year on the floor.
ST. Johns beat them In a reg
ular-sezson game. Their only
othef'loss was toaPriory through
q protest decision.
Little HOyas OutclaSSed.
Georgetown Prep held st.
Johns to a APPOINT victory dur
ing the regular season, but the
Johnf1ies were without Frank
(Horse) Harding for that one.
And they weren't hitting as they
did last night.
II :!would've used up all my
t!me-outs in the first quarter had
l thought it would've done any
good" Coach Miggs Reilly of
Georgetown Prep SAID later.
But 1, knew it was going to be
q long night"
With Harding, Ralph Hawkins,
Bob Rusevlyan, John Frazier and
Paul DeMarco in the lineup, the
Johnnies ran up a 1877 lead at
the end of the first quarter and
had a 40-18 intermisSion advan-
tage. They led. 6O-31, after
three quarters and early in the
fourth Coach Joe Gallagher
cleared his bench. All IL play
erS on the st. Johns squad
scored. High were Hawkins with
20, Harding with IA and Rusev-
lyan with IL. High for George
town Prep was Don Nalty with
II. Tom Daily got 8 points and
Pete Dell and Greg Didden Z