Evening star., 1953-03-19
Indiana Proves RiQht
To Top Cage Ranking
With NCAA Triumph
BY the Associated Press

4AIA4NS11O ~ L N4CA4s 40s-411~
diana's hurrying Hoosiers proved
their right to be called the Ma
tion's No. l basketball team by
winning the 18th national COL
legiate tournament, 69-68, over
Kansas University's fiery Jay
hawks.
Coach Branch McCracken's
Hoosiers did it in a furious run
ming and shooting battle cli-
NAKED by Bob Leonard's winning
free throw with 81 seconds re-
manning before 10000 partisan
Kansas fans in Municipal Audi
torium last night.
The Washington Huskies, who
came into the semifinalS as tour
nament favoriteS. took consola-
ton honorS. 86-69, over LouiSi-
ana State.
COach'S Second Triumph.
In winning, the Big Ten cham
pions presented McCracken with
his second NCAA blue ribbon.
The first one came in 1910 by a
60-42 score against the same
school and in the same arena.
It must have been a bitter dis
appointment for the Kansas
coach, Phog Allen, dean of the
Nations cage mentors, although
he'd insisted all winter his JAY
hawks didn't have any sort of a
chance of repeating for their
1852 national crown.
Tempers fared late in the
third period when mix-up in
the official scoring had Kansas
only tall player, 6-foot-9 B. H.
Born, committing his fifth per-
sonal foul. After Allen and the
Kansas bench had Stormed the
scorers, and press and radio men
backed his contention, officials
changed Born's violations to
four.
McCracken Protests.
McCracken dashed into the
controversy with the charge the
fouls were on the official books
and couldn't be changed.
I'VE are your guests and you
have no right to take advantage
of us this way" McCrackcn
stormed. You have no right to
rob u.s."
Actually, there's no such thing
as a guest team in the cham
pionship tournament since it's
played on a neutral court.
The score stood 53-52 for Kan
sas when the rhubarb developed
and it was just about that close
throughout the furiously played
game between the hard-pressing
teams. Indiana led 20-19 at the
quarter, the score was tied 41-41
at the half and the Hoosiers we're
in front. 1888, at the three
quarter mark.
Don Schlundt was the band
leader in Indiana's championship
march with 80 points. Born
hetted 26 for Kansas before
finally getting his fifth personal
foul with Indiana leading 62-61
and minutes remaining.
The climax came when Dean
Kelley drove in for a field goal
that tied the score 68-all with a
minute and 5 seconds to go.
But seconds later Kelley fouled
Leonard and the Hoosiers' great
guard had two shots coming.
Leonard missed his first pop,
but dropped in the second try.
Kansas chances of pulling an
other one out of the fire died
when Substitute Center Jerry
Albert's long one-hander from
the side failed to connect with
time running out.
Indiana Cracks Records.
Although Kansas Clyde Lowell
letteS tournament record of 141
points set in four games stood
the test this time, Indiana
figured IN setting three meet
records.
The Hoosiers' $40 points for
the four games topped the BOT
made by Washington in winning
the consolation event. Illinois
had the old record of 298 in 1851.
Indiana cracked the four-game
tree-throw record with 108 sue
cesSes and Schlundt made an
individual free-throw record of
49 for the tournament.
Washington. upset 1858, by
Kansas in the semifinals, had
little trouble beating Louisiana
State as Bob Houbregs found
the bucket for ~ points.
Except for LSU's Bob Pettit's
36 points. the uninspired South
eastern Conference champions
had little to offer in way of an
offensive.
Born was voted the most valu-
able in the tournament by the
press and radio. The all-star
team selected included Born,
Schlundt and Leonard of Indi-
ana, Houbregs of Washington
and Dean Kelley of Kansas.