Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-27
St Anthony Capture Spotlight in High School P|ayofs
Trainers Are Picked
Over Speedy Wilson
In Windup Tonight
BY Dick SIoy

W NlCk SlUy
In the minds Of most Of the
$500 fans who came away from
the Interhigh basketball playoffs
last night. Tech probably was
being tabled the favorite' to win
its fourth league championship
in five years.
Wilson. which last season
broke Techs string Of three
straight titles. will oppose the
Trainers at $3.50 tonight on the
Tech court. preceded by a junior
varsity championship game be-
tween the Wilson and Eastern
w teams at 7:15.
Wilson qualified for the finals
by humping Anacostia in over
time, 64-58, in the second game
of the double-header at Tech
last night, after the host team
had led all the way to beat East
ern. 68-55.
During the regular season
Tech handed the Tigers one of
the worst of their four hckings
in their 13-game schedule and
the Trainers still are considered
too smart to allow Wilson's fast
breaking style to function prop
erly-the same fast break that
wrecked Anacostia.
Speed Turns Tide.
In the final analysis it was
Anacostia's inability to cope with
Wilson's speed in bringing the
ball down court that brought
about its defeat. Anacostia's
three tall boys, Jay Ferber, Bob
johnson and Wayne Thomerson
were controlling both backboards
in the first half and the Indians
led, 1873 and 1921. at the end
OF the first two quarters.
But Wilson began fighting for
the ball at the start of the Sec
ond half and the Tigers raced
to 1884 advantage going into
the final period. The score was
Stall at the end of regulation
time. Then Lew Luce, fed by
Jules Laventhol, sank 8 points
in the overtime to wrap it up.
Russ Lombardy, coach of An
acostia, took it as hard as his
players. some Of whom cried in
the dressing room. II thought
we had it won," he said. IN
fact. thought we were going
to win the whole playoff. They
beat us under the boards in the
second half and then our de-
Tense collapsed.
I'VE weren't dropping back on
those fast breaks" Lombardy ex-
planned. Little Dickie Butler
played a whale of a defensive
game but he was all by himself
with two and sometimes three
men on him downcourt."
Luce Outscores Zirkle.
Anacostia's zeke zirkle, who
set a new season scoring record
for the league last week, and
Luce put on their scoring battle,
as expected, and Luce finished
ahead, 81 points to 80. Zirkle
got Is in the last quarter. while
Luce's best quarter was the third,
when he sank IL.
In the opening game Hans
Jepson. 6-foot-3 center from
California, poured in 20 points
IN the first half and did most of
the rebounding to carry the
Trainers to a 1929 lead over
Eastern at intermission. He
cooled off after that, scoring
only 5 more points. but Tom
Merryman and Tony DiChiacchio
TOOK up the slack.
Eastern used a 5-man press
in the third period and held
Tech to IS points. but the Ram
blers didn't take advantage of it
ana tailed off to II points in the
last quarter. Jim Stephens top
ped the Eastern scoring with Is
points, Bob Ellis got 10 before
foullng out and Joe McHan hit
for IL.
JepSon's Is led Tech, followed
by Is by Merryman and 10 by
DlChiacchio. who scored three
goals in the closing minutes to
pull Tech free from its narrow
est margin of the night, $3.50.
A Step Ahead All Night.
Bobby Hart, coach of Eastern,
pointed out Techs strength:
They were a step ahead of us
on defense all night. We brought
Ed Barton outside in the second
half to draw Jepson away from
the boards and get their little
man. Don Hunter. in there. But
they'd switch Merryman or Di-
Chiacchio for him every time.
There was just too much of a
lead for us to overcome, espe-
cially with Tech hitting their
shots like they WERE"
Coach Tony Kupka of Wilson.
although he thinks his boys
didn't play their best against
Tech last time, knows what he's
up against. Tech is experienced
and smart" he admitted. But
the way we came from behind
tonight should be a good tonic
for my boys"
1t was much the same situa-
ton last season. Roosevelt wal
loped Wilson during the regular
schedule but was licked by the
same club in the championship
game. This year Kupka is play
ing with a minimum of seniors