The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1961-03-17
SPORTS of TIMES
Dayton Seeks
Elusive Title
BY LOU FABRO
Times Sports Editor

"AlWays a bridesmaid but never a bride" aptly
describes the University of Dayton's basketball record
In the National Invitation Tournament NTI).
The Flyers are competing in the New York tourna-
ment for the ninth time in the last IL years. And
they're still looking for that first championship. They
begin this years NIT campaign on Tuesday.
DAYTON HAS PLAYED the bridesmaid role
finishing as the runnerup-on five occasions. In their
first try in 1851, the Flyers lost the championship
game to Brigham-Young, 6243; the following year
they lost the payoff game to LaSaue, 1854; IN 1888,
Duquesne grounded the Flyers in the finals, 1858; the
next year, Louisville Squelched Dayton IN the title
game, $3.50; and in 1858, Xavier (Cincinnati chilled
the Flyers in an overtime battle of Ohio teams, 1874.
The defeat to archrival Xavier really was a back
breaker to Dayton. The Flyers were overwhelming
~favoriteS to win the crown, thanks to an outstanding
25-3 record. Xavier, on the other hand, was rated dead
last in the 12team field because of a $3.50 1911 record
which included seven defeats in the last eight games
of the regular season.
Not only did New York sports writer's criticize NIT
officials for inviting the Musketeers, but tickle Xavier
fans were pretty sour themselves. And they showed
this by firing a barrage of snowballs on the team bus
as it left the campus for the tournament.
THE MUSKETEERs AsToUNDED the college
sports world, however, by staging four amazing upsets
to snare the NIT championship. And they won the
title by whipping Dayton, a team that had beaten them
twice during the regular season.
Returning to the campus after their victory,
Xavier players and Coach jim McCafferty (Who had
been hung in effigy twice that season. were greeted
by 10000 cheering fans. 1t was the biggest welcome
given an athletic team in Cincinnati since 1910 when
the Redlegs last won The National League champion
ship.
Competition in this years NIT is considered very
close with no really outstanding favorite. Included
in this years 12-team field are seven Catholic college
CUNTS. Besides Dayton, they include: Providence, De-
Paul, Detroit, Niagara (which had stopped st. Bonaven-
ture), Holy Cross and st. Louis.
OF THESE TEAMS, only DePaul, Holy Cross and
st. Louis have won championships. Other Catholic col
lege winners of the NIT crown include S. Johns (N,Yl,
which won it twice, San Francisco, LaSalle, Seton Hall,
Holy Cross, Duquesne, and as mentioned, Xavier.
Catholic college quintets haven't had as much sue
cess in the National Collegiate Athletic Association
tournament. They've won the crown only four times.
Holy Cross was the first Catholic college team
to win il. The Crusaders, paced by Bob Cousy, now a
star with the Boston CelticS, won in 1947. LaSalle, led
by Tom Cola, now with the Philadelphia Warriors, won
it in 1854. San Francisco won the championship in
1855 and 1856 while forging a record 60-game victory
streak. The Dons were led TO their titles by Bill Russell
and K.C. Jones, now stars with the Boston Celtics.
Winners Of the NIT and NCAA championships are