October 23

## 1946

**Boston Globe**- Buffalo Claims Tallest Hoopman; Don Otten 7 Feet, Still Growing

Buffalo, N.Y., Oct. 22—The Buffalo Club of the National Professional Basketball League today disputed the claim of the rival Syracuse Nationals that they had signed the circuit's tallest player. Art Deutsch, publicity director of the Buffalonians, said that he had sent the following telegram to Daniel Biasone, owner of the Syracuse club: "Announcement in Associated Press dispatch of your signing tallest player in loop is disputed. Our Don Otten, currently training with the club in Elmira, listed at Bowling Green University as 6 feet 11½ inches, is now 7 feet even and still growing. Suggest retraction, proof to be obtained when our teams meet here Nov. 9." The Nationals had announced yesterday that they had signed the loop's "tallest player"—6 foot, 11½-inch Dick Ahrens, Oil City, Penn., pivotman, who previously played professional basketball with Oil City, Pittsburgh and Baltimore clubs.

## 1952

**Cortland Standard**- Rochester Cagers Defeat Syracuse Nats By 82-77 Score In Homer Battle

The Rochester Royals won a grueling cage battle from the Syracuse Nationals, 82-77, last night in an exhibition affair at Homer Central's gym before more than 1,000 fans. The outcome of the game was in doubt until the last minute of play as the two NBA squads batlled each other right down to the end. The Nats grabbed an early lead and at one time in the first quarter boasted a 13-6 advantage, but the Royals came back strongly and trailed by only one point, 19-18, going into the second period. Both sides sent in new teams for the second stanza and the Royals continued to go places and led at the half, 36-33, while the Nats made only three baksets in that session. Al Cervi's Syracuseans rallied in the third quarter to soutscore the Harrisonmen from Rochester, 26-24, but still trailed at the third-quarter mark, 60-59. Then the real battle got under way in the final session with both clubs having players on the dangerous side so far as personal fouls wre concerned. Before the game was over Syracuse lost Billy Gabor, Bob Lochmueller and Paul Seymour via the foul route, and Rochester lost Jack McMahon. In those final 102 minutes of play the lead see-sawed from one side to the other. The Nats at one time held a five-point edge on the Royals, but Harrison's classy cagers kept plugging away and taking advantage of the Nats' miistakes to tie the game up at 77-77 with less than two minutes to go. Then a basket by Odie Spears and three foul shots sent the Royals ahead to stay. Both sides were a little off in their shooting from the floor, but at the foul line they did all right. The Nats made 37 out of 47 tries and the Royals 34 out of 51. A total of 80 violations were called by the referees—45 against Syracuse and 35 on Rochester. Arnie Johnson and Bob Wanzer led the Rochester attack with 15 and 14 points respectively, while Paul Seymour topped the Nationals with 18 markers, followed by Red Rocha with 14, Gabor and Lochmueller with 12 each. The loss was the Nats' sixth in seven games in their exhibition campaign and the win was the Royals' fifth against four losses. The Syracuse club plays Baltimore tonight at Auburn. Last night's contest was sponsored by Triumph Hose Co. I of the Home Fire Department and members of that company had charge of business end of the cage attraction.