26 January 1955

**Syracuse Herald Journal**- Nationals And Warriors Meet In Boston Tonight

Boston- The battle for first place in the Eastern Division of the National Basketball Association will be centered in the Boston Gardens here tonight when the Syracuse Nats, loser last night to Fort Wayne for the first time in nine game this season, meets the Philadelphia Warriors while Boston and Fort Wayne clash in the nightcap. The Celts and the Nats are deadlocked for the top spot in the division with 23 victories and 19 losses and a percentage of .548. Syracuse lost to the Pistons, 69-66. Syracuse’s loss was half a double-header in Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium staged before a disappointing crowd of 1,874 fans. In the other game Rochester’s Royals defeated the New York Knickerbockers, 107-104. Frank Brian, former Louisiana State ace in his eighth season of pro basketball, came through with Fort Wayne’s game winning points. With 25 seconds left, Brian caged a free throw to break a 66-all deadlock. Then, the Nats lost possession and Brian scored an easy field goal. Brian led Fort Wayne with 14 points while Dolph Schayes netted 19 for Syracuse. Syracuse started poorly, failing to hit from the field in the first 7:50 seconds of play and trailed 31-27 at the half. Schayes’ hot hand, however, brought them back in the game in the final two periods and the Nats led most of the third and fourth periods. New York, paced by Carl Braun’s 26 points, rallied from a 15-point deficit to carry the Royals to the wire. Two quick baskets by Jim Baechtold at the end just missed pulling the Knickerbockers even. Bobby Wanzer paced Rochester with 25 points while Johnny McMahon had 17 and Art Spoelstra 13. For New York, Ray Felix came through with 18 and Baechtold had 15.

FORT WAYNE: Houbregs (2-1-5), Hutchins (4-2-10), Foust (4-3-11), Meineke (3-3-9), Rosenthal (2-2-6), Phillip (4-3-11), Brian (6-2-14), Zaslofsky (1-1-3), Walther (0-0-0) TOTALS (23-17-69). SYRACUSE: Rocha (3-2-8), Schayes (6-7-19), Kerr (2-1-5), Farley (0-0-0), Lloyd (2-0-4), King (4-3-11), Seymour (4-0-8), Kenville (3-5-11) TOTALS (24-18-66).

Score at halftime- Fort Wayne 31, Syracuse 27.

It Costs Money To ‘Ship’ Nats’ Squad

Travel Expenses $2,600 for 12 Games In 16 Days

A roving salesman has nothing on Syracuse Nationals basketeers who will move over 4,019 miles to play 12 games in 16 days. During that time the Nats’ expenses for travel will be approximately $2,600. There is a minimum charge of 85 cents for a squad for plane travel and an estimated 4.5 cents per mile per man by rail. Added costs are due to plane layovers, hotel bills, and daily allowances to players for meals. The trek started yesterday when the club took a 146-mile train trip to Buffalo for the Fort Wayne game. They then departed by rail 492 miles to Boston, for tonight’s test with Philadelphia. The return trip to Syracuse for tomorrow night’s engagement with Fort Wayne is 348 miles. The club then heads back to Boston to play the Celts Friday. This is a round trip, 264 miles each way by air. After a Sunday game with Philadelphia here, there is a three-day break in the slate. Then the trek begins again in earnest. A flight of 482 miles is scheduled to Fort Wayne Feb 3, with a return air trip to Boston, 733 miles away, due Feb. 4. Again the 264 mile trip to Syracuse follows where the team will switch from plane to automobile for a quick round trip dash of 160 miles to Rochester Feb. 5. On Feb. 6 the team stays home to play Philadelphia. There is a day of rest before the boys head by train 289 miles to New York for a tilt with Boston. The same clubs play in Beantown, another 229 miles the next day, with a return of 348 miles by train to Syracuse for a home game with Minneapolis Feb. 10. Recently the Nats were on a five-day trip to Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Grand Forks and home, and cost of the chartered plane trip alone was $3,578. This expense was partially shared by the Lakers who accompanied Syracuse on the excursion.