J
Thursday, December 31, 1953
THE BATTALION
Page 3
A&M Falls lo TCU
Rice Beals Texas
For Title* 65-58
j i
V*
HOUSTON, Dec. ;U—(^—Soph
omore Joe Durrenberger teamed
up with the magnificent Gene
Schwinger to rally the undefeated
Rice Owls after a miserable start
to defeat Texas 65-58 and win the
Southwest Conference preseason
basketball tournament champion
ship.
The Owls won their 10th game
in a row by overcoming an early
Texas lead that reached 11 points
shortly after the second quarter
began.
Quick baskets by Durrenberger
and Schwinger started the Rice
comeback and the Owls were only
three points behind at the half 24-
27.
In less than a minute of the
third quarter, Durrenberger tied
the count at 27-27 on a free throw
and put the Owls ahead for the
first time at 28-27. A goal by
Texas’ Bob Waggener produced a
29-29 tic but Buzzy Bryan put the
Owls ahead again at 31-29 and they
never trailed again.
Schwinger scored 24 points for a
three-game record 84. Fie also'was
voted the tournament’s most out
standing player for a second
straight year.
Durrenberger scored 19 points
12 of them in the last half.
Sophomore Carl Seharffehbefger
led Southern Methodist to a 70-66
victory over Arkansas as the Mus-
tangs grabbed third place.
■ Scharffenbcrger scored 23 points
as Southern Methodist and Arkan
sas battled on fairly even terms
in their third-place game. The lead
changed 13 times and the score
was tied 15 times.
Bam a Consoled
Alabama won the consolation
championship of the tournament
Wednesday with a 67-61 victory
over Baylor before an afternoon
audience of 1,000.
In the seventh place g a m e
lTexas Christian led all the way
f to defeat the Texas Aggies, 69-41,
for the Purple’s only victory in the
tournament. The Aggies were the
only team which failed to win a
’'game.
Alabama’s brilliant Perry Har-
p/qr scored 28 points to give him a
lotal of 74 points.
I,I’D ABNER
On the other hand, Hank Ohlen’s
tournament progress wasn’t very
rapid.
The Texas Christian center en
tered the tournament with a 24-
point average. He scored only 29
points in three games and played
about half the time against the
Aggies and scored 10 points.
Dependable Ray Warren led the
Froggies fith 18, a total exceeded
by Roy Martin’s 20 for the Cadets.
Alabama had trouble all the way
with Baylor, which led at the end
of the thir quarter, 47-46. But the
Bears saw Bill Sexton and Harper
go on a point rampage that pre
vented them from their second vic
tory of the tournament.
Harper scored nine points in the
fourth quarter as Baylor never got
closer than three points in the fi
nal period. Sexton’s basket to op
en the period sent Alabama ahead,
and it never trailed the rest of the
way. Harper missed nine free
throws.
The lead changed hands six times
and the game was tied three times.
The Tide hit 33 per cent of its
field goals to Baylor’s 31 per cent.
Murray Bailey was the top Bear
scorer with 17 points.
Near the end of the first half
the Aggies pulled closest to TCU
at two points, but Warren shot the
Froggies into a 30-24 halftime lead
and they were never headed the
rest of the way.
A&M. made 32 per cent of its
field goal attempts and TCU hit
40 per cent.
Johnson Ailing on Eve
Of Rice-Alabama Rattle
DALLAS, Dec. 31 — The Rice
Owls, everybody’s choice in the
Cotton Bowl classic, arrived by air
here Wednesday morning from a
two-day stay in Abilene bringing
gloomy tidings that all-American
David (Kosse) Johnson may not
start against Alabama New Year’s
Day.
At the airport, where the 37-
man team was greeted by a bevy
of coed beauties and Cotton Bowl
officials, Rice Trainer Eddie Wo-
jecki pronounced Johnson “ready
to go.”
Kosse, who explained his injury
as a strained muscle in the right
ankle, also said he was ready.
But at the afternoon practice at
Ownby Stadium, the fullback was
the last player to come on the field
and limped noticeably. He posed
Sports Round-Up
Writer Picks Rice,
Raiders, Sooners
TALL TEXAN—Temple Tucker, Bowie high school’s 6 foot
10 inch basketball star, is one of the most sought-after
athletes in Texas, but he has indicated that Rice has the
inside track for his college playing days. Here the high
scorer of the three-times state champion Bowie team gives
his autograph to Bill Wood, whose 5 feet G is held up by
Johnnie Carver’s 5 feet 8.
Poor Aggies!
A&M (II)
Pirtle. f
Addison, f . . .
Martin, c . . .
Moon, g
Fortenberry, g
McCrory, g . .
Mcllhenny, f .
Hard grove, t .
8 \ 4 20
0 O 0 0
3 i 0 7
0 0 0 0
Totals 16 9
TCU (CD) <; I
Warren, f , 0 0
bumpkin, f 5 0
Olden, ’c 2 6
Kstill, g 2 0
Brumley, g 0 1
White, f 2 2
Hoyt, f 1 2
Brown, c 4 0
Baker, g 1 0
Hill, g 1 1
Carleton. g 0 0
Totals
0
69
27 15
TCU 17 13 20 19—69
A&M 12 12 6 11—41
Free throws missed—Hill 2, Addison 2,
Fortenberry, Martin 2, Pirtle 4, Hardgrovc.
Basketball Scores
SWC Tourney
SMU 70, Arkansas 66 (3rd Place)
Rice 65, Texas 58 (Championship)
Capital Invitational
Virginia 97, VPI 81 (Consolation)
All College Tournament
Santa Clara 59, Wyoming 51
(Semifinal)
Oklahoma A&M 65, Oklahoma
City 50 (SeiYrifinal)
Kentucky Invitational
Xavier (Ohio) 86, Eastern Ken
tucky 67 (3rd Place)
Western Kentucky 89, Louisville
71 (.Championship).
Big Seven
Missouri 72, Nebraska 57 (3rd
Place)
Dixie Classic
Duke 98, Navy 83 (Championship)
Gator Bowl
Georgia 80, Georgia Teachers 69
(Championship)
Holiday Festival
Duquense 66, Niagara 61 (Cham
pionship)
New England Invitational
Connecticut 70, Dartmouth558
(Championship)
Sugar Bowl
Holy Cross 66, LSU 56 (Champion
ship)
Others
New Mexico U. 64, Phillips 38
Southern Cal. 75, Michigan State
73
Vanderbilt 96, Auburn 48
Maryland 65, Arizona State 59
Fordham 65, DePaul 61
By GAYLE TALBOT
NEW YORK — UP) — Employing
once more the practically infallible
Talbot system which enabled us
during the past year to predict
Roland LaStarza’s ascension to the
heavyweight title and Native Danc
er’s runaway victory in the Ken
tucky Derby, we are pleased to
provide our readers all both with
an exclusive preview of tomorrow’s
bowl games.
Orange Bowl — The Oklahoma
Sooners will win that showpiece by
about two touchdowns, partly be
cause the Maryland team did not
get voted the nation’s No. 1 with
its great quarterback, Bernie Fal-
oney, sitting on the bench with a
bad knee. No team can lose its
finest back and 'be the same.
Rose Bowl—We’ll have to go
along with Michigan State until the
West Coast finally proves its
large, sun-kissed lads belong on
the same field with the little, un
dernourished specimens who annu
ally represent the Big Ten. UCLA
has an authentic All America in
Paul Cameron, and he has a team
around him which can move the
ball from the single wing. But you
U’L ABNER
'yah —Pis IS DEOFPIC
OF CLAUDE &FA1NS,
>. DE-VHA. , . F - FAMOUS
SPECIALIST—BU"5
HE'S BUSY NIOW.Vy
By AI Capp
Cotton Bowl,
SWC Tied Up
Back in 1940
By HAROLD V. RATLIFF
Associated Press Sports Writer
The 18th annual Cotton Bowl
game goes on Friday. It has come
a long way from 1937 when Curtis
Sanford started its promotion.
Sanford tried it four times and lost
money but had founded the solid-
est post-season classic of them all.
We shall never forget Jan. 1,
1940, when Clemson and Boston
College played. The spectators
were not outnumbered by the play
ers and bands but there were migh
ty few folks.
But in 1940 the Southwest Con
ference tied up with the Cotton
Bowl and its success was assured
from then on.
The Cotton Bowl today is the
best operated of all the post-season
games. It doesn’t go in for lavish
entertainment and Dallas does not
have the attractions of New Or
leans and Miami and Pasadena but
there never is any rhubarb con
nected with its operation, no school
ever has been able to charge the
Cotton Bowl with giving it the run
around or of making promises it
didn’t keep and the financial struc
ture always has been above re
proach.
When the NCAA set down on
bowl games and called for certain
things, such as having a college
operation and a better distribution
of the money, the Cotton Bowl al
ready was in line. The Cotton Bowl
never would have caused cries of
football overemphasis.
Friday, the Cotton Bowl will
take in a net $298,000 at the gate.
Radio, television, programs a n d
concessions will contribute anoth
er $120,000. Here's how that mon
ey—a total of $418,000—will be
distributed:
Seven per cent goes toward pay
ing off the stadium debt, leaving
$298,000. Of that Rice and Ala
bama, the competing - teams, will
get 39 per cent each—approximate
ly $151,000. The Cotton Bowl gets
the other 22 per cent—$87,000—
for its operating fund.
Rice isn’t going to take home
$151,000 and neither is Alabama.
Here’s how Rice will share in the
money: it will get $60,000 and
some $3,000 for travel expenses.
That will leave $88,000 to be cut
up seven ways—each member of
the Southwest Conference gets a
share. So Rice will get $12,000
more, making its total take for
playing in the game about $75,000.
But the other six conference
schools get $12,000 each for not
playing.
Alabama has a similar split-up
to make with the Southeastern
Conference,
know how it always is. Pretty soon
the Big Ten backs begin going
every which way with the ball and
the volume of sound from the big
bowl slowly subsides.
Cotton Bowl—Rice over Alabama
by anything up to three touch
downs, with All America Kosse
Johnson showing off big before his
first national audience.
Sugar Bowl—The crystal ball is
a little clouded on this one, but
we’ll string with the odds makers
and give Georgia Tech a split de
cision over West Virginia.
Gator Bowl — Texas Tech, the
mighty scoring outfit from the
plains country featuring Bobby
Cavazos and 12 other talented
backs, has to be the choice over
Auburn in what should be an eye
filling offensive display.
Sun Bowl—Mississippi Southern,
upstart conqueror of both those
fine old gentlemen, Alabama and
Georgia, rates a three-touchdown
margin over Texas Western in our
home town, El Paso.
Cigar Bowl-—Lacrosse State over
Missouri Valley.
for the photographers but skipped
the brisk hour-long drill returning
to the dressing room to have his
ankle worked on by Wojecki.
Afterward, Neely said:
“I just don’t know if Johnson
will start. The ankle is not com
ing along as well as I hoped.”
If Johnson does not start, Neely
indicated that Sophomore Mac
Taylor of Lubbock would take over
the fullback role with Senior Bob
Garbrecht of New York being held
in reserve.
Whether Johnson is used or not,
Dickie Moegle will do the punting.
The chore is usually handled by
Kosse.
“We have the utmost respect
for Alabama,” Neely said. “ W c
especially wanted to come up hei’e
and find out why they made us a
touchdown favorite.
“I’m a little surprised they (Al
abama) got here considering all
thase injuries they have,” he added.
Neely said that Leroy Fenste-
maker would start at quarterback
and Gordon Kellog at right half.
How sharp is his team, Neely
was asked.
“Two weeks ago, the club was
sharp—more so than at any time
this season. I think the boys will
give a good account of themselves,”
Quarterback Albert Elmore was
lost to Alabama Wednesday to add
to the woes of Coach Harold (Red)
Drew as he tried to get his bat
tered Crimson Tide ready.
It made the quarterbacking sit
uation quite critical since Bart
Starr is the last field general with
experience left. But it wasn’t ex
pected—Elmore hasn’t worked a
single time since Alabama has been
here because of injuries suffered in
an automobile crash during the
Christmas holidays. But Drew had
held cut until Wednesday that his
‘ running” quarterback could spell
Starr, the one who leans toward
passing.
Bowl Games Appear
Close, High-Scoring
NEW YORK—UP)- -Close observ
ers figured today a total of seven
touchdowns should decide the five
major New Year’s Day football
bowl games.
Three of the contests—the Rose,
the Orange and the Gator—-looked
close enough that the winning mar
gin in each might be a touchdown
or less.
The Sugar Bowl and the Cotton
Bowl appeared a little more one
sided, although not by more than
a couple of touchdowns apiece.
Maryland continues to rate a
slight nod over Oklahoma in the
Miami Orange Bowl clash between
what on paper ai’e the two highest
ranking clubs. The unbeaten Terra
pins of Jim Tatum won 10 games
in gaining the No. 1 i-ating in the
Associated Press poll. Oklahoma
lost its opener by a touchdown to
Notre Dame and was tied by Pitts
burgh but wound up No. 4.
The conditio)! of Bernie Falon-
ey’s left knee may make this game
even close) - . Faloney injured the
knee in his last regular game
against Alabama and it’s not right
yet, although trainer Duke Wyre
says he will be available for some
action.
Michigan State figures to start
a new Big Ten winning streak in
the Rose bowl at the expense of
UCLA but it isn’t nearly as strong
a favorite as the Midwest clubs
often are at Pasadena. UCLA
pins its hopes on All-America Paul
Cameron. Both teams are in fine
condition.
The Gator Bowl at Jacksonville
finds Texas Tech, highest scoring
major team in the country, rated
over Auburn, another explosive
outfit from the Southeastern Con
ference. The team that can muster
the most defense probably will
prevail.
Georgia Tech’s Engineers should
extend Coach Bobby Dodd’s win
ing' bowl record to five games in
their Sugar Bowl meeting with
West Virginia at New Orleans. But
the boys from the bills may prove
every bit as good as their 8-i rec
ord, which has been criticized in
some quarters for including some
relatively weak foes.
Coach Art Lewis has drilled his
Mountaineers hard for the past 10
.days. Tech has been satisfied with
only one full-scale drill.
Injuries have plagued both of the
Cotton Bowl foes, Alabama and
favored Rice, with Alabama the
hardest hit.
Quarterback Albert Elmore, in
jured in a car crash during the
Christmas vacation, definitely will
not suit up, Alabama Coach Red
Drew said last night. He added
that two other regulars, right end
Bud Willis and right guard Charles
Eckerly, would see only limited
action as will Curtis Lynch, who
is supposed to understudy Willis
on the flank.
All America Kosse Johnson of
Rice was still limping at yester
day's practice session and did no
contact work.
A assies Win
Davis Cup;
Seixas Falls
By WILL GRIMS LEY
MELBOURNE— UP>—Ken Rose-
wall, a pint-sized racquet rifleman
of 19, saved the coveted Davis Cup
for Australia today by mowing
down America’s depressed Wim
bledon champion, Vic Seixas, 6-2,
2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the climatic fifth
match of the Challenge Round.
Nervous as a kitten at first, but
inhaling confidence as Seixas fell
into the simplest errors, the dark
haired Sydney youngster swept
past his opponent in 93 minutes to
give the Aussies a 3-2 victory and
their 11th triumph since the series
started in 1900.
This was the fourth straight year
the lads from Down Under have
beaten off the Yanks in the Chal
lenge Round. The Americans won
from 1946 through 1949.
Although neither Rosewall nor
Seixas played above-average tennis
in the technical sense of the word,
it was a good match from a com
petitive standpoint and the crowd
of 17,500 that filled every seat in
the Kooyong stadium got a big
kick out of it.
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210 S. Main
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