|
Quote
|
"It was amazing to watch Joe Lapchick stage his own fabulous retirement party by winning both premier MSG college tournamnets in 1964-65--the Holiday Festival and National Invitation--to close his St. John's coaching career.
What an exit! It was an emotional thrill to be a telecaster at both tournaments and witness the thunderous ovation for Joe."
-- Bob Wolff |
|
|
Who's Online
|
We have 180 guests and 2 members online
You are an anonymous user. You can register for free by clicking here
|
|
|
|
1965 Victory Over Michigan
(5904 total words in this text)
(4730 Reads) 
At the University of Michigan, a school song says, "Hurrah for
the yellow and the blue!" But when the Redmen met the Wolverines
on the court on January 2, 1965, the song sung was "Hurrah for
the red and the white!"
In New York's Sunday Times, sports writer Norm Miller penned an
enthusiastic play-by-play account of the Redmen's historic triumph:
"Were you one of those basketball buffs who asked after last week's
thrill-packed Holiday Festival semifinals, "How can they [the
Redmen] top this?"
Well, they did it last night in the fantastic final when St. John's
came back from a 16-point deficit in the last nine minutes to
top Michigan, 75-74.
For sheer guts, you have to hand it to those St. John's kids,
who are out to make this an unforgettable finishing year for coach
Joe Lapchick. It looked as if mighty Michigan, the nation's No.
1 Team (continued) and an 8-point pre-game favorite, had left
them for dead when it opened a 68-52 lead with 9:35 left in the
game.
But the Redmen came clawing back on the magnificent re-bounding
and shot-blocking of Sonny Dove and the deadly jump- shooting
of Ken McIntyre and the relentless heart and hustle of the whole
gang.
The Johnnies wiped out Michigan's fat 16-point lead in a matter
of seven minutes, while the powerful Wolverines panicked. They
tried to play a time-killing ball-control game and failed. They
scored only six points, most of them on fouls, in the final 9
˝ minutes. The Big Ten champs simply were overwhelmed by the fury
of the St. John's comeback…
The 8-point-favored Wolverines took a 39-35 halftime lead although
St. Johns made them sweat for it. The Redmen did an excellent
job of shooting and battling the taller Wolverines off the boards.
St.John's played a possession game, holding the ball for only
the best shots, and Sonny Dove was superb as he scored 13 of its
first 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Bob Duerr, who pulled a groin muscle Wednesday night against Cincinatti,
started the job of guarding Michigan's Cazzie Russell. But he
had trouble and Ken Wirrell came in to take over.
A nine-point string gave Michigan a 20-12 lead midway through
the half, and a pair of goals by Larry Tregoning enabled the Wolves
to hold that margin at 27-19.
Bob McIntyre came to life late in the half to narrow Michigan's
lead. He scored three baskets in the last five minutes as St.
John's cut its deficit from 10 points to four at the intermission.
Michigan lost some rebounds strength when Bill Buntin was removed
after picking up his third personal foul…
St John's and Michigan Stats
| ST. JOHN'S (75) |
MICHIGAN (74) |
| |
G
|
F
|
TP
|
|
|
G
|
F
|
TP
|
| B. McIntyre |
5
|
5
|
15
|
|
Tregoning |
5
|
2
|
12
|
| Duerr |
1
|
1
|
3
|
|
Pomey |
5
|
1
|
11
|
| Wirrell |
3
|
0
|
6
|
|
Buntin |
5
|
6
|
16
|
| Cluess |
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Myers |
1
|
0
|
2
|
| Dove |
11
|
1
|
23
|
|
Thompson |
3
|
1
|
7
|
| K.McIntyre |
6
|
4
|
16
|
|
Darden |
1
|
0
|
2
|
| Houston |
4
|
4
|
12
|
|
Russell |
10
|
4
|
24
|
| Swartz |
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Ludwig |
0
|
0
|
0
|
| TOTALS |
30
|
15
|
75
|
|
|
30
|
14
|
74
|
|
[ Back to Tradition | Sections index ] |
|
