The 1953 Gnadenhutten Indians Senior Guard Ed Minteer dropped in 18 points leading his team to a 65-60 upset of the Tuscarawas Broncos at Memorial Hall last night. This was Gnaden's 1st game of the 1953 Tournament and the 2nd for Tusky.
The 1953 Gnadenhutten Indians Cheerleading Team. Junior Laura Ann Hamilton - Senior Carole Schreiner and Sophomore Emma Jean Huebner.
DOVER - The black cats, goblins and omens were flitting around yesterday and many an accident was attributed to the fact that it was Friday the 13th. But the upsets in the 31st Annual Tuscarawas County Class B Basketball Tournament were the results of inspired ball playing by the underdogs. The Gnadenhutten Indians were more accurate in their shooting than any of their namesakes were with the bow and arrow and the Tribe outplayed, out-rebounded and outfought the Tuscarawas Broncos all the way to take a 65-60 victory in the feature game last night before the largest crowd of the tourney.
In the Consolation Division games, the Port Washington Purple Riders came from behind to nip the Sugarcreek-Shanesville Pirates 75-74 in the last 5 seconds and the Strasburg Tigers had to pull a win out of the fire in the last 3 minutes over a battling Dundee Bulldogs outfit 62-56. Gnaden's victory puts them in the lower bracket semi-finals with the Stone Creek Golden Panthers, while Strasburg will meet the loser of the Baltic Eagles-Midvale Blue Devils upper bracket semi-finals tussle. The Purple Riders get a chance to meet the Broncos in the opening game next Thursday night, when the tournament resumes action.
Junior guard Carl Gilmore flipped in a hook shot and Senior forward Leo Porter followed with 2 free throw shots to give the Gnadenhutten Indians (1-0) (7-14) (48-41) a lead which it never relinquished. The Indians were on the warpath to win and even the pressing defense of the Tuscarawas Broncos (1-1) (14-5) (42-39), used but a short time, could not sway them from their purpose. Gnaden worked the ball around carefully at the outset of the game and chose its shots with every one of the starting 5 contributing points to offset the dead-eye shooting of Junior forward Harry Thompson, Junior guard Ralph Vesco and Senior forward Don (Red) Tharp of Tusky in the opening period.
Third-Year Head Coach Fritz Jacobs' Broncos took a 21-16 lead in the 1st 8 minutes before an already thrill-dazed crowd. Freshman forward Glenn Hines southpawed the Indians into a stronger position in the 2nd frame as he tossed in 4 straight shots from out front of the Tuscarawas zone defense, while Vesco and Tharp were holding Tusky even. The Tribe then took a 35-30 lead at intermission. The Broncos came out fighting in the 3rd stanza and with Vesco, Tharp and Thompson leading the assault, crept to within 2 points of Gnadenhutten 42-20. Right about that time there was an altercation after Tuscarawas called time out. Porter either tripped or was hit, but at any rate he was writhing on the floor before anyone knew what was happening and came up with a beautiful shiner.
The threat of an outbreak was quelled quickly, but a girl in the stands fainted away to add to the confusion. The girl was brought around with smelling salts and Porter came back into the game a short time later after an ice-pack had been applied to his discolored glimmer. Gnaden maintained its lead and went into the final canto with that 5-point advantage 50-45. Senior center Gary Grossenbacher and Porter shot that lead to 53-45, but Little Don Tharp took up the ball for Tusky's fading chances and scored 2 field goals and a free throw to put the Broncos only 3 points behind 55-52 with 2:55 remaining in the game. But the Indians began stalling the ball and eager Tuscarawas started fouling in an effort to get the ball and Senior guard Ed Minteer and Porter tallied 6 free throw shots to put the game on ice 63-54 with an exchange of baskets by Vesco and Minteer being anti-climax to the game.
Gnadenhutten was led by Minteer with 18 points, Porter scored 15, Gilmore 14 and Hines 12 in the team victory, while Tharp, Vesco and Thompson paced Tusky with 17, 16 and 12 points respectively.
At Gnadenhutten during the season, Gnaden defeated Tusky 52-50 and at Tuscarawas, the Broncos defeated the Indians 70-54.
GNADENHUTTEN INDIANS - 65
Leo Porter F 5-5-15
Dave Williams F 0-0-0
Glenn Hines F 6-0-12
Gary Grossenbacher C 1-4-6
Carl Gilmore G 4-6-14
Ed Minteer G 4-10-18
TUSCARAWAS BRONCOS - 60
Don (Red) Tharp 7-3-17
Harry Thompson F 6-0-12
Larry Myers C 1-2-4
Dave McGrew C 1-0-2
Jim Henry G 0-1-1
Ralph Vesco G 8-0-16
Saturday, February 14, 1953
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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