Gnadenhutten Indians 1947 1st Year Head Coach Tom Coolidge. Coach Coolidge guided the Indians to a 12-12 season, was 5-5 in the League and had a decent run 2-2 in the tournament. Their best game in the tournament was a 45-41 upset of the Bolivar Cardinals in their 1st tourney contest.
DOVER - The Championship of the 25th Annual Tuscarawas County Class B Basketball Tournament goes on the block tonight at 8:30PM when the Strasburg Tigers takes on the Pirates of Sugarcreek-Shanesville on the Memorial Hall court. In becoming finalists, the 2 quintets already have qualified for Sectional play, but the 3rd berth will go to the winner of the 7:30PM Consolation Division battle between the Tuscarawas Broncos and the Bolivar Cardinals.
Tusky, which tied Sugarcreek-Shanesville for 2nd place in the League and as Strasburg captured the crown by rolling through 10 games unbeaten, nipped the Gnadenhutten Indians 52-50 and Bolivar turned back the Port Washington Purple Riders 49-38 in the Consolation Division semi-finals last night before a comparatively small crowd.
The Strasburg Tigers will be slight favorites over the Pirates, but a close battle is anticipated. Head Coach Emmet Riley's Champions edged Sugarcreek-Shanesville 42-40 in an overtime contest during their drive to the title and then the Pirates won 8 straight to tie Tusky for 2nd place.
Strasburg enters the game with 23 victories against one setback, while Sugarcreek-Shanesville has won 19 and lost 4. the Tigers gained the finals by beating the Dundee Bulldogs 45-35 and Port Washington 57-32. The Pirates whipped the Midvale Blue Devils 45-35 and edged Tusky 39-37. Strasburg's hopes rest on Junior Clarence Yackey, 6-5 center and the tournament's leading scorer with 59 points. The Pirates' pace-setter is forward Bill Weiss, who has totaled 36, but Head Coach Bill Ortt also has several threats in forward Ed Hamsher and center Doran Immel.
The Tuscarawas Broncos (2-1) (18-5) (31-29), which had beaten the Gnadenhutten Indians (2-2) (12-12) (39-31) twice with ease 51-40 and 56-40 during the regular season, had to come from behind with a fast quarter, 21-point scoring spree to nip the Indians 52-50. The eagle-eye shooting of Senior guard Andy Steve spelled elimination for the Gnaden as he netted 21 points (10 field goals and a free throw).
Leading 15-13 at the close of the opening period, but trailing 25-21 and 40-31 at the succeeding quarter stops, Tusky time and again was kept in the running by Steve's field goals. Midway in the final stanza, he dropped in a 2-pointer and Senior forward Dale McDonald added a free throw to knot the count at 45-all.
With less than 4 minutes left, Sophomore guard Jerry Virtue put Gnaden ahead with a charity throw, but center Loyal Bishop meshed a set shot and followed with another field goal to give the Broncos a 49-46 edge. A fielder by Steve and a free toss by guard Howard Tharp completed the Tusky scoring. Sophomore forward Gene Montague, who paced Gnaden with 18, canned a one-hander and then a jump shot to whittle Tusky's lead to 2 points, but the Broncos "froze" the ball in the remaining seconds of play.
Bishop trailed Steve in the Tusky scoring column with 14 points, while Sophomore forward Jim Lindon and Senior center Al Reiser meshed 11 and 10, respectively, to follow Montague. In Tusky's 4th quarter rally, Steve harvested 9 points, Bishop 6 and McDonald 5.
TUSCARAWAS BRONCOS - 52
Andy Steve F 10-1-21
Floyd Blackwell F 0-3-3
Loyal Bishop C 6-2-14
Steve Pasquinelli G 1-1-3
Dale McDonald G 3-1-7
Howard Tharp G 0-1-1
George Kopp C 0-1-1
Ralph Lahm F 0-0-0
Joe Kerns F 0-0-0
George Mourodzis G 0-0-0
GNADENHUTTEN INDIANS - 50
Gene Montague F 8-2-18
Jim Lindon F 4-3-11
Al Reiser C 2-6-10
Jerry Virtue G 1-2-4
Bob Hearing G 3-1-7
Fred Crouse G 0-0-0
Wayne Galagher F 0-0-0
Friday, February 21, 1947
The Daily Repoter
Dover, Ohio
FRIDAY 2-21-47
Bolivar vs Tusky 7:30PM (CC)
Strasburg vs Sugarcreek-Shanesville 8:30PM (TC)
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