A Millersburg Knights cager misses a shot as the Bolivar Cardinals annex a surprising 65-53 victory in the Class B Sectional Tournament at Memorial Hall Wednesday night. The Spartans identified in the picure are Stafford (11) and Herman Cline (12). Ed Grossenbacher (30) and Maurice Lundenberger (24) await a posssible rebound which will give the Cardinals possession of the ball. (Jay Springer - Photographer)
Bolivar forward (25) drives in for a layup shot at Memorial Hall last night when his team whipped Millersburg in the Class B Sectional meet. Teammate Maurice Lundenberger stands by for a possible followup shot, while Stafford (11) of Millersburg is kept out of the play. (These photos were taken by The Daily Reporter Staff Photographer Jay Springer.)
DOVER: Bolivar's dark-horse Cardinals and Dennison St. Mary's engulfing Blue Waves washed initial opponents off the course to a Class B Sectional Championship in last night's booming session at Memorial Hall. The Millersburg Knights and Big Prairie Bulldogs were the victims. It was the same Millersburg team which 3 times this season has pounded Class A foes into submission that was toppled before a merciful 65-53 trouncing from the Tuscarawas County Tournament runner-up, Bolivar.
It was the same Big Prairie team which blasted the Walnut Creek Cardinals to a tune of 81-52 in the Holmes County Consolation Division play-offs that reeled before the 66-54 onslaught of Dennison St. Mary's. Both counted as upsets. Neither was surprising to some 900 fans who watched the game. The Red Birds roared onto the floor with the same kind of baffling aggressiveness that marked them as a Cinderella Five...Giant Killers in the county tournament.
Only the Strasburg Tigers, Mineral City Tigers and the Stone Creek Golden Panthers, county tournament vanquished, could appreciate the sting of the Bolivar Cardinals (4-1) (14-12) whose attack racked up a 4-point lead in the last seconds of the game. The Millersburg Knights (12-9) looked smoother when the 2 teams made the jump and formed the opening play, but the Cardinals again proved deceptive.
The Red Birds' lanky, 6-3 Senior center Maurice Lundenberger was the key. He sifted and swirled through the loose Knights' zone to pocket 23 points hitting 10 field goals and 3 free throws. Running mate Junior forward Bill Willard caught hold in the driving finish that saw Bolivar post 22 markers to whip the net with 16 points total, all 8 shots from the court.
The Spartans' dangerous center 6-4 Joe Norman, failed to outdo the Cardinals' ace and ended the game on the bench with only 6 points in the payoff column. He was taken out early in the 2nd period when 4 personals were posted against him. Norman returned to the game at the opening of the final canto to remain for only a few minutes before that big 5 caught up with him.
The quarter stops were: 14-13...Bolivar in the 1st quarter, 26-26 at intermission and 43-40...Bolivar at the end of the 3rd stanza.
Forward Dan Kauffman handled the bulk of the scoring duties for the losers with 8 field goals and 2 free throw tosses for 18 points. Eight of the total were recorded in a torrid 2nd quarter that ended when the teams were knotted at 26. Strangely enough, each team had 11 goals and 4 free throw points by intermission. That doesn't happen too often. Junior guard Bob Burkhart of Bolivar was also in double figures grabbing 10 points.
BOLIVAR CARDINALS - 65
Bill Willard F 8-0-16
Ed Grossenbacher F 1-3-5
Maurice Lundenberger C 10-3-23
Carl McFeeders G 3-1-7
Junior Geers G 2-0-4
Bob Burkhart G 5-0-10
MILLERSBURG KNIGHTS - 53
Dan Kauffman F 8-2-18
Hermine Cline F 4-3-11
Joe Norman C 2-2-6
Huston G 3-3-9
Stafford G 1-1-3
Shonk C 3-0-6
Shaw G 0-0-0
Levengood F 0-0-0
Thursday, March 2, 1950
Jim Gatten, Sports Writer
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
NOTE: BULLDOG WINS HEARTS OF FANS
Tenacity failed to keep astride the surging power of the Dennison St. Mary's Blue Waves last night, but Big Prairie's mascot, "Tam" the bulldog, won his own place in the hearts of the fans.
When the Bulldogs scampered on the floor last night, "Tam" waddled right along slipping and sliding on the unsure hardwood. But, when the game started, "Tam" sat with his owner, Mel Richey of Big Prairie and behaved better than any other fan in the house.
NOTE: BASKETBALL HIGHLIGHTS FROM 'RIGHT DOWN THE LINE' WITH REX RIDENOUR
Head Coach Warren Craigo's Bolivar Cardinals hit the headlines again last night when they pulled their 2nd major upset on the tournament trail by trouncing a highly regarded Millersburg Knights team. This victory was even more decisive than was the county tournament win over the Straburg Tigers...53-50.
Sensational pivot play by 6-3 Senior center Maurice Lundenberger again fired up the Cardinals. The Knights, led by highly touted center Joe Norman, were never able to hold the rampaging Red Birds and near the end, were the victims of a surprising rout.
This performance should make the Dover St. Joseph's Ramblers-Bolivar battle Friday night worth watching. The Ramblers topped the Cardinals once this season, but the Red Birds are evening old scores in tournament contests.
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