12 Sports Aces, January 1943 — page 41: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

_ BASKET LARCENY 39 6 © Gee On Gre Bee Bir oo B+ Ore Gee G00 11 Ore Ger Bon Sre Gor Bre Ger PeeWee Grr Sor Ger Greer Serer Ses C+ Ser Gre Peo Peo Geo G oOo oG oe Por Bor Sor Gos Sra Gor Ser See Per rs Ger Orr Ger Ges Ger Ger Cer Ger Ger Geren Grr Gee © Willie took up his position at forward, conscious that Bounce was in there team- ing with him. Gramatky, the big-muscled, blond behemoth was at pivot. McCrae and Bright were at guard. The referee’s whistle shrilled. The cen- ters tensed. The ball went up. The Oriole jumper touched leather first. He tapped it to his right forward. But Willie had seen the move telegraphed and he was off Jike a shot. He looped in-to knock the ball to Bounce. Bounce took it and moved to the side- line, but he didn’t return the ball to Wil- lie until: he was crowded. Willie called, “Break fast! Break fast!” which was a signal that meant to try a -Three-In-and-Two-Out formation. He faked the ball to Bounce, but threw it to Bright. Gramatky moved down to- ward the free-throw lane for the play, and Bright bounce-passed to Bounce, It was time for the set to work. Bright moved in fast to take the leather—but Bounce did not give it to him. Instead, Bounce dribbled low, back toward the center line, turned before his guard could cover him and threw the ball at the bas- ket without half looking. The ball whooshed through without touching the rim. The fans rocked with excitement. Willie signalled the referee. His whistle blared. The Oilers huddled. Willie said, ““What’s the idea, Beunce? You heard the play called.” Bounce grinned faintly. “I got it in, didn’t I? These boys play tight. I saw the get you called wouldn’t work. Then I saw another opening.” Willie said, “Okay. Just remember next time there are five players on the team.” That was the only hint of what was coming that Bounce gave that night. The Oilers led by one point at the half, They went on to play careful, tight ball, not wasting their shots. Bounce was as care- ful as any of them. Then, with only minutes left in the game, the Oriole attack went into high gear and the Oilers fell to pieces. The Orioles chalked up six points in less than two minutes, and led’ 28-25 at the gun. The game was over. The Oilers were stunned, They looked at the referee, at the Oriole players. Then they began to troop dejectedly off the boards. Nobody said anything. Willie felt a tight ache in his throat. Bounce looked darkly about at his team- mates in the dressing room. No one made a move to unlace shoes. “It was a bonehead style of play!” he suddenly exploded. “That’s why we lost. You’re all a bunch of boobs when you look at a basket. You won’t shoot unless that’s what it says in the book, Or unless it’s what Willie told you.” Gramatky started up, headed for Bounce. Willie grabbed Gramatky’s arm, dragged him back, Little Ellis Jorgens popped in the breach. “So we lost one. So what? The Jewelers are still ahead of us. We can still knock those diamond-hawkers out of first spot and put ourselves in third.” Bounce sulked, but the others came to life. “So we won’t tie for second place!” Red Dennis had his best Irish grin, “We're still playin’ better ball than any- body in the league!” The period of let-down was over, but Willie was not too cheered. He was think- ing of the Jewelers. The Oilers had played a pretty good game against an inferior Oriole team, and still they had lost. The one bright spot was that Bounce seemed to be clicking. If he could call that a. bright spot, considering that Bounce wasn’t cooperating and that he was out to snag the coaching spot at State. The Jewelers game was the last of the pro season. The Jewelers were now a swaggering and puffed-up lot. They had bright plans of tipping over the Oilers and hemstitching the league champion- ship. TALL, broad man with a flattened nose and a geld football dangling from his watch chain, introduced himself to Willie on the floer before the game. He shook hands. He was A. VY. Ballard, athletic direetor of State Teachers. Sam Finney, tears of emotion in his eyes, said, “Take this game, Willie. I know you can.” EOPMIGLOOOKS (E@)