2/20/1943

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Feb 20 —(AP)— Arizona University climaxed a spectacular comeback tonight by defeating West Texas State, 47 to 39, in the finals of the Border Conference basketball tournament.

Because the flashy Arizonans were upset in the second round by Texas Tech, tonight's victory left them deadlocked for the championship with West Texas, defending titlist.

There will be no playoff.

Final rankings of teams at conclusion of three days of double elimination tournament play:

• Co-champions — Arizona University and West Texas State of Canyon.
• Third — Texas Mines of El Paso
• Fourth — Texas Tech of Lubbock
• Fifth — Arizona State of Tempe
• Sixth — New Mexico University

It was the first defeat in two years of conference play for the Buffs of West Texas, claimants to the title of the world's tallest basketball team.

Arizona, co-tourney favorites before an upset by Texas Tech, zoomed into a 26 to 10 half-time lead and then beat back attempts at a rally by the Buffs.

Bob Miller, 6-foot, 5-inch center, and Vince Cullen, forward, paced the Arizona attack, matching the Buffs in height and keeping them bottled up on the offensive, save for Center Clark Johnson, who made 16 points for scoring honors.

Miller scored 12 and Cullen 11 to lead Arizona.

With 10 minutes to go, West Texas made its best bid, drawing within eight points of the leaders, 38 to 30. Cullen then took charge od a new Arizona spurt in which he, Guard Marvin Borodkin, and Forward Bob Ruman ran the tally to 42-30.

Johnson began adding points for West Texas, then but was unable to catch up before the final whistle.

Today the Raiders were without Guard George Allen, who paced their first upset and then reported for duty with the army air corps, and Arizona made short work of them, 54 to 41, in the semi-finals.

Forward Vince Cullen was high scorer with 18 Arizona tallies. West Texas went into the finals unbeaten, either in the tourney or previous conference play. The six-footers-plus mowed down Arizona State of Flagstaff, Texas Mines and Tech in the tourney.

The Texas Miners put down Tech's bid for third place in the tournament, 53 to 46 taking control of play midway of the first period, the Miners ran their lead to 27 to 21 at the half and 48 to 30 near the middle of the last half.

Captain Lee Floyd, forward, and Guard Billy Johnstone tallied three free-throw points and Floyd a field goal to finish Mines' victory.

Floyd led the scoring with 19. Head paced Tech with 17.

Arizona State at Tempe tonight won fifth place in the tourney by defeating New Mexico, 50 to 40. New Mexico ended in sixth place.

Completing play among first and second round losers, the Tempe Bulldogs made easy work of the New Mexico Lobos. Midway in the first period, they established a lead and maintained a margin of 6 to 12 points the rest of the way, 25-19 at half-time.

Forward Verl Heap of Tempe topped scoring with 19.