12/17/1952

LA SALLE'S ZONE DEFENSE STOPS CATS

Visitors Get Hot Final Half To Spurt Away To 87-68 Win

By RAY McNALLY

CAGE JITTERBUGS
A LaSalle field goal just missed and two Explorers try to make a tip-in. Reading (left to right) are Bill Katheder, Bill Smitheran, Arizona; Jackie Moore and UA Captain Bill Kemmeries. Moore is one of LaSalle's top rebounders. The Explorers won, 87-68. —Sedley-Hopkins Photo

LaSalle's Explorers, the nation's No. 1 basketball team, proved why they have that rating to 3,030 fans in Bear Down gym last night by rolling past scrappy Arizona 87-68. Arizona, playing its best game of the season, put up a good fight.

The Cats, staying even with LaSalle for most of the first half, forced Explorer Coach Ken Loeffler to switch from a checking man-to-man defense in the first 20 minutes to a zone in the final 20 minutes. The zone did the trick.

THE ZONE perplexed Arizona and forced the Cats to shoot from far out. The zone also allowed LaSalle to slow down and get its bearings and saved Jackie Moore, the brilliant rebounder. Moore had four fouls in the first half.

LaSalle seemed to be able to pour on the steam when needed. The Cats, trailing only 36-32 with four seconds left in the first half, watched the visitors start clicking as they made four quick points. LaSalle continued to score in the third quarter — Its most brilliant display of shooting in the game — as 26 points were made.

This was LaSalle’s seventh straight win of the year and its fourth on a cross country tour which ends this weekend in San Francisco where the Explorers meet Stanford and Santa Clara on successive nights in the Cow Palace.

TOM GOLA, LaSalle’s 6-7 sophomore, put on a remarkable display of ability. Gola left the scoring up to his mates. He gave an exhibition of rebounding which probably never will be topped in Bear Down gym. His team play was excellent. He left the scoring up to Fred Iehle, 31 tallies, and Norm Grekin, 20 points.

Iehle, using an almost Unstoppable two-handed jump shot, hit for 13 field goals in 32 tries. His shooting was so sensational that at times it seemed as if he never missed. Many of Grekin’s baskets came on the old fashioned two handed push shot from out around the back of the free throw circle.

GEORGE ROUNTREE Arizona’s sophomore prospect, played his finest game as he scored 18 points and hit on nearly half of his shots. Captain Bill Kemmeries, starting off in the first half with 10 points, seemed headed for an other hot night but LaSalle’s zone stymied the UA star in the second half as he never made a field goal and was limited to four tree throws.

Center Jim Dunlap plugging all the way, played a good game off the boards. In fact Arizona was more aggressive off the boards last night than in any previous game. If the Cats continue to play as they did against LaSalle they will be hard to beat for the Border conference title. Another sophomore, Eli Lazovich, made a late entry into the game, but collected eight points.

LaSALLE's team exhibited excellent condition. The lanky Philadelphians averaging nearly 6.5 per man, did not call a time out until late in the fourth quarter with only three minutes and 20 seconds left. Each team fought tenaciously off the boards. Arizona lost two men on fouls, Guards Bill Smitheran and Jim Brower while LaSalle also lost a pair, Moore and Gola.

The game was Arizona's last home appearance for nearly a month. Arizona's next home game is with Texas Western, Jan. 14 — a Border loop game. During the holidays the Cats will be busy with two tournaments — the Southwest conference in Dallas and the Memphis State meet in Memphis, Tenn. Arizona has drawn Arkansas in the first round at Dallas.

In the prelim game, Arizona's frosh won their first game of the year by beating Phoenix college 52-49 in an overtime period. The game was tied 47-47 at the end of regulation time. Guard Jack Davis led the Wildkittens with 17 points and made UA's five overtime counters. Dave Thomas' 22 counters were high for PC.