Cyclones in Finals Ist Time

 

 

 

“By GEORGE FRANCO
Executive Sports Editor, —
' The Denver. Post

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 30.—
For what. consolation there might
be in it, Bebe Lee and his Colora-
do cagers will, have to put up with
Iowa State’s Gary. Thompson only

|four more ‘times and it’s a cinch| ~

they'll. be glad when it’s over.
‘They will, that is, if he pulls
any more shenanigans like those
of Thursday night when he per-
sonally preserved a 55-to-52: vic+
tory for Bill Strannigan’s. Cy-

 

‘|clones in the semifinals of the

Big Seven tournament here.

All he did was pop in two free
throws with eight seconds left to
clinch the victory after Colorado
pulled one of its familiar rallies
to get within a lone point with 27

+seconds left.

He’d done exactly the same
thing ten seconds earlier. That
ee he also broke the hearts of
he Buffs after they had overcome
an 11-point deficit of early second-
half play...

The victory moved the surpris-
ing Cyclones into Friday night’s
championship game against the
touted. Kansas Jayhawks, who
thumped a sour Missouri team,
73-56, in the other championship
bracket game Thursday night.

That appearance will mark
Iowa State’s first title game show-
ing inthe 10-year history of the
annual pre-season test.

Colorado and Missouri play for
third place at 6:30 P. m,. (Denver
time).

Colorado’s comeback matched
its efforts in Tuesday night’s op-
ening round meeting with Oklaho-!
ma in every respect but one—it
didn’t end in victory as it did over
the Sooners.

 

| 2:31 to go.

when ¥ Cedtone Chuck Vout canned; The Buffs  ptoke up Iowa State’s
a jumper from the keyhole with] attempted ‘stall ‘when they stole

 

the ball from Thompson with 1:03
Gordon Johnson, Colorado’ s|left, ‘but the effort went for
busy junior guard. from | Norfolk, naught as Hannah’s sweeping
Neb., matched that by. hitting a|hook shot was in and out with
short one-hander after’ gaining|48 seconds left..

 

THE DENVER POST

 

 

possession in a_ ‘front-court melee} That was the signal for Thomp-
that made ‘it, ‘51-30, ‘with 1:47-left. Continued on page 24. —