No ‘Patsies'

 

Avenges

- KANSAS CITY, Dec. 31.—It’s
oft been said there is no such
thing as ‘‘a cinch.”

That point was more evident
than ever to coaches, scribes and
just plain fans who sat in on the
four days of the Big Seven pre-
season tournament concluded here

Thursday night.
That was the general consensus.

 

wasn’t about to argue the pojft.
“There certainly is
team you could call ape
this year,” he opined, “I’d ven-
ture to say the conference
champion may even win it
with three losses.’’
This observation came after
Lee’s Buffaloes had staged a fine
comeback to down a strong Cali-
fornia team, 69-60, preceding
the Thursday night championship
contest. |

COFFMAN STARS

That victory, achieved on the
strength of a great defensive per-
formance and a second half rally
|sparked by Mel Coffman, accom-
plished several things for the
Coloradans. It netted them. the
tournament consolation ‘title’ and

 

for two earlier lickings adminis-
tered by the west coast Bears on
the latter’s home -court.

It was primarily Colorado’s
well-executed defense that kept
the Buffs within shooting range
of the Bears in the first. half.
Certainly it wasn’t tha ability
to score.

Colorado went into’ a self-ad-
ministered point drouth in that
first half, netting only two bas-
kets in the first 16 minutes 27
seconds — including a mammoth
|period of 11:27 between that pair
|of counters,

 

Bebe Lee, the Colorado tuto sr

gained some measure of revenge

 

CW Wins 69- 60,

Losses

Only a reasonable average: at
the free throw line and the afore-
mentioned defense which limited
the Bears to a minimum of shot
attempts made the. second half
rally possible and successful. 3
BEARS STAY TOUGH a6
The Buffs trailed only four: at
at the half, despite their

erable shooting.

Colorado managed to chisel
away at that four-point deficit
through the early going of the
second half and four times tied
‘the count.’ After knotting if up

for the fourth time at 41-all,
Tommy Harrold hit a layup for
Colorado’s first lead with 12:14
left to play. — 0

Coffman found the range: for
two long-distance casts immedi-
ately following that and canned
another after a free throw by Bob
Jeangerard to get the Buffs out of
the woods at 51-41 with 10:19 left.

That sealed the verdict al-
though the Bears didn’t exactly
lay down and play dead, keeping
the pressure on until the finish.

Satisfying aspect of the tri-
umph was the spirit displayed
in effecting the comeback and
the relief work uf the reserves.
Standout in this respect. was
George Hannah, understudy to
Burdette (Burdy) Haldorson,
who finished out after the latter
picked up his fourth personal
with still 18:40 Tett in the final
half,

Hannah collected nine points
and seven all-important rebounds
in his stint.

The win gave Colorado “fifth
place in the tournament with a
2-and-1 record. The other win was
over Nebraska and the loss was
the 73-71 overtime thriller to Okla-
homa in the opening round.—G. F,

Box scores ‘on page 15.