At Muncie, Indiana, Springfield beats Fert Wayne Tigers in the
semi-finals by freezing the ball fer the last minute and one-half -- 29
te 27. When Springfield beats Anderson in the first game at the State Tourna-
ment at Indianapelis, Springfield Wildcats win 21 te 20. But: listen te the last
six minutes before the final gune I quote frem Mr. Tunis’ story:

"Then seconds tick eff, minutes went by and Tem Gray faked, pivoted, and shot.
frem the side te bring the score te Springfield 23, Andersen 21. ‘Then the
Anderson Indians reared down the court and Erskine rushed in to sink a ene-
hander and tied the score.

"Then a Wildcat feuled and Anderson Indians went ahead 24 te 23.

"The Wildeats were s pent, their feet were sore and hot, their legs were rods
ef iren, their thighs ached with every step, their lungs were leaden bellows
that crucified them each time they pounded the beards. They were throughe
They were beaten. They couldn't.

"Tom Gray waves his fist in their facés. You're gonna quit, are you? Gonna
quit, you guys es. just e.. when we have it won ee. almost os. genna quit on
Don eeee A fine gang you are ee. a fine team ... call yerself Wildcats’ C'm
on, gang ee. let's give ‘emall we get! A gang that won't be beat can't be
beat can't be beat! Givei' ;

"Eleven theusand people were watching this game: firewagon basketball,
chances taken, wild recoveries made, spills and tumbles and falls all ever

the fleer, with the eutcome of the contestandthe Tourney, teo, yet to be decided."

But Tom Gray, the young tall weaving lad who played for his coach and
his team with all ef the finest traditions of idealism in sport, inspite of
his father's attitudes, led his team to victory by 1 point in the last 50
seconds ef play.

Then te the last game at State Tournament, where Den Henderson's
Wildcats are to battle with Besse High School ef Evansville, whose great star,
Jerry Kates, is already nationally known. And Den with his five geod average
players whe leved their team and who had won thus far on grit and spirit, and
with net a substitute worth mentioning?’

In the last minute in this crucial game, Don and his scrappy team ceme
from behind te tie the scere only te meet defeat by a single peint. This is
a glerious climax to Mr. Tunis' recounting of games. In three brief chapters
he tells the story of this great gamee A basketball player, a ceach, or any
basketball fan, ence into Mr. Tunis' account of this game would be glued te
its pages. We read:

"The tension tightened, increased, became taut and unbearable. There was no
world but this. Reality was that heated enclosure. Space was the confines of
those four white lines. Time was the electric cleck everhead. Life was that
intense, thrusting surge belew.

"The final seconds. The last seconds ef the game, ef the day, ef the Tournament,
ef the entire season. On the fleor the ten beaten figures wrenched fer victory.
Or defeate

"Then Kates leaped in and stele the ball. With a quick break, the little

Sie Tage was out in the clear, dribbling furiously down upon the Bulldog
goal.

Thus Den Henderson, the yeung coach who had brought Springfield up
through the seasen to the State, lest in the final game by one point.

Mr. Tunis knows what boys say te each other in the heat of battle. He
knows all of the varieus psychological devices that coaches use to drive or

to quiet men--accerding te their various needs, before or during er after a game.

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