KU RALLY DOWNS LASALLE, 70 TO 65
Daily Kansan
49th Year, No.122
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
Tuesday, April 1, 1952
Five Seniors, Two Juniors To Make Trip To Helsinki
Coach F. C. "Phog" Allen announced last night the seven team members who will make the trip to the Olympic games in Helsinki, Finland after stating earlier that he would not make the announcement until the end of the week.
The seven players are Clyde Lovellette, Bill Hougland, Blienhard, Bob Kenney, Dean Kelley John Keller and Charley Hoag. All are seniors except Kelley and Hoag.
"Big Clyde" Lovellette, two-time All-American, has been a stand-out on the Kansas team all sec.
Bill Hougland has been a starter for the Jayhawkers all season. His sharp floor playing and accurate shooting has made him a stalwart for the Kansas team.
Bill Lienahdr was curbed in mid-season by an attack of flu. But he returned to good form in the NCAA tournament to become a definite work plug in the Kansas scoring clock.
Kenney has led the nation's free throwing artists all season. His keen defensive play and outside shooting earned him the nickname of "Trigger" for his quick, deadly shooting. He later made a definite standout on his defensive ability and rebounding techniques.
Kelley and Hoag are the only juniors who have played much during the season. Kelley has been a consistent starter and his ball hawking and one dribble shot rewarded him with a place on the NCAA all-tournament team in Seattle. Hoag has shown tremendous improvement during the season and has added a spark to the Jayhawkers in many games.
CLYDE
"PHOG'S" FINEST HOUR
Wild Throngs Jam Streets In Gleeful Demonstration
Within three minutes after Kansas became the No.1 college team in the nation, cars began whizzing in direction throughout Lawrence.
Hundreds of University students jammed the streets of Lawrence and the campus in about 500 cars following the 70-65 Kansas vict over La Salle last night in New York City.
Cars from four directions merged at 11th and Massachusetts streets for a mass rally.
Students were hanging on the traffic lights chanting, "On to Helsinki!" and "No School Tomorrow!" City busses were stalled in the middle of four lanes of cars on Massachusetts street and a sea of car tops stretched for more than two blocks.
The exhuberant drivers began a merry-go-round in Fowler grove in front of the Journalism building as they dodged around trees and over sidewalks.
The mass movement of cars formed and headed up 14th street onto the campus.
Again on the campus, cars turned normally quiet Jayhawk drive into a roaring, cheering, honking mass of cars and students.
Several cars were driven up and down the stoops of the west wind extension of Strong hall. Others skirted Strong hall on the lawn to rejoin the formation.
Now Helsinki Here We Are
By JOHN HERRINGTON Kansan Sports Editor
Kansas' spectacular Jayhawkers pulled the most astounding comeback of the basketball year last night as they whittled a 14-point deficit into a five-point victory over La Salle's National Invitation tournament champion Explorers in the semifinals of the Olympic trials in New York's Madison Square Garden. 70-65.
Clyde Lovellette presented one of the "greatest performances ever seen in the Garden" as he threw in 40 points from every conceivable position and angle. Besides his unstoppable hook shot, Lovellette often moved out 15 and 20 feet and poked in one-handed set shots.
The magnificent Lovellette hit 18 of 30 field goal attempts and four of six from the free throw line. He set a new single season scoring record to add to his many other broken records of the year.
His 40 points brought his single season total to 863 to eclipse the 831-point record set by Duke's fabulous Dick Groat last season. Lovellette had 823 points going into last night's game.
With two and three La Salle defenders wedged in around him, Lovellette still poured through the points. He hit 16 of Kansas' 21 points in the final quarter, just as he had done in the second period.
With five straight field goals, Lovellette put the Jayhawks into the lead, 67-61, with three minutes left to play. Kansas was able to control the ball during the last minutes of the game.
In the first few minutes, La Salle edged into the lead. At the end of the first quarter they held a commanding 10-point edge.
Kansas cut the Explorer lead in half by the intermission and stayed five points behind in the third period.
The fatal fourth quarter came too soon for La Salle. Kansas trailed by five, seven and nine points during the entire part of the fourth period.
Lovellette and La Salle's Tom Gola and Norm Grekin matched goal-for-goal in the waning minutes. Grekin carried off top scoring honors for La Salle with 20 points. Gola hit 15 for the Explorers. Fred Ihele connected on deadly corner shots for 19 points.
La Salle's ace defensive man, Jack Moore, was absent from the Explorer lineup because of death of his mother.
A crowd of 13,000 La Salle-partisan fans jammed into Madison Square Garden to watch the Olympic battle of champions. Members of the KU Alumni association in New York made their presence known with cheers for their team.
Fans and sportswriters alike were hailing the 6-foot, 9-inch Kansas center as the greatest player who had ever appeared on the Garden floor.
For the travel-weary Jayhawks it was a grim and determined fight. In the past week, the Kansans have moved by plane and bus over 7,000 miles.
John Nucatola, representing the East, and Ronnie Gibbs from the West turned in commendable performances, refereeing the game.
"PHOG" ALLEN'S DREAM TEAM BECOMES REALITY