Show WESTERN CAGE RACE BECOMES MAP MAD SCRAMBLE 0 1 of JJ J L L L L Bobcat Prove Surprises By Taking Lead Utes Show Improvement in inY inY inY Y Series Cougars to Play B Walt alt Beesle By Beesley Basketball supremacy in the western western west west- em ern division of the Rock Rocky Mountain conference is about as certain today loday fl as the stock market mar mar- I ket kel with the predicted pre pre- t. t cellar champion cham cham- pion M Montana 0 n tan a the U. U State waving A Wag Jag on the top of the loop and the I J r t rest fest of the teams wondering h ho hovi 0 W ki i 0 r oJ got that way t B Bot Both o t Ii h favorites v Brigham Y You Young 0 u ii 11 g I. I t tt and Utah took a walloping Saturday B. B Ys Y's f. f r 44 44 to 36 decision Y J I oyer Utah Friday fu ft might just as x O have been a 1 Bennion point victory as there here was hardly any Y more difference than han that between the two teams Saturday Saturday Sat Sat- with Utah on top 40 to 39 The Cougars were not the powerful aggregation ag ag- which swept Henrys Henry's Clothiers aside Utah perhaps showed the most im urn- provement in the division with ith its sparkling offensive drive and close guarding in coming back to take the second game by a 1 point margin The individual pIa play of Grant Bennion Bennion Ben Ben- nion Ute guard g who bottled up the Cougar main offensive cog Elwood Romney was as outstanding for the Provo flash got away with wilh only a minimum minimum min mm- of points He tallied three baskets baskets bas bas- Saturday night but two of then their were dropped from the middle of the thc floor where not even the University of Utah student bod body could have prevented prevented prevented pre pre- vented him from throwing them ThEother The Thc Theother other was a setup The way the Utah put Montana Montana Mon tana State down Friday nj night ht was not surprising and the 47 to 26 score was waE about as was expected but the 29 to 20 walloping the took Saturday Saturday Saturday Satur Satur- day night was stunning and threw the whole division race into a muddle With such things happening every week one could stand a Cl good chance of picking the winner by tossing a coin for it It is extremely doubtful if Alexander the man who knows could do the prognosticators prognosticates any goodri goodright good goodright ri right ht now BOBCATS SURPRISE While the Bobcats were given fourth place ranking before the season season sea sea- son started they have proved so far that they are arc capable of dumping over o the team given No 1 ranking besides taking Utah 1931 champ over for Tor two games With Captain Ray BuzzettI forward Ray Boothe center center cen cen- ter and Keith Ario Arlo guard who received re re- re third team all American rating rat rat- ing ng last year rounding into form Coach Schubert Dyches Dyche's Cats may run right up the Rocky mountain ladder with the three Utah schools battling it out for the lower rung positions Still a broad look at the four teams shows nothing but inconsistency They are arc on one night and off oH the next Even with such stars as Alsop Belliston Cropley and Young dont don't look any more like pennant winners winners winners win win- ners than Utah unless they start clicking more effectively The downtrodden Utes who were given anything but a chance to show themselves form formidable dable have ha taken a jump ump and in both games with the Cougars appeared to be a potentially strong team With the handicaps Coach Vadal Peterson has been working work work- ing ng under in getting his team together together to to- gether he has done commendably well veil Stan Smith sophomore forward forward for for- forward ward looks as good as any scorer in inthe inthe n the division and his freshman running running run run- ning mate Taft Watts is almost on a ajar apar apar par jar with him Smith stole stoIc the show Friday night by taking scoring honors honors hon hone ors but gracefully uIl bowed to Walls Watts Saturday night when hen Peterson shifted his ns tactics and had the Utes feed the ball to the former B. B A. A C C. star UTES PASS WELL The Utes passed well shot fairly well and defended their goal In sol sol sol- fashion A glance at nt the Cougar games revealed that very few of or Utah's shots were long instead the they passed into the scoring zone and counted from short ranges A good many of the Cougars' Cougars points came from the long Ions range ranee shots A strong Ute defense was responsible I The present combination for lor Utah looks capable of improvement and there isn't going Joing to be a whole lot Jot of moss growing crowing under their feet despite despite de de- de spite the three losses that have been chalked up against them The They have tasted victory well earned and may go places whether the other teams want them to or not nol Brigham Young looked like only a little more than a 3 mild mUd threat but should give the enough to worry about this week when the two meet Friday and Saturday at Provo The Y has an advantage to begin with by playing on the smaller floor but shouldn't run awa away with the Farm Farm- ers Utah and Montana State will wm rest before they swing again into the therace therace therace race next week Who Is the division winner Who is the man who's going to end the depression depression de de- de |