| Show t Veteran Phillips Quint Blasts Eckers From AAU Meet 58 41 By Bob Campbell DENVER March 19 UP UP-It UP It took a long time but the old guard guardin in n AAU A A U basketball finally knocked all the town teams and collegians collegians collegians colle colle- gians out of the running Friday to tolay play lay all by itself in the semifinal round The old guard was led by the time six-time national champion Philips Phillips Phillips Phil Phil- lips from Okla Five Tive of the titles have come comein comein comen in n the past five years Also in the running were the Denver Nuggets seeded No 2 behind behind behind be be- hind the along with the Oakland Cal Bittners and the Denver Graybeards Friday nights night's schedule was to match the against the Bittners Bitt Bitt- ners and the Nuggets against the Gra Graybeards Greybeards beards The f four ur surviving teams won quarterfinal g a nie me s Thursday night and all except the fourth- fourth ranking quintet will have places in n the playoffs which will determine determine determine deter deter- mine the United States Olympic team earn In games Thursday night the Graybeards with a roster made up mostly of ancient but still adept A AAU A U performers won 70 to 55 over the fast United States Navy Blues Slues from Annapolis The Graybeards Graybeards Graybeards Gray- Gray beards had tough going in the first half and led by a slim 36 to 31 margin at the intermission But in the final 20 minutes they jumped lumped far ahead and were never threatened Robert Ace so many times an American all most people have quit counting dunked 42 points mostly hook shots off the post That was a record so far for or this tournament but was far behind the point 62 time all record for one game held by Gale Bishop another legendary A AAU A U player The champion went easily into the semifinals with a 58 to 41 win over the Salt Lake City Eck Eck- ers It was wa quite a for or half the distance with the ahead 25 to 20 at the intermission B But t the Eckers a hastily assembled assembled assembled assem assem- bled crew of collegians headed by American all-American Vern Gardner of Utah crumbled in the last half Their short experience together told in late minutes and the with whom the college try has become a profession came through with their famed fast break and fine team play The he Bittners won 64 to 46 over the Kokomo Ind Stars All another another another an an- other trained college collection of Basketball talent The Stars All-Stars led by George Kok of ot Arkansas university and John of Indiana Indiana Indiana In In- diana were no match for the driving ing ng shots of Don Barksdale former U UCLA C L A star In the remaining quarterfinal game same the Denver Nuggets won 64 54 to 50 over the Hollywood Cal Twentieth Fox Century-Fox quintet That was another ball game with some excitement in the early going but with the winners amassing a huge lead late Once the came within with with- in four points of ot the Nuggets with less than seven minutes to go but they lost tall Alex Hannum former former former for for- mer mer Southern California star on fouls and were powerless to stop Nugget shots ot off the post Winners tonight will be matched in the finals Saturday night with the losers meeting for third place aI Salt t f. f LA a City I Io G P o 0 2 1 2 0 0 2 0 4 2 Thomasf Thomast 0 1 3 1 2 2226 2 2 6 3 2 1 8 8 3 J 1 10 Gardner Gardner-c 5 S 9 3 19 9 4 0 O 4 8 S 0 S 5 2 5 o 0 2 1 2 3 0 0 6 2 2145 1 4 s 5 Crowther 1 1022 0 2 2 1052 1 0 5 2 Ecker 0 0 3 0 0 o 0 2 0 Jonn 2 2034 0 3 4 Renick 23 2312 12 24 58 Totals 12 17 16 41 U |
