MARCH 24, 1975
SURPRISES IN SOUTH AS AIAA CAGE TOURNAMENT OPENSThe opening round of the 66th annual AIAA College Basketball Tournament largely followed the expected script, but the first weekend still delivered its share of surprises—particularly in the South and East Regions—while reminding fans just how thin the margin can be once March arrives.
All four top seeds survived their opening games, but one highly regarded number two seed did not. Indiana A&M, ranked sixth nationally and widely expected to advance deep into the tournament, was sent home by Queen City in the South Region, ending an 18-year tournament victory drought for the Monarchs.
Queen City, appearing in the AIAA Tournament for the first time since 1967 and carrying just a 1–7 all-time tournament record dating back to 1920, simply outworked the Reapers. The Monarchs controlled the glass, limited turnovers, and dictated the tempo throughout. Senior guard Jerry Fitzgerald led the offense with 11 points despite shooting just 3-for-10, as Queen City advanced with a performance built more on grit than glamour.
The Monarchs will next face another surprise entry in the South Region. Sixth-seeded College of Omaha earned the program’s first tournament win in its first appearance since 1953, defeating Charleston Tech 68–60. The Plains Athletic Association champions jumped out early, building an 18-point halftime lead behind a spectacular shooting display from junior guard Sammy Costanzo. The Waverly, Iowa native connected on 10 of 14 shots and scored a career-high 24 points, then watched as the Raiders held off a second-half Charleston rally.
Elsewhere in the South, the favorites moved on. Top-seeded Baton Rouge State shook off a stubborn challenge from Custer College before pulling away late for a 57–50 win, led by 22 points from Mike Delgado and 17 from Ernie Hill. Fourth-seeded Coastal California also advanced, defeating Coastal State 64–56 and extending the Eagles’ tournament winless streak to 11 years.
There Will Be a New Champion
The most significant result in the East Region came early, as Lane State’s bid for a third consecutive AIAA title—an achievement accomplished only once before—came to an abrupt end. The Emeralds were upset 51–43 by Lexington State in the 3-6 matchup. Neither team shot particularly well, but the Mid-Atlantic Conference champion Colonels did enough to advance, with center Mike Gomez posting 13 points and nine rebounds.
Lexington State will face Northern Mississippi in the round of 16 after guard Ron Coleman scored 20 points to lift the Mavericks past Grafton 53–47.
Top-seeded Maryland State had no such trouble, overwhelming the University of New Jersey 66–33. The Bengals opened a commanding 36–23 halftime lead and rested their starters for much of the second half. Fourth-seeded Western Iowa nearly suffered an upset but escaped with a 48–47 victory over George Fox University on a buzzer-beating jumper from the right wing by Darryl Cronenwett.
Near Upset in the Midwest
The nation’s top-ranked team, Detroit City College, was pushed to the brink in the Midwest Region. The Knights led Northern Minnesota by just one point with 24 seconds remaining before Pete Falcone calmly sank two free throws to secure a 51–48 victory. Detroit City College, now 26–4 and champions of the Great Lakes Alliance, remains on course for a third straight trip to Bigsby Garden.
Awaiting the Knights in the round of 16 is Rainier College, which advanced after Kevin Sweeney poured in 23 points to lead the Majestics past Eastern State 67–59. On the other side of the Midwest bracket, second-seeded Noble Jones College defeated Holland 51–43, while third-seeded Northern California rolled past St. Magnus 74–58. The Miners were paced by Bryan Fortenberry and Willie Delgado, who each scored 17. Fortenberry, a senior forward averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds, is widely regarded as a potential first overall pick in either pro league draft this summer.
In the West Region, top-seeded Carolina Poly cruised to a 67–43 win over Flagstaff State behind a career-high 16 points from center Mike Thornton, who was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. The Cardinals will next face Central Ohio, which defeated fourth-seeded Redwood 55–47 despite a 17-point effort from Mammoths center Darnell Carter. Central Ohio was led by forward Tommy Tibbetts, a likely first-round professional selection, who scored 15 points.
Second-seeded Mississippi A&M also advanced, defeating Quaker College 58–50. The tightest game in the region saw Darnell State edge Whitney College 47–45 in dramatic fashion. Senior guard Charley Green scored 21 points for the Legislators, and the game was decided in the final seconds when a Darnell State junior forward stole the ball and raced in for a go-ahead dunk, snapping a tie and earning the program its first AIAA Tournament victory since 1938.
Second-round games will be played Thursday and Friday, with regional finals scheduled for the weekend.
- Are the San Francisco Sailors for real? Most expect the Sailors to battle with Kansas City for the Continental Association cellar in a division with four very strong clubs but the Sailors are the surprise of spring, with a FABL best 16-4 record. Will that translate to regular season success remains to be seen but Sailors brass has to be thrilled with what it is seeing in Florida.
- Steve Prather credits an offseason strength and conditioning program for making him feel stronger, faster and more prepared for the upcoming season. The Dallas Wranglers 31-year-old outfielder was the 1969 CA batting champ and a career .303 hitter so if he is even better this season that spells trouble for the rest of the CA. Prather hit .319 a year ago but missed six weeks with a variety of injuries.
- The Seattle Kings may have the deepest collection of pitching in the CA already and you can add George Skinner as a name to watch. The 24-year-old, who was a 10th round selection in 1973 and spent most of last season in AA, has had a noticeable bump in velocity according to his AAA manager, Pete Plourde of the Portland Green Sox.
- Detroit does not have a lot of pitching talent to begin with so the season ending elbow surgery needed for 24-year-old prospect Phil Leis adds to the Dynamos woes. A waiver claim from San Francisco after a brief FABL stint with Seattle, Lies was having a decent spring and appeared to be in contention for a bullpen spot with the Dynamos.
- Cleveland also lost a potential bullpen piece as another 24-year-old, Mickey Farrar, will miss the season with shoulder woes. The 1969 8th round selection made his big league debut with the Foresters last year, posting a 2.67 era with some solid work in 28 appearances out of the bullpen.
- It is unlikely either Detroit or Cleveland will be interested as there are sure to be some bullpen options on waivers when the final 24-man rosters get set in advance of opening day, but the New York Imperials have made it known that their bullpen is overcrowded and any of Ed Wells, Steve Madden or Andy Masson can be had "cheap". Wells, 35, has a career 66-57 record with 75 saves and was quite effective early in his career with the Cougars but has tailed off the last couple of seasons. Madden, also 35, was a key piece for a trio of St Louis WCS winning clubs and has won 120 FABL games, but has not pitched well in his two and a half seasons with the Imperials while Masson,32, has pitched for five teams and is 51-49 with 25 career saves.
THE SHAKEOUT AT THE PARK: STICK STEAKS AND SPRING SLUMPS WINTER HAVEN, FL — What a difference seven days makes under this Florida sun. The Minutemen are still racking up the wins, sitting on a 13-7 record that has them tied with three other clubs for the best mark in the league this spring. Only the San Francisco Sailors are playing better ball at 16-4, but out here in the heat, the standings matter less than the names on the roster sheet.
The position battles we have been tracking are finally starting to take shape, and at third base, Howard Smith is making it impossible to ignore him. Smith is absolutely tearing the cover off the ball, posting a .433 average with two homers and nine RBIs. Those nine rib-eye steaks are good enough to lead the team so far this spring. With that kind of production, it is going to be a tall order for the Boston brass to leave Smith behind when the plane heads north in two weeks.
Over in right field, Jim Morton is still putting up high-level numbers, trailing just behind Smith in average (.333), hits (12), and RBIs (8). However, the rumblings around the batting cages suggest the club is silently leaning toward Menz as the eventual starter.
Sully’s Stance: I suspect both Smith and Menz will be on that plane to Boston, with one or both of them likely seeing time in center field. Pat Allen is not even hitting his weight so far this spring, and it is getting hard to watch. While a platoon might sound good on paper, both Smith and Menz swing from the right side, so do not expect a simple lefty-righty split.
Behind the dish, the job belongs to Ed Cole, even if we haven't seen much of him lately. The club is clearly trying to save the thirty-year-old's knees for the marathon ahead. The real story at catcher is the hunt for a backup who can carry the load when Cole needs a breather.
But who exactly will they be pitching? That is the question of the hour. One of the biggest headaches this spring has been Bob Scott. The man who is supposed to be the ace of this staff is currently 1-2 with a bloated 6.75 ERA. In just ten innings, Scott has coughed up eight earned runs and four walks.
This is where spring training gets a bit hypocritical. Because Scott is a proven veteran, the coaches will shrug and say he is just working on his secondary pitches. Meanwhile, if an unproven kid had those numbers, he would be on the first bus out of town. It is an inexact science, folks. The good news is that the rest of the arms look live. Johnny Hall, Charlie Roberts, Hank Springer, and Ed Petty are all having stellar springs. In fact, Petty and Springer have combined to allow just one earned run in nineteen innings of work.
At the back of the bullpen, Bud Shireman has locked things down. He is up to six saves and his ERA has actually shriveled to a microscopic .87. He is a lock. Right there with him is 24-year-old Les Snyder, who has been lighting up the radar gun at 95-97 miles per hour with a sinker-slider combo that looks downright lethal. Shireman and Snyder could be a nightmare for opposing hitters in the late innings.
On the dirt, second baseman Charlie Harsell has been vocal about his new two-strike approach. He feels he has unlocked something that will help him improve on last year’s .283 average. If he can turn those foul balls into line drives, this lineup gets a lot deeper.
As we enter the fourth week of camp, the inevitable "March Axe" is starting to swing. With 59 players currently in camp, expect 10 to 15 of them to get their walking papers today. One of them will almost certainly be top prospect Sal Baldasarri. The 18-year-old starter is the number three prospect in the game, and this spring was really just a chance for him to see how the big boys play. Sal got into five games and flashed some talent with a strikeout, but three walks and a hit batter show he still needs some seasoning. Expect him to start his year in either Low A Arlington or High A Springfield.
The weather down here has been delightful, a far cry from the slush on Tremont Street. Until next time, stay warm Boston.
McPHERSON AND SCOTCH LINE POWER ROGUES’ ATTACK
If the Philadelphia Rogues are going to defend their Challenge Cup this spring, it is difficult to imagine that path not running straight through the sticks of Adam McPherson and the rest of the famed Scotch Line.
McPherson has been the hottest scorer in the North American Hockey Confederation over the past month, surging to the top of the league scoring race on the strength of a 17-game point streak. During that stretch, the 24-year-old winger has piled up 32 points, including 16 goals, blowing past the 50-goal mark for the first time in his career and pushing his season total to 115 points. It is the second straight year McPherson has reached triple digits, and with two games remaining he is well positioned to capture his first Denny Trophy—though Detroit’s Yves Dagenais, three points back with four games to play, remains very much in the hunt.
McPherson’s success is hardly a solo act. Since being united with center Glenn McKenzie and right winger Gary Yeadon, the trio known as the Scotch Line has become the most feared unit in the league. Their shared heritage gave them a nickname, but their production gave the Rogues a championship last spring—and once again makes Philadelphia a favorite as the playoffs approach.
McPherson is the lone Philadelphia-developed member of the line, taken by the Rogues in the first round of the 1969 draft after a dominant junior career with St. Thomas. McKenzie’s path was far less direct. Originally drafted by Toronto in 1967 and released a year later, he returned to junior hockey and authored one of the greatest seasons in CAHA history, posting 162 points with London and earning league MVP honors. Philadelphia won the ensuing bidding war, and after several solid seasons McKenzie truly broke out last year, reaching 100 points and then leading all players in playoff scoring on his way to the David Welcombe Trophy as postseason MVP. While he has not quite matched last year’s pace, McKenzie remains a vital piece of the line with 87 points and counting.
Yeadon brings pedigree as well as production. A third-generation NAHC player, his family name is woven into league history, and expectations followed him from the moment Quebec selected him first overall in the 1970 draft. Traded to Philadelphia soon after, Yeadon delivered immediately, winning the McLeod Trophy as rookie of the year in 1972-73 and the Denny Trophy last season. He sits third in this year’s scoring race with 108 points and has topped 50 goals for the second consecutive season.
Together, the Scotch Line remains the engine that drives the Rogues. As the regular season winds down and the race for trophies tightens, Philadelphia’s greatest advantage may be that no other team can match the firepower—or the familiarity—of its top unit when the games matter most.
NAHC WEEKLY RESULTS
MONDAY MARCH 17
Minneapolis at St Louis :A wild game at the Gateway Center between two Yeadon Division rivals battling it out for second place. The host Sawyers prevailed 8-7 with Hugh MacLaren notching four points for the winners while Tom Rowley had four as well for the Norsemen.
Toronto at Washington :The Dukes, still playing without suspended scoring star Ollie Perreault, salvaged a point in Washington as Mark Milot's goal late in the third period earned Toronto a 4-4 tie and increased the Dukes lead on Quebec for third place in the Connelly Division to three points.
New York at Boston :Didier Beaudoin scored twice in the first period to put the Bees ahead but the Shamrocks battled back to claim a 2-2 tie with Claude Tremblay and Chris Lafontaine lighting the lamp for the Greenshirts.
Cincinnati at Detroit :Mark Nichols scored twice and added an assist to lead Cincinnati to a 4-3 victory over Detroit.
TUESDAY MARCH 18
San Francisco at Boston :The Bees extended their unbeaten streak to 5 games with a 6-1 victory over the visiting San Francisco Gulls. Eddie Lafleur scored twice for Boston while Tommy Gordon earned three assists.
Pittsburgh at Los Angeles :Los Angeles snapped a 5-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over Pittsburgh. The Stingrays are back to within seven points of Vancouver for the Thomas Division lead but are quickly running out of time.
Minneapolis at Atlanta :A four point night including a pair of first period goals from Michael Henkelman propelled the Atlanta Blazers to a 5-2 victory over Minnesota.
Quebec at St Louis :Jimmy Norris scored twice and had two assists as St Louis earned a 5-5 tie with Quebec.
Vancouver at Montreal :Montreal fought back from a 2-0 deficit to earn a 2-2 tie with Vancouver. Mark Moggy's 20th goal of the season, on the power play with less than 5 minutes left in the game, secured the point for the Valiants.
Chicago at Philadelphia :A pair of division leaders hooked up in Philadelphia and it was the defending Challenge Cup champion Rogues who claimed the two points. Four third period goals lifted Philadelphia to a 7-4 victory with each member of the Scotch Line - Glenn McKenzie, Adam McPherson and Gary Yeadon- each scoring.
Toronto at Detroit :Ben Boimistruck had three points to propel Toronto to a 5-3 victory over Detroit at the Motor City Forum.
New York at Cincinnati :Rookie Daniel McQuaid had three points but it was not enough as his New York Shamrocks were doubled 6-3 by the Cincinnati Ironclads.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 19
No games scheduled
THURSDAY MARCH 20
Minneapolis at San Francisco : Make it four straight losses and six in their last seven games for the Norsemen who drop a 6-2 decision to the San Francisco Gulls on this night. Mike McGee scored twice and added an assist for the winners.
Washington at Los Angeles :The Stingrays continue to struggle with six losses in their last seven games including an 8-3 drubbing administered by the Washington Federals. Washington put the game away early, taking a 4-0 lead before the contest was 10 minutes old. Henry Waugh led the way with four points including a pair of goals to give 27-year-old a career best 28 on the year.
Pittsburgh at New York :New York is winless in five games after the struggling Pittsburgh Sentinels have won twice in their last three games -but also just twice in their last 22. This one was a 5-2 victory keyed by a three goal third period that included two goals off the stick of Art Hunter.
Calgary at Philadelphia :Adam McPherson continues to be red hot for the Rogues. The 24-year-old score twice and added an assist while defenseman Michael Kilburn tallied five assists in the Rogues 7-2 drubbing of the Calgary Grizzlies.
Chicago at Quebec :Quebec has three ties and a win in its last four games and remains in the playoff hunt, chasing Toronto for third place in the Connelly Division, following a 5-5 draw with Chicago. Kirk Aikens scored twice for the Citadels while Paul Hunter had a pair for the Packers.
FRIDAY MARCH 21
Atlanta at Chicago :Veteran Ken York scored twice, giving him 555 goals for his NAHC career, to help Chicago double Atlanta 8-4. York, 37, is now 9 goals behind former Chicago great Tommy Burns for second place all-time in NAHC goal scoring history.
Vancouver at Cincinnati :Vancouver blanked Cincinnati 5-0 behind a 23-save shutout by Scott Bly and two goals from Johnny Gruber. Unbeaten in five games, the Totems, who reached the Challenge Cup finals a year ago, have clinched top spot in the Thomas Division.
Detroit at Calgary :Detroit snapped a 3-game losing streak, blasting Calgary 7-2 and handing the Grizzlies their fifth consecutive defeat. Yves Dagenais, who finds himself chasing Philadelphia's Adam McPherson for the scoring title after leading the race in recent weeks, earned 2 assists in the game.
Toronto at San Francisco :Three unanswered goals in the final 10 minutes of the game lifted San Francisco to a 5-4 victory over the visiting Toronto Dukes.
Los Angeles at Pittsburgh :Los Angeles continues to struggle with just one win in their last eight games but they did earn a point on this night thanks to a 4-4 tie with Pittsburgh. It was a demoralizing tie as the Sentinels Julian Mooney got the tying marker with just 8 seconds left and the Pittsburgh goalie on the bench for an extra attacker.
Boston at Montreal :Matt Brophey scored twice and David Bertrand had three assists to power the mighty Boston Bees to a 7-3 win in Montreal.
SATURDAY MARCH 22
Vancouver at Quebec :For the second time this season Scott Bly recorded back-to-back shutouts, blanking the Quebec Citadels 4-0 a day after shutting out Cincinnati.
Atlanta at Montreal :Montreal is winless in four games after falling 3-2 to Atlanta
St Louis at Washington : Tough blow for St Louis as Sawyers lose one of their key forward with news that second line winger Marty Mosset (18-32-50) will miss the rest of the season and the playoffs with an injury. St Louis also lost the game, falling 4-2 to Washington thanks in no small part to a pair of third period goals by the Federals Al Prout.
SUNDAY MARCH 23
Calgary at Philadelphia :A big week for Philadelphia defenseman Michael Kilburn. He had a goal and two assists to lead the Rogues to a 5-4 win over Calgary and has 11 points in his last three games. Gary Yeadon scored twice, giving him 52 on the season, one behind Philadelphia linemate Adam McPherson for the league lead.
PLAYOFF FIELD ALL BUT SET IN CHLWith a week remaining in the Continental Hockey League season seven of the eight playoff participants are confirmed and the eighth - the Cleveland Immortals- are close to securing their spot. The Houston Outlaws kept their faint playoff hopes alive thanks to going a perfect 3-0 last week including a 3-1 victory over the Immortals. Houston is in ninth place overall and trails the eighth place Immortals by four points. The Outlaws need to win their final two games - both at home against Seattle and Ottawa- and hope that Cleveland drops its lone remaining game, against Winnipeg this evening.
Even that outcome may not be enough for the Outlaws as CHL playoff tie-breaker rules are unclear. If they go by head-to-head results Cleveland will advance based on a 5-2-2 mark this season against Houston. Likewise, the Immortals would prevail based upon total wins as they have 33 and the most Houston could end up with is 32. However, if goal differential is the tie-breaker as was used by the league the CHL is based on, the Outlaws would claim the berth should they win out and Cleveland fall to Winnipeg.
There is also a slight chance the Chicago Lions could be eliminated as they are tied with Cleveland in points but have three games remaining and need just a single point or a Houston loss or tie. The most likely outcome is that both Chicago and Cleveland advance.
The Edmonton Huskies, who will start the playoffs on the road as anywhere from the 6th to 8th seed, are the defending champions having knocked off Chicago in the finals a year ago.
There are plenty of battles for seeding still being waged including at the top of the standings where both the expansion Milwaukee Maulers and the Winnipeg Falcons are presently tied with 95 points each. Both have two games remaining with the Maulers home to both Edmonton and Denver while the Falcons visit Cleveland before hosting Chicago in their finale.
Here is how the playoff picture looks at the moment.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 03/23/1975
- Communist forces stepped up their attacks across South Vietnam and Cambodia last week and said they have already established new governing bodies in a fallen South Vietnamese provincial capital.
- The House passed an emergency housing program which it sponsors said would revive the depressed homebuilding industry and ultimately help the entire economic recovery. However, Republicans predict that President Ford will veto the bill.
- Meeting with Coal Industry leaders, Ford called coal "one vital key in our nation's success in meeting its energy needs for the rest of the century." Ford outlined 3 objectives: increased capability to convert coal into clean gas and liquid fuels, improving mining technology to address the safety of coal workers, and develop technologies to burn coal directly "without producing environmental damage."
- James McCord, one of the original seven Watergate defendants began serving his jail term of one-to-five years.