PHOTO: Rocket Ken Beamer gets a "free ride" from Blue Wave Bob Franz. Others in photo are Rockets Jim Sell (left) and Greg Krutz (rear) and Blue Waves Ralph Douglass (behind Sell) and Tom Crosswhite.
PHOTO: Blue Wave Bob Franz makes a futile effort to defend against Rocket Jim Sell's winning shot.
PHOTO: Tournament-Manager W. E. Laws presents Championship Trophy to Conotton Valley captains Greg Kurtz (center) and Neil Tope.
NEW PHILADELPHIA - Jim Sell of Conotton Valley (19-2) was the night's hero, Sell firing in a 7 foot jump shot at the buzzer to give the Rockets their sweet-tasting victory. Personal fouls played a big part in the struggle. Paul Drotovick's Blue Waves (15-5) lost starter Don Angelozzi with 33 seconds left in the 3rd quarter of regulation work and the Rockets of Coach Errol Jacobs on top 40-36. Teammate Bob Franz was saddled with 4 at 1:16 of the 1st half and sat on the bench much of the time.
St. Mary led Conotton Valley throughout the initial period and into the 2nd until Sell dropped in a pair of fouls to tie the count 20-20 at 3:58. After deadlocks at 22-22 and 24-24, the Rockets took their 1st lead when Neil Tope pulled off a theft and raced the length of the court to make it 26-24 a second before intermission. Angelozzi knotted the count immediately after the 3rd quarter started, but the Rockets spurted to a 34-26 advantage by 5:10 as Tope sandwiched a pair of goals between 2-pointers by Ken Beamer and Jim Monigold. The Waves didn't pull even until 4:54 of the final regulation stanza when Dave Fox rimmed a pair of goals from the side of the key to make it 44-44. Monigold netted a 2-pointer and Greg Kurtz a foul to give Jacobs' lads a 47-44 margin by 1:21. Ralph Douglass pulled St. Mary back to within a point with a goal, but the Rockets had possession with 53 seconds to go. Tom Crosswhite, a 6-5 Freshman who did a tremendous job for St. Mary, gave his mates new life by intercepting a pass with 44 seconds left. Crosswhite then was put right in the center of the pressurecooker when he was fouled by Kurtz with the clock reading 0:18. His 1st shot went astray, but the 2nd found the nets and the count was even 47-47. A tight defense prevented the Rockets from getting off one last shot and into overtime the 2 cage Titans went.
Tope wasted little time in putting Conotton Valley in the driver's seat, working the give-and-go with Monigold for an easy 2-pointer. But Crosswhite twisted in the key and tied it 49-49 soon thereafter. Monigold then was called for traveling, while driving down the center of the key and the Waves had possession with 1:32 of the extra 3 minutes left. Drotovick called for a "stall," wanting his boys to get the last shot. Douglass took it inside the key with 8 seconds remaining, but he failed to make connections. Crosswhite pulled in the rebound and was fouled by Beamer. The clock read 0:02. Crosswhite, who was in the act of shooting, missed his 1st attempt, but split the nets on his 2nd try and it looked as if the Waves had the win salted away. Tope took the ball out of bounds and fired it the length of the court to Kurtz. Crosswhite, scurrying to defend, tripped and fell into Kurtz and was called for fouling. Kurtz found the range on his 1st try, but his second shot bounded off target and it was into another overtime.
Douglass and Kurtz exchanged goals, then Tope stole the ball and was fouled by Pete Casimir. Tope's shot was off the mark; however, and Crosswhite grabbed the rebound. The young Wave whiz again appeared to sew the game up when he sank both ends of a one-and-one situation after being fouled by Kurtz, while driving down the key. But, Tope drove in for a 2-pointer to once again tie the score 54-54.
Rocket John Conner then "tied up" Fox and Sell and Bob Franz had to jump when they were in a similar situation after both grabbing a piece of the ball. Sell controlled the ball off to Monigold, but he was called for traveling and the Waves took over with 21 seconds left. When Casimir's shot from the side of the key went astray, the 2 well-drilled clubs were forced to go into a 3rd extra period.
Monigold dropped in 2 fouls to give Conotton Valley a 56-54 lead, but Crosswhite pushed in a rebound from his own missed foul shot to knot the count. Douglass stole the ball and rimmed a goal, but was called for charging and Sell tied it 58-58 at 2:01. Fox drove in to put the Waves ahead 60-58, but the ball-hawking Tope pulled off another steal, was fouled by Douglass and sank both tries to deadlock it 60-60. Monigold fouled Douglass who made his 2nd try for a 61-60 lead with 43 seconds remaining. Kurtz was called for backing into a Blue Wave and St. Mary took possession only to see the alert Conner intercept a pass. Douglass then fouled Kurtz whose shot was off the mark and Crosswhite and Monigold each grabbed the ball and had to jump. Crosswhite batted the ball to Fox, but the slick-working Tope once more got his hands on the sphere and another jump was called. The Rockets controlled the ball, missed 2 shots and Crosswhite rebounded. Again it looked as if the Waves were the victors. But, a pass went astray and theRockets had onelast opportunity. Nine seconds were left. Conner took the ball out at mid-court, fired it into Tope who in turn tossed to Sell. The 6-3 Rocket dribbled the ball once, spun and swished it through the nets at the buzzer to give the Rockets one half of the championship.
According to a reliable source, Sell Thursday night dreamed he took a jump shot with a second left in overtime and his team trailing by a point only to awaken before he learned the outcome. Statistics showed the Rockets with 23 field goals in 53 tries for 43 percent and 16 of 26 free throws. St. Mary hit on 24 of 60 from action for 40 percent and made 13 of 21 charities. Rebounds favored the Blue Waves 42-30. The turnover list showed Conotton Valley with 15 and St. Mary with 10. Crosswhite was the game's leading scorer with 20 points and the top rebounder with 21. Douglass got 15 markers and Fox 10. Crosswhite's season ledger shows 323 points. Tope ended with 17 tallies, Monigold 14 and Sell 10. Both Kurtz and Sell snared 9 rebounds. Brenton Kirk of New Philadelphia and Octavio Sirgo of Canton officiated. Kirk substituted for a colleague, from West Virginia,who ran afoul of slippery roads.
CONOTTON VALLEY ROCKETS - 62
Jim Monigold 6-2-14
Greg Kurtz 3-2-8
Ken Beamer 3-2-8
Neil Tope 7-3-17
Jim Conner 1-3-5
Jim Sell 3-4-10
DENNISON ST. MARY - 61
Tom Crosswhite 6-8-20
Ralph Douglas 6-3-15
Bob Franz 2-2-6
Dan Angelozzi 4-0-8
Dave Fox 5-0-10
Pete Casimir 1-0-2
LeMonte 0-0-0
Saturday, March 6, 1965
Dan Kopp, Sports Editor
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
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