Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1916 — TITULAR CHASE NARROWS DOWN [ARTICLE]

TITULAR CHASE NARROWS DOWN

Martinsville, Lafayette, Crawfords viile and Vincennes Remain Titular Contest Tonight. RESULTS THIS MORNING. Lafayette 60; Liberty Center 19. Vincennes 22; Valparaiso 16. Crawfordsville 36; Kokomo 21. GAMES THIS AFTERNOON. Lafayette vs. Martinsville. Vincennes vs. Crawfordsville.

The second round of the state basketball meet was finished tms morning when three games were played, and when they were finished but four of the teams in the sprint for the state flag remained, viz. Martinsville. Crawfordsville, Lafayette and Vincennes. Two skirmishes this afternoon between Lafayette and Martinsville and Vincennes and Crawfordsville will decide which two teams will meet in the climax of the greatest basketball meet ever held at Bloomington. Three of these teams are worth y of the honors that a state championship can bring. The team fighting tinder the colors of Vincennes has sprung a surprise but are hardly taken seriously in the fight with Crawfordsyille this afternoon, hence nothing but a miracle will keep the Montgomery lads on the sidelines tonight. Lafayette, Crawfordsville and Valparaiso have battered down the opposition and fought their way to the finals in brilliant fashion and any attempt to pick a winner from these three teams would be folly. All three have crushed their foes in a decisive manner, and not a single game in which they have participated was there any doubt about their supremacy.

In the opening game this morning the Jefferson five from Lafayette battered their way to victory over the Liberty Center team, crushing them by the overwhelming score of 60 to 19. After the Lafayette squad had piled up a safe lead a number of substitutes were rushed into the fracas in order that the regular squad might rest for the harder game to come. Lafayette was more fortunate in her draw than either Martinsville or Crawfordsville and if there is any advantage this way it is probably in favor of the Lafayette team. Vincennes edged out Valparaiso in a hard fought game 22 to 16, eliminating them from the title fight and earning their way into the semi-finals. Crawfodrsvilel trounced the Kokomo five which was rated high by most critics but were forced all the way. The score was 36 to 21. No upsets marked the first day’s meeting of the basketball tournament contenders, and the morning games also ran as it was expected they would. At the close of yesterday’s performance there were but seven teams left in the tournament and the three-morning games today left the number of teams still in the title hunt at four. The jsgjnFfinals were being played a% -TKe* Republican went to press? The final game will be played this evening, and indications point to it being the most bitterly fought of any final game that has been played since the state meets have become an annual affair. Lebanon was the first victor in the 1916 basket tourney, downing the Bloomington five in the championship chase. The Lebanon five did not show the form that was expected of them, although they defeated the Bloomington lads 25 to 15. Their shooting did not warrant their staying in the meet very long and such was the case later in the day. Martinsville won the next game of the day when they defeated the Washington township quintet in easy style, having 53 points to the latter’s 22 at the finish of the fray. Try as they might, the Washington five could not repulse the onslaught of the Morgan county team, which is looming up as a mighty powerful aggregation of tossers and has created fear in the hearts of the rest of the teams in the tournament.' It would not be at all surprising to find this five in the final game tonight. Liberty Center took the measure of Elkhart in the third title game, winning 28 to 25. Neither team showed championship caliber and Liberty Center was certain to be defeated when they meet in the second round. Crawfordsville z met Clinton and these two teams were almost even? up at the end of the first half, but the Montgomery lads started the second hats with A rush and^c antere< i home to an easy win, 49 to 17. * Martinsville and Lebanon met Friday evening in their second battles of the day and again the water drinkers showed their class by winning 16 to 13 in the hardest fought game of the