Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 March 1919 — BLOOMINGTON GRABS CROWN [ARTICLE]

BLOOMINGTON GRABS CROWN

TRI - COUNTY MONOPOLY ON BASKET CHAMPIONSHIPS SMASHED BY BLOOM- — INGTON QUINTET. “ Upsetting the best laid calculations of sport scribes throughout the state, the speedy little five from Bloomington, smashed through the opposing walls of three high class combinations Saturday and grabbed the Indiana high school basket ball crown. In doing so the Monroe five smashed a precedent, for it was the first time since the inauguration of such classics that any team without the boundaries of Tippecanoe, Montgomery and Boone- county has ever been able to slip on the dress of title bearers. Up until the final hours of the tourney play there had been practically no upsets and the teams ran along so monotonously true to form that the glamour and color of the meeting had begun to fade. Then, Zowie! some one rams his foot into the dope bucket and the fireworks started, and in a shoTt time two teams picked as sure things for the final were administered a sleeping potion, their folldwers enveloped in gloom, while the supporters of the winning fives went stark, raving mad. The best laid plans of the sport scribes were knocked into a cocked hat and the little party they had framed was off. The complexion of the situation changed so suddenly that it dazed the immense throng and made, of them silly, gibbering children. Bloomington, a five that had been showing only average basket ball, but who had been managing to win despite the fact, suddenly cast aside their Rip Van Winkle tendencies and trampled Thomtown into insensibility in the first of the semi-finals. The convincing manner with which they won aroused the dropping interest among the spectators who had already picked Thomtown and Crawfordsville as finalists. Then to make the joy of those who are always looking forward to upsets complete the Jefferson quintette of Lafayette got into a jam with the sturdy Crawfordsville five and managed to knot the count at the finish, necessitating an extra five minutes play. le was here that the Lafayetteans showed their fighting qualities for they converted oppor- . tunities into five points while the Athenians were grabbing two. Then you can imagine the rest —Lafayette in Lafayette in the tourney final. The evening affair was well played, both teams standing the £aff well and playing one of the cleanest, fastest games of the entire tournament. The downstate five led at half time, 11 to 7 and Lafayette was able to cut down this margin but by a single point in the final session. Bloomington deserves much credit, for they were much lighter thqn the majority of their opponents, being one of the smallest teams in the clMsic.„.__They, T haxe.JQM^l ball ability and are weUentitlea to wear the crown they have just won.