Way Back When

[Wayne23]

2/5: 9-10, 5-3 Quinnipiac is here. They can score outside. They don't play much D.

2/6: They take an early lead. Down 13 after 10. They are really out playing us. 39-62 at the half. I am shocked. 62? They are shooting
63.9%, 10-16 on threes. We are really coming back in the 2nd.

91-89. We had the last shot. They wisely concentrated on both Cary and Mack. Fly York took a three but it was long. The positive side is that we were down by as many as 26, and we almost won it. We out scored them 50-29 in the 2nd half.

22, 2, 5 for Cary, 18, 10 for Mack, 13, 8, 5 for York.

In truth, we were way overdue for an off night after 13 straight wins.

2/8: At 11-9, 5-4 Western Carolina. They are strong inside, and we'll need to play well.

It's nice to be in warm weather in February but it was another rather awful train trip. We shared the train with attendees to a convention,. They were drunken and rowdy until very late at night, and we slept poorly.

2/9: Down 7 after 10. Their SF is killing us. 36-45. My goodness! I'm not sure what has happened to our defense. 12 for Cary. 3 fouls for York. 11 more turnovers. Down 9 with 10 to play. We're making a run.

75-85. We got as close as 4 twice but we couldn't get there.

21, 5, 4 for Cary, 13, 9 for Mack. +10 RBs but 21 TOs.

We hold a one game lead over three teams with 6 to play. We need to turn this around!

[Wayne23]

2/12: 11-10, 7-3 Low Point is here. Another good team. We need to end this slide right now!

2/13: We take the lead fairly early on. Up 7 after 10. 49-31 at the half. This is more like it! 18, 6, 4 for Cary, 12, 6 for Mack. We take complete control early in the 2nd.

99-74. 33, 8, 8 for Cary, 16, 11 for Mack, 14, 1, 9, 3 for Jack, 10, 8 for King. +17 RBs, only 8 TOs.

2/15: 15-7, 7-4 Southern is here. They can score both inside and outside and they're a good team. We will need to be sharp.

This is the last decent team we play in the regular season. All of the others have very poor records.

2/16: They take an early lead. Down 10 after 10. 30-41 at the half. 8 each for Cary and Mack but the O is flat. We catch them midway through the 2nd. Up 1 with 10 left. Another run gives us a 15 point lead.

80-70. 22, 9 for Mack, 20 for Cary. 11 TOs to 18.

1 up on Quinnipiac, 2 up on 2 teams with 4 to play, all of which should be easy.

Wedding plans continue. I had no idea this sort of thing was so complicated!

"Well, Jacob, her wedding day is the most important and happiest day of every woman's life. All of the planning is to ensure that everything will go well and that it truly WILL be happy and memorable."

"So much expense."

"Yes, it is expensive but as I said, it is a once in a lifetime celebration. Arthur and I have been saving for it, and now that the time has come we are financially prepared. Would you deny me this?"

"Oh no. Never! I just... I'm sorry I spoke. I should have understood."

"You were orphaned at an early age and you have no brothers or sisters so there is much that you do not know."

"You and Arthur are orphans, too."

"Only recently. Our parents died in an influenza epidemic six years ago, when I was 17. So I had a loving mother to explain things to me, which she did."

[Wayne23]

2/19: At 4-19, 3-9 Montana ST. They're not very good.

We boarded the train soon after our game ended and have been on it right up until game time. The boys donned their uniforms before leaving the train and we took the trolley directly to the arena, and started warming up for the game.

2/20: It is close early. Up 2 after 10. We are not playing very good defense. A late run gives us a 47-34 halftime lead. 10 for Jack. Up only 8 with 10 to play.

82-71. We were never in danger but we never quite put them away either. 20, 6, 4, 3 for Cary, 12, 10 for King, 10, 3, 8 for Jack. 8 fewer turnovers.

2/22: Our last road game is at 8-16, 5-8 Jacksonville ST. They allow 8 more than they score.

Another VERY long train ride. We're very tired and I worry that it will affect our play. Quinnipiac is still hovering one game back of us.

2/23: It takes awhile but we take the lead. Up 6 after 10. They come back. 47-40 at halftime. 17 for Cary, 11, 3 for Hank. York has 3 fouls and Mack only played 5 minutes. Up 22 with 10 to go.

92-79. 24 for Cary, 20, 5 for Mack, 17, 8 for Hank, 13, m1, 3 for Eshe. +30 in the paint, +12 RBs.

Quinnipiac lost. We're up 2 with 2 to play.

June 4 is the wedding date, in the First Congregational Church. I am not in the least religious but I understand the importance of doing this in a church for Alma. I did not resist, or even mention it. I have so far managed to avoid attending church with Alma and Arthur except for one very boring occasion. No doubt I will be unable to avoid it occasionally. Oh well, there is always a price...

[Wayne23]

2/26: 8-17, 3-11 Lehigh is here. We won by only 8 there. This is a team we should beat!

We're back to #25 in this week's poll. We dropped out after our back to back losses.

2/27: We take the lead right away. Up 8 after 10. 48-32 at the half. 15, 4 for Cary, 9 each for Mack and York. We take full control in the 2nd.

90-64 and we clinch the Conf. P regular season. 29, 5 for Cary, 18, 13 for Mack, 15, 5 for York, 8, 11 for Hank. +19 RBs, +22 in the paint.

3/1: 10-16, 6-9 Robert Morris is here to close out the regular season. We won by 15 there.

3/2: This is a meaningless game but I'd like to win it for purposes of momentum.

Up 3 after 10. 31-30 at the half; we're not playing with much energy. 8, 5 for Cary, but his man has 14. We start the 2nd half explosively and are soon up by 20.

76-57. 16, 7, 5, 3 for Cary, who hurt his back. He is day to day. 16, 2, 3 for York, 11, 6, 3, 4 for Mack. +14 inside.

3/5: At the end of the regular season we are 24-3, 14-2, #20, NET #25.

+14.3 PPG, and #1 in the nation in scoring. +8.7 RBs, -2.5 TOs but 13.6, which is too many! +4.4 assists.

Art Cary leads us with 21.4, and Cris Mack gets 18.9. Mack leads in RBs with 9.8.Jack gets 6.7 assists.

I haven't mentioned it but we not only send a great many letters to recruit, we sometimes send penny post cards if we just want to have them keep us in their thoughts. A letter costs 2 cents to mail and a post card, as the name indicates, only a penny.

We've still signed only one recruit but are after 3 others.

The weather is a bit nicer here in Rhode Island and Alma and I walk every day that it isn't raining when I'm in town. Sometimes Arthur accompanies us, sometimes not. Mrs. O'Brien has introduced him to several eligible young ladies but he has shown interest in none of them so far.

[Wayne23]

3/6: This evening we play #9 seed James Madison, 18-10, 8-8, in the Conf. P quarter finals. We won by 15 there.

Art Cary still has a sore back so we'll limit his minutes some.

Game Time: We score the first 15. They try to come back but we don't let them. 49-30 at the half. 11, 5 for Mack, 9 for Hank.

94-69. They never challenged us. 25, 12 for Mack, 15, 4 for Cary, 13, 5, 3 for Hank. +14 RBs, +20 inside.

Cary is back at 100%.

[Wayne23]

3/7: #5 seed Low Point, 16-13, 10-6 is our semifinal opponent. We won by 25 at home. We're a heavy favorite. They can score outside though.

Game time: We're hosting the tourney so Alma and Arthur are here.

We take the lead right away. Up 10 after 10; Cary and York are hot. 47-34 at halftime; we're having no trouble scoring. 12, 8 for Mack, 11 for York, 10 for Cary. +18 in the paint. The 2nd half is pretty even.

85-74. 20, 1, 4, 11 steals for Cary. 15, 12 for Mack, 13, 13 for King, 17 for York, 12, 4 for Hank. +22 in the paint.

Alma and I take a walk after the game. It is quite late and there is no one else about. It's a lovely walk.

[Wayne23]

3/8: We play #2 seed Southern, 21-8, 11-5, for the title. We won by only 10 at home. We're a big favorite but they can play. They led us by
11 at the half last time before we had a huge 2nd half.

Game time: “Don't take this for granted, boys!”

We start quickly then they catch up, then we go on a run. Up 9 after 10. 49-32. They can't stop our O so far. 11 each for Jack and Cary. 4 TOs to 16. +14 down low.

“Keep your focus!”

Up 24 with 10 left; the subs will get lots of minutes.

90-69. Terrific guard play, 21, 3, 4, 5 for Cary, 20, 3, 8 for Jack. 12 TOs to 26.

We breezed through this tournament. We thought moving from Conf. T to Conf P would mean we'd be challenged in conference. It really didn't turn out that way. We'll think through how far up to move next season, M? L?

27-3, 14-2, #14, NET #22. Dare we hope for a #5 seed?

[Wayne23]

3/12: #5 West. We play #12 Bethune-Cookman, 22-8. We think we're easily the better team but everyone is “up” for the big tournament, and their C is very good.

3/16: After a cross country train trip we're here. We'll have a light practice and then everyone will rest up for tomorrow's game.

3/17: We take the lead quickly. 44-29 at halftime. 14, 6 for Mack, who is completely put playing their highly regarded C. 9 for Cary. They never get close.

90-68. 24, 7 for Mack, 19, 1, 3 for Cary, 15, 2, 6, 3 for Jack. +16 in the paint.

Fly York hurt his hand. He'll play, but fewer minutes.

Alma and Arthur are not here In Salem, Oregon. If we make the round of 16 they will take the train to Los Angeles.

[Wayne23]

3/18: Our 2nd round opponent is #4 seed, #15 ranked Arizona ST, 25-6. Their starting SF and leading scorer is out with a broken ankle.
Their C is playing hurt. They are favored by 1 ½. They play very strong defense. We'll need to be at our very best for this team.

3/19: We're staying with them early. A run puts us up 11 after 10. Another run puts us up 19, 53-34 at the half. We're destroying their supposedly excellent defense. 16 for Hank, 11 for York, 9 for Mack. +20 in the paint. We're winning it inside. We're maintaining our lead,
up 23 with 10 to go.

93-75. We didn't expect a romp against this team! 21, 10, 2, 4 for Mack, 19, 4, 3 for hank. +26 in the paint.

[Wayne23]

3/23: We went directly to Los Angeles and arrived early yesterday. That left time for both rest and practice. We will no doubt need both as we face #1 seed, #1 ranked, #34 NET Michigan ST in the round of sixteen. They are 31-4.

They are heavily favored, as they should be! They are #1 in points aloowed and in rebounds

3/24: It's nice to have Alma and Arthur here, come what may. And it is very exciting to have made it this far!

They explode out at the start and we are quickly down 20. I call 2 time outs in the 1st half and finally settle my boys down but we trail

26-42 at the half. 9 for Hank,. The only player who is doing well. Still, we were down 22 at one point so we have gained a bit of ground.

We are pressing very little; their guards are too good.

“Play your best, boys. That's all you can do. Now that you've settled down you may be able to give them a battle.”

We fall farther behind. They are simply too good.

51-89. We had hoped to do better but it was not to be. Still, a very fine season!