'Cats Drop 46-44 Nod to Tigers

TACOMA - West Wildcats had trouble on the backboards and at the free throw line that proved deadly to hopes of upsetting Stadium Tigers in a Capital league prep hoop contest here last night.

Triumph was never out of sight, just out of reach, as the Wildcats fell, 46-44.

Score was tied at 42-42 with 1:46 left in the game after the last of several clutch baskets by small junior guard Jim Stockton of West.

STARTER forward Bob Sloan of Stadium won it with a field goal and two free throws a few seconds later.

Steve Schumacher of West, high for the game with 17 points, sank a goal with 14 sconds to go that established the final margin. Stadium had possession after that and West couldn't get the ball for another shot.

Stadium had gone in front by one point in the first quarer and held the same advantage at halftime, 20-19.

In the second half, the lead changed hands 13 times and the score was deadlocked four times.

Game story was told in rebounds, however, where the Tigers pulled down 65 to 45 for the Wildcats.

AT THE charity stripe, West had ample opportunity to wrap up the decision but couldn't, sinking only 14 of 28 tries and an even 50 per cent. Stadium collected on 14 of 24, just under 60 per cent.

Neither team could hit the twine with any regularity from the floor either. West was 15 for 52, 28 per cent; Stadium 16 for 63, 25 per cent.

High individual scorers for the Tigers were Sloan and guard Bob Salatino. Each had 10 points.

Burely center Wendell Jones and forward Charles Fletcher led the Tiger rebounding.

Loss was the second against two victories for West which plays its three class AA tournament trial rival of the campaign Friday, hosting the South Kitsap Wolves.

B Team Game

West (37) - Gran 6, Richardson 3, Shute 14, Chamberlain 6, Gordon 6, Balcom 2.

Stadium (43) - Cole 11, Irwin 2, Disney 4, Smith 2, Coltto 4, Birge 2, Burgett 4, Brines 6, Cooke 4, Wolf 3.

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Williams Paces Abe 51-42 Win

TACOMA - Aggressive Lincoln of Tacoma, getting a 13-rebound, 22-point scoring effort from veteran Dave Williams, made it two straight over East high school here last night, stopping the Knights, 51-42, in a kings-X prep cage encounter.

Lincoln never trailed in this second meeting within a week of the two former Captial league rivals.

Thus the Knights savored the sweet taste of victory experienced the first time only last Satuday night for a brief two-day spell. It amounted to the fourth East reversal in five outings.

KNIGHTS will try to get back in the winning stride Friday night in a contest of double-A significance against Central Kitsap's Cougars at Silverdale.

East came its closest early in the going when it garnered a 2-2 deadlock, but Lincoln, led by Williams, Ed Anderson and Gary Walker, spurted into a 16-8 first-period lead and swelled it to 32-22 at the intermission juncture.

At the mid-point, Williams had 19 of his night's total

Jim Tienhaara's 20-footer pared the Abe margin to seven briefly into the third panel, but again Lincoln exploded a point volley which shot the edge to 44-30 with 1:25 remaining.

Two gift tosses by Mike Holen and another by Darryl Fry nicked the Lincoln lead to 11, 44-33, as third period ended.

FRY'S FIELD goal and another by Greg Morrison chipped the margin down to seven at the 6:30 margin before a pair of Lincoln cripples again zoomed it back to nine. Still hanging on, East reduced the Lincoln advantage to six, 46-40, on a Tienhaara two-pointer and a Morrison gift toss at 5:15, but after that the Knights had had it.

They went pointless from then until only 20 seconds ramained while Lincoln added to its lead with free throws. During that dry span, both Fry and Holen retired on five personal fouls.

East, out-rebounded all the way, shot 33 per cent on 12 of 36, while the Abes hit 20 of 48 for 42. At the foul line, Knights were 18 for 27 and the Abes 11 for 22.

Holen's 11 counters, his second double-figure night of the season, topped Knight scoring. Tienhaara, Fry and Morrison all hit nine.

B Team Game

East (41) - Winderl 11, Kennedy 8, Johnston 11, Gibson 6, Slate 4, Huguenin 7

Lincoln (56) - Miller 2, R. Baines 3, Hook 13, Patterson 1, Lion 3, Roning 3, Stewart 8, Arger 10, Crawford 11.