UW Makes Great Showing Against Unbeaten Razorbacks

Davis Scores 26 Points; Kenny Sailors Stars with 17; Meet Creighton Next

excerpts from The Daily Bulletin, Laramie, Wyoming, Saturday, March 22, 1941

Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Mo., March 21, - The superior height of a University of Arkansa basketball team that averaged 6 feet 4 inches eliminated the University of Wyoming from the championship bracket of the NCAA western cage tournament here tonight, 52-40. The attendance was estimated at 7,000.

As a result the Cowboys of Everett Shelton will appear here tomorrow night to determine who will take home the third-place trophy.

A kinky-haired, spindle-legged lad named John Adams employed a freakish two-handed jump shot that went straight for the basket and dropped through on 11 occasions from the field and four more times at the free throw line for a total of 26 points, to do the major portion in counting out the Cowboy quintet.

Sailors Brilliant

Meanwhile little Kenneth Sailors was doing the biggest part of the futile job of whittling down the towering Razorbacks who are thus far undefeated this season in 19 collegiate games. Forced to shoot far out after beautiful maneuvering, Sailors whipped six goals and five free throws through to account for 17 points.

Arkansas jumped into a lead almost on the opening tip off and was never headed. After the first seven minutes of play the Razorbacks led, 13-4, and held a similar margin of 29-18 at the half.

When the second period opened, Coach Shelton had his five covering all over the court, and by dint of real hustle and inspired drive, managed to keep within close range of the eventual winners throughout the final half.

Rally in Second Half

Sailors counted three times in quick succession and Curtis Gowdy and Bill Strannigan followed suit to pull the losers up to within 31-35 distance. At this point, Adams contracted Sailors' scoring tactics and hit three baskets in rapid fire succession to clinch the game for the tree top-tall team.

Cowboys Go Over Big

The Cowboys quickly caught the fancy of the crowd of 7,000 with their clean-cut appearance and polished ball-handling and were the favorites throughout the entire game. Due to sheer hustle and aggressiveness, Kenneth Sailors and his mates were able to steal the ball in the back line on numerous occasions and to dribble in for lay-ins.

Captain Chuck Bentson was the only Cowboy to foul out, while the winners lost two. Shortest man on the Arkansas team was Howard (Red) Hickey, who's 200 pounds extended over 6 feet 2 inches of height.

He is a three-letter man and was an all-American competing for West in the annual East-West game last New Year's day.

Half score: Arkansas 29, Wyoming 18

Sailors Stars

The six-foot three-inch Adams was expected to score and it was Kenneth Sailors, a five-foot 11-inch athlete, at home on land or sea who sparked Wyoming's attack and won the plaudits of the 8000 spectators. He punched in 17 points for the Cowboys and squirmed through the Arkansasans on numerous ball-swiping forays.

The little Mountaineer, only a sophomore, never missed from the free-throw line with an unorthodox one-hand push shot.

Jim Weir, another Wyoming sophomore, dumped in the first basket and gave the Rocky Mountain representatives the only lead they enjoyed throughout the contest

The real star of the two games wasn't Lindeman or Adams. The lad who drew most of the applause was little Kenneth Sailors, a substitute forward on the Wyoming squad who would be a welcomed addition to either Arkansas or Washington State. Sailors marked himself as one of the best little men to appear on the auditorium floor this season and will be watched with interest when his team clashes with Creighton for third place in tonight's opener at 8 o'clock.