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MERCEH’CLUSTER
Bears Loose to Tech by Eight
By Lou Johnson
JAM. 24. IM*
s
Gordy Leads Bears to Near Century
Mark as Florida Presbyterian Falls
The running, gunning Mercer
Bears shot down a tough Florida
Presbyterian team, 93-66 in the ■
Bears den last week.
The game started like it would
be a see-saw battle, but the Bears
soon put an end'to that as they got
hot and ran the Florida team out
of the gym.
Freshman sensation Bruce Gorily
led the roriip with 26 points, as the
Bears made it lock easy. Their at-
Jacksonville Downs
Strong Bear Quintet
A strong, talented Jacksonville
University quintet the Mereer
Bears, 76-7), but not before they
had to fight (or their lives:
The Bears refused to give in to
the tough Dolphins as they came
back from ten. and fifteen point,
deficits throughout the game. Jack
sonville's biggest lead was fifteen
points and they appeared on the
verge of breaking the game open at
any moment, as hot-handed Hex
Morgan poumed in 23 points for
the Dolphins.
Tlie Bears held the Dolphins,
who were- tied with UCLA and
Texas A&M for the field goal per
centage lead in the nation with a
50 per cent shooting average, to a
-15 per cent shooting average, and
came within two points of tying
the game three times in the latter
stage of the game.
Senior Tom Mitchell, whose fine
tempt for the century mark fell
short as- the Bears were unable to
connect on- three straigght shots
from medium range The win even
ed the Bears record at 5-5 for .the
year, and no dou btbuilt up their
■confidence for their homecoming
l*ou< with Georgia Tech
The upset-minded Mereer Bears
spoiled the Georgia Tech Yellow-
jackets “breather” for 35 minutes
and 29 seconds last Saturday night,
but tlie ‘Jackets, hung on and left
town with a narrow 67-59 victory.
Thy Bears, playing before almost
7,000 homecoming fans, held the
taller and slower Techmen ut bav
as they came through time and
again with the big play. Mercer
trailed Tech only briefly in tin-
first half, but managed to ease
away from tlie Jackets and hold a
34-32 lead at halftime.
The Bears got good outside
hooting from freshman Bruce
wordy and Robert Bellior. along
vith Little All-American .candidate
lud Roberts.
Mercer came back strong in the
second half and led until Roberts
'ouled out with just over five min
utes to play. Gordy kept the home
crowd on their feet as he came out
of the crowd of big Techmen to
• make some unbelievable, shots,
left and righthanded.
There were quite a few Tech
followers at the game who sat on
lhe edge of their seats until Ro-
lierts fouled out Plenty of interest
in the game had built up here, es
pecially after Olgethorpe’s coach,
Jack Carter had predicted the
Bears would give the Yellowjac-
kets a hard time, and could win.
•Carter’s opinion carried a lot of
weight because his Petrels had just
fi iashed drubbing the Bears in At
lanta Actually, the interest in the
game was generated by more than
what Carter had said. His team
has been trying to schedule Tech
for some time now, but so far
they've been Shunned.
One writer perhaps correctly
stated it when he said the- game
would be Part 11 of “Who could
maul the Bears worse" between
Tech and Oglethorpe fans, in an
attempt to determine which of the
Atlanta schools had , the better
team.
The Bears made Carter’s opinion
stand as they played a hustling,
defense, giving the poor shooting
Techmen the outside shot and con
centrating on the big center. Rich
Yunkas. Tin strategy worked and
the Bears out rebounded the big
Tech team, and stole the ball from
their slow-footed guards.
In a comparison of size, the Bears
looked like the four dwarfs and a
midget playing a team of “Wilt
the Stilts”, but the T'eclimen were
lost when it came to manuevering.
The Bears made a minimum of
mistakes and committed only' 12
fouls, but five of these were on Ro
berts. Freshman Marvin Bailey and
Jim Graham out rebounded the
Tech big men under both boards,
but even this wasn’t enough to pull
the game out for the Bears, who
still have three members on their
squad who wanted reverge for a
91-57 Tech triumph two years-ago
in Atlanta
“I was very proud of every hoy "
that played out there tonight,” said
coach Bobby - Wilder after the
game. “They really put up a trem
endous effort and all should be
proud of their play.”
The ’ Bears were defeated but
there is n fooling around here that
plenty of good will come out of
the defeat Tlie game could revive
interest in this area for 'college
.basketball, as the Bears continue
to pro\e that they have what it
takes, regardless of their lack of
height.
Game Time
shooting and tough rebounding
kept the Bears in contention, led
the Bears in scoring witli 23 points.
The'6-5 senior scored 15 points in
two three spurts in the first half,
scoring nine points in one Spurt
and six in the other.
Jud Roberts countered with 21
and Robert Bellior .cashed’in 13
against the talent-laden Dolphins
who have victories this year over
FJorida State and Georgia Tech.
The loss was the seventh of the
year for the Bears, against six
wins, but in no way diminishes the
stature of perhaps one of the best
losing teams in this section of the
country- The Bears, have caused
mot-e headaches than were ex
pected, especially after their slow
start, losing four of their first five
games
’Freshman Bruce Gordy did not
play because of a virus infection
and a bruised leg, but big Doug
Porter came on strong for , the
Bears and allowed Jud Roberts to
move out to guard in the bid for
yn upset.
Marvin Bailey and Jim Graham
continued to be twin terrors on the
boards, giving away three inches'!
and more in. height, but adding
twice as much in fortitude. How
ever, in one of the oddest statistics
of the game, the 5-11 Bellior led
the Bears in rebounds in the first
half with five.
Mercer continues to exhibit co
hesive team work and a fine spirit
as they battle teams that are
usually., rated as favorites game
after game. • .
Coach Bobby Wilder refna’rkod .
earlier in the season that this was
, one of the finest teams ever, and '
’tiie Bears are proving to be just
that.
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Jud Roberts grabs rabound in Marcar
win over Florida Praabytarian