- Tuesday, January 1 1924 -
Vanderbilt - 13 (Head Coach: Josh Cody)
Player | Pts |
---|---|
Alvin "Pep" Bell | 8 |
Raymond Foster | 1 |
Wallace Simpson | 1 |
Tommy Ryan | 3 |
"Len" Kirkes | 0 |
Totals | 13 |
Kentucky - 33 (Head Coach: George C. Buchheit) - [Final Rank ]
Player | Pts |
---|---|
Carl Riefkin | 7 |
James McFarland | 12 |
Lovell Underwood | 9 |
C. Foster Helm | 2 |
Ralph Boren | 0 |
A. T. Rice | 1 |
Will Milward | 2 |
Charles Hughes | 0 |
Totals | 33 |
Prior Game | | | Next Game |
Sewanee 30 - 14 | | | Mexico City YMCA 25 - 14 |
Wildcats Open Basketball Season with 33 to 12 Victory
Trio of Vandy Stars MissingVISITORS APPEAR TIRED
University of Kentucky basketball players made good their first resolution for the New Year. They won their initial game on the schedule last night against Vanderbilt University's rugged quintet at the university gymnasium, scoring a well-earned 33 to 12 victory.
Tired because of their extensive invasion of the North, weakened by the loss of three of their outstanding players, Vanderbilt could not match speed and goal shooting ability with Kentucky's young, smaller but faster Wildcats.
The gymnasium was jammed with spectators anxious to see the Wildcats make their 1924 debut. They wanted to witness Vandy's strong quintet and especially desired to get a glimpse in action of Bomar, end on the football team, chosen by Walter Camp on his mythical all-American eleven. They were denied this last privilege, because Bomar wasn't even in uniform, but was on the sidelines.
Besides Bomar, Cloverdale, Vandy's star on the net team, and Walker, another regular, were out of the lineup, because a telegram from Nashville yesterday stated that the three men had been declared temporarily ineligible because their scholastic standing wasn't up to requirements.
Offenses Are Poor
With these three regulars in the lineup, Vandy may have had strength enough to defeat the Wildcats, but the latter were on edge in condition, although their offense was far from being perfected. It is doubtful if the Commodores could have defeated Kentucky, if these three men were in the game.
It was the speed and floor generalship of the Wildcats and greater familiarity with the baskets which gave the Wildcats their victory. The Commodores fought hard, but their punch was lacking.
At the start of the game was very close and it was several minutes before the first goal was made. However, the Wildcats caged several shots under difficult conditions, and from this point they carried on in easy fashion. The score at the end of the half was 14 to 6. Only at times di d the Wildcat offense show signs of perfection, but the floor generalship of the Blue and White netmen gave them possession of the ball the greater part of the time.
Kentucky's five man defense worked well against the Commodores, but the visitors had an offense which lacked the punch to carry it through the Wildcats. Aided by their weight and strength, the Commodores fought stubbornly to stop the Wildcats' hard passes, which intermittently were short and long.
Riefkin Always Dangerous
All of the Wildcats played good floor games, with Jimmy McFarland, Underwood and Riefkin carrying the brunt of the attack. McFarland and Underwood were all over the floor, while Riefkin always was dangerously loose. The former all-American high school star packed his shooting eye with him and was responsible for six field goals, all of which appeared easy because of Jimmy's nonchalant manner of flipping them. Cowboy Underwood perhaps led in the floor play, always rushing any opponent with the ball.
Boren played a nice game at backguard, but an improvement in generalship of the team was noted when Capt. Chuck rice too the helm. Helm was substituted by Boren after evading the rules too much.
Captain Bell was the visitors' leading player, being all over the floor and scoring five of his team's points. Simpson at center and Ryan at running guard also played nice floor games.