- Thursday, December 30 1948 -
Sugar Bowl Championship (at New Orleans, LA)
Kentucky - 40 (Head Coach: Adolph Rupp) - [Ranked by ]
Player | FG | FT | FTA | PF | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ralph Beard | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
Alex Groza | 5 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 13 |
Dale Barnstable | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 |
Walter Hirsch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cliff Barker | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Jim Line | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Wallace Jones | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Totals | 15 | 10 | 16 | 17 | 40 |
St. Louis - 42 (Head Coach: Eddie Hickey)
Player | FG | FT | FTA | PF | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marv Schatzman | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Robert Schmidt | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
William Gardiner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Edward Scott | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ed Macauley | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 14 |
Jack Wrape | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Joe Ossola | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
Louis Lehman | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 |
William Edwards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 15 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 42 |
Prior Game | | | Next Game |
Tulane 78 - 47 | | | Bowling Green 63 - 61 |
That point of contention - whether Easy Ed Macauley outscored Alex Groza by one point in their Sugar Bowl meeting or vice versa - has been settled definitely in Macauley's favor, The Sports News informs us.
At least, the NCAA official statistical bureau credits Macauley with 14 points to Groza's 13. The Sporting News has ascertained that Bob Schmidt was credited by the official Sugar Bowl scorer with a basket that belonged to Macauley.
It develops, too, that the basket in question - a tip-in by Macauley of a shot by Schmidt that was going to fall short - resulted from some quick thinking by Macauley. Since St. Louis U. won from Kentucky by the margin of only one field goal, 42-40, Macauley's alertness on this play may have won the game.
Protests Pour In
Ever since it ran an article about the St. Louis team by Bob Broeg, a story in which Macauley was given 14 points in the Sugar Bowl game, The Sporting News has been deluged with letters of protest from Kentucky fans. The box-score of the game published by The Courier-Journal and released by the Associated Press showed that Groza outscored Macauley 13 to 12.
"Personally," writes Hugo G. Autz of The Sporting News, "I don't think one point make a lot of difference, in comparing two great players such as Macauley and Groza. But to keep the records straight, it is only fair that Kentucky fans be advised that the official records (NCAA) in New York credit Macauley with 14 points instead of 12 points.
"If there is any way you can help contact those Kentucky readers who didn't sign their names and explain to them how Macauley made 14 points instead of 12, we would appreciate it a lot."
Wrong Man Credited
In its investigation of the scoring in the Sugar Bowl game, The Sporting News learned from Coach Ed Hickey and Athletic Director Bill Durney of St. Louis U. that Schmidt was given a basket by he Sugar Bowl scorekeeper that was tapped in by Macauley.
In the second half, Schmidt flipped a short shot from the side about seven feet out. As the ball neared the basket but looked as if it would fall short, Macauley leaped into the air and flicked it with his fingertips.
"We've seen him do the same thing quite often in local games here in St. Louis," Autz remarked.
Schmidt himself, Autz said, insists that his shot was short and that it was Macauley who turned it into two points.
Play-By-Play Differs
The play-by-play record of the game differs from the Sugar Bowl score-keeper's, Autz pointed out. In the play-by-play, Macauley was 14. All of the St. Louis writers covering the game also saw Macauley tip in Schmidt's shot, a quick bit of actin that apparently escaped the attention of the score-keeper.
A play-by-play of a radiocast of the game kept by a member of The Courier-Journal Sports Department also showed Macauley with 14 points. The Associated Press box-score, however, had him with only 12 and credited Schmidt with one more field goal than the play-by-play gave him.
St. Louis forward Joe Ossola jumps behind Dale Barnstable (#18) to grab a rebound while Alex Groza (#15) looks on
Alex Groza (#15) drives past St. Louis All-American Ed Macauley
Alex Groza (#15) attempts to grab a rebound over St. Louis' Marv Schatzmann (#22) while Wallace Jones (#27) looks on. St. Louis' Joe Ossola (right) looks to grab the ball.