University of Virginia Library

Second-Half Duke Spree
Seals Cavayearling Fate

By DOUG DOUGHTY

With 9:20 left in Saturday's
game, the Cavayearlings led
Duke's Blue Imps, 50-46. A
mere four and one-half minutes
later the lead was gone and the
Cavayearlings were on the
short end of a 67-50 deficit.
They went on to lose 81-67
and their record now sinks to
1-1.

Duke's freshmen controlled
the first couple minutes of play
as high-school All-americans
Bob Fleischer and Pete Kramer
combined their rebounding and
shooting talents to put the
Blue Imps up 16-8 after ten
minutes had elapsed. Fleischer,
6-8 and 215 pounds from
Youngstown, Ohio dominated
the boards and his little buddy
Kramer, no doubt inspired by
the flashy coed he was seen
escorting after the game,
popped three quick jumpers to
dazzle the partisan Duke
Indoor Stadium crowd.

In time the Cavayearlings
recovered from the early Blue
Imp barrage and grabbed the
lead at 33-32 shortly before
intermission. "Gus" Gerard
highlighted the first-yearmen's
comeback with seven field
goals and two free throws to
show for a strong first-half
effort. Spencer Graham was
able to pry loose a rebound
here and there from Fleisher
and, although the
Cavayearlings trailed 36-33 at
halftime, there was no doubt
they could come back.

'Yearlings Come Back

Come back they did, as the
first-yearmen featured the
hustling run-and-shoot style
that was to be so successful for
their varsity elders later in the
evening. Guards Andy Boninti
and Brian Tully did some
clicking on their own but their
flawless playmaking freed
Gerard, Graham and Dann
Bonner for breakaway baskets
that enabled the Cavayearlings
to grab that 50-46 lead.

After a Boninti layup had
given the Cavayearlings that
lead with 9:20 remaining, the
great famine set in and it was
not until Ned Tiley hit a
jumper with 4:44 left to play
that the first-yearmen scored
again. In the meantime, 6-2
guard Kevin Billerman led his
Blue Imp mates on a rampage
that was to net them 21
straight points, enough to
frustrate all Cavayearling hopes
of victory.

Three Foul Out

Duke's spree was made all
the easier by the enforced
absence of two thirds of the
Cavayearling front line. After
only two points in the second
half and the drawing of his
fifth personal foul, Gerard said
good-bye to the game with
7:20 left. Graham departed less
than two minutes later and
reserve forward Dick Davis
joined him with 2:32 left.
Kenneth Hill, fresh off the
bench, let his anxiety get the
best of him as he was ejected
for "spearing" at the 1:18
mark.

Due to the long-range
bombing of Cavalier reserve
Tiley, the first-yearmen kept
the game from getting too far
out of hand. The final score,
81-67, was all too
anti-climactic as everyone in
the arena knew what the
outcome would be several
minutes earlier.

Gerard Top Scorer

Gerard tied Kramer for
game scoring honors with 18
points but Boninti, with 15
points, was the only other
Cavalier in double figures.
Billerman notched six assists
but his 17 points put him on
the tip of the tongue of more
than several eligible coeds. Bill
Suk added 15 points for the
Iron Dukes and Fleischer's 22
rebounds far obscured the best
mark for Terry Truax'
first-yearmen, the 11 rebounds
grabbed by Graham.