Courtesy of The Philadelphia Inquirer February 18, 1960 via Newspapers.com
Penn Over LaSalle 66-62, St. Bonaventure Beats Villanova 72-70
Penn’s Red and Blue turned the Palestra into their own private proving ground Wednesday night, stunning LaSalle for the third straight season and capping one of the most spirited college doubleheaders seen in Philadelphia this winter. Before a crowd of 5,272 that roared itself hoarse, Penn clawed past the Explorers, 66–62, after St. Bonaventure had edged Villanova, 72–70, in an opener that left the building buzzing.
Penn Springs the Upset Again
LaSalle came in with the better record, the height, and the reputation, but Penn once again brought the stubbornness. Trailing at several points in the second half, the Quakers seized the lead for good when captain Joe Cook dropped in a jump shot with 4:18 remaining to make it 56–55. From there, Penn tightened its zone defense to a near‑airtight seal, holding the Explorers to just one field goal in the final five minutes.
Cook, the 6‑4 senior with the round face and the iron will, turned in his finest performance in weeks. He scored 19 points, hauled down 15 rebounds, and twice muscled his way to key baskets after grabbing missed free throws. Bob “Moose” Mlkvy, steady as a metronome, paced Penn with 23 points, keeping the Quakers in the hunt with timely scoring throughout the night.
Penn, now 10–9, shot only 34.8 percent to LaSalle’s 41, but made up the difference with hustle, rebounding grit, and a defense that forced the Explorers into awkward shots and long stretches of frustration. Hugh Brolly led LaSalle with 15 points, but the Explorers never found the fire they showed in their upset of St. Joseph’s two weeks ago.
A See‑Saw Battle
The teams traded ties at 2, 4, 18, 20, 24, 26, and 28 before LaSalle nudged ahead 32–29 at halftime. Early in the second half the Explorers stretched the margin to 44–37, only to see Penn storm back behind John Canzano’s four quick points. From there the lead changed hands several times until Cook’s go‑ahead jumper set the final tone.
Penn then slowed the pace, forced fouls, and built a six‑point cushion before Bob Alden—who finished with 14—hit LaSalle’s lone basket of the closing minutes just before the horn.
Bonnies Edge Wildcats in Thriller
The opener was every bit as dramatic. St. Bonaventure, bound for the NIT along with Villanova, survived a furious finish to hand the Wildcats their third loss of the season. Bill Connery’s short‑range basket with nine seconds left broke a 70–70 tie and sent the Bonnies off with a 72–70 victory.
Tom Stith, the nation’s No. 2 scorer, poured in 30 points—22 of them in a blistering first half—to set a new St. Bonaventure season record with 532 points. Villanova’s Hubie White held Stith to just eight after intermission, but Ron Martin picked up the slack, scoring 14 of his 18 points in the second half, including the steal and layup that gave the Bonnies a late 68–66 edge.
Villanova briefly regained the lead on baskets by George Raveling and Dick Kaminski, but Jierele’s driving layup tied it again with 2:53 left. After a timeout with 32 seconds remaining, the Bonnies worked the ball patiently until Connery drove past John Driscoll and banked in the winner.
The Wildcats still had a chance, but Driscoll’s shot rimmed out and Kaminski’s follow was short. Jierele tied up Kaminski as the buzzer sounded, sealing the defeat.
Driscoll, given room all night, scored 26 points on 13‑for‑21 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds. White added 16 and turned in one of the night’s most electric plays—a clean steal from Stith as the latter rose for a jumper.
Courtesy of The Philadelphia Inquirer February 18, 1960 via Newspapers.com