The defeat of the Yale Freshman basketball team last Saturday by the 1926 quintet concluded the most successful Freshman basketball season that the Crimson has had for several years. Starting off with a defeat by Tilton Academy, 23-22, the Freshmen came back and won their next three games, before the 31-26 defeat at the hands of the Springfield College Freshmen. Their only other loss was to Dean Academy, by a score of 31-23 on February 15. From then to the end of the season the Freshmen were undefeated, winning seven straight victories, so that the final victory over Yale, the first time the Crimson Freshmen have ever defeated the Blue, was a fitting climax to the season.
The Freshmen have scored a total of 484 points to their opponents' 345 and have won 13 out of 16 games. W. T. Smith is the leading scorer with 255 points, 71 baskets from the floor and 113 fouls. Captain H. R. Jones is second with 34 baskets for a total of 68 points. Both Smith and Jones have played in every game at forward and have been the offensive stars of the season. J. L. Combs and J. J. Maher played the majority of the contests at guard, where their defensive work was of a very high calibre. In the Yale game, especially, their seven baskets were the most important factor in the success of the team. C. J. Rauh has played at center most of the year, where his all-around work has been of great value to the team. He has scored 54 points on baskets form the floor in 14 games.
Starting practice on November 27 with a squad of 28 players, Coach Chase stressed the fundamentals of the game. The principle of the five-man defense and the four-man offense were mastered, with practice consisting mainly in continued short passing and only short shots at the basket. After the defeat by Tilton in the opening game of the season, the Crimson won from the Boston Y. M. C. A. team and followed that by overwhelming the M. I. T. Freshmen 28-3.
After a close victory from the Tufts first-year men, the team lost its second game to Springfield Y. M. C. A. Freshmen 31-26. Despite this setback, the sextet was steadily improving, especially in offensive power as was shown by its 52-5 victory over the Allen Military School five.
After defeating Worcester and New Hampshire State the Crimson met Dean Academy on February 15 and received its last defeat of the season by an eight-point margin in a game during when the score was never definitely in one team's favor.
Again Defeated M. I. T.
The last seven games were the most strenuous of the season. M. I. T. '26 presented a greatly improved team on February 21 and held the Crimson to a 38-27 score compared to the former 28-3 game on January 18. The Dartmouth Freshmen were defeated next in one of the best games of the season. Although the Crimson held the lead all through the game, a last-minute rally by the Green came near to tying the score. The University Freshmen have not faced Princeton this year, but Dartmouth defeated the Orange and Black 37-22 the week before the game with the Crimson.
On February 28 the Freshmen won a 39-22 victory over the undefeated St. George's team at Newport, R. I., Smith scoring 25 of the points. Three days later their fourth straight victory came by the defeat of Exeter, 36-28, Smith and Jones again starring on the offense.
The Boston Y. M. C. A. team and Andover were beaten 21-13 and 25-20 the week before the Yale game, the team nearing the peak of its development by this time. Carefully directed by Coach Chase, the players were kept in the best of condition and the team was at the height of its power when it faced Yale on Saturday. Although Yale piled up a lead of seven points in the first few minutes of the game, the Crimson team came back to tie the score before the end of the half and with a final rally, spurted past the Yale team and won 32-29.
The individual scoring for the season is as follows: Smith 255, Jones 68, Rauh 54, Combs 26, Elberfeld 20, Maher 16, Endicott 10, Skilling 9, J. A. Reed 8, Nash 8, A. E. Reed 4, Atwater 2, Foist 2, Holmes 2.
The season's record follows:
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