Munson. “It’s early, and those guys are guarding their basket like hawks.”
Andy caught the tap. A moment later he was called for traveling and the ball went over to the Blue Waves. They moved the ball
across the center line, then passed to a man at the sideline. Don was after it like a cat. He intercepted it and dribbled
it back toward the Sabers’ basket. He passed to Jim. Jim bounce-passed to Frog in the cornerand Frog took a set. The ball arched gracefully and dropped through the net with a soft swish.
Before the quarter was over Benjy and Chet went in, replacing Andy and Stevie. Chet fouled a guy almost the first thing, resulting
in another point for the Blue Waves. Then he sank a field goal. Benjy tried twice to drop one in, but couldn’t. The Blue Waves
led 16–15 as the horn sounded.
The coach let the same fellows who had finished the quarter play for about two minutes in the second quarter, then put Glenn
and Stevie back in. Glenn wondered whether Paul would play. Maybe Coach Munson wouldn’t let him because winning this game
was very important. It would mean ten wins for the Sabers and second place. No matter how decent the coach seemed at times,
he liked to be at the top of the heap — or next to it. It gave him something totell his friends about during the summer.
The teams played evenly, neither one gaining three points more than the other. Then, with two minutes and ten seconds left
in the first half, the Blue Waves lost the ball on a traveling charge. The buzzer sounded and Glenn looked to see who was
coming in. Paul! His heart warmed.
Stevie went out. Glenn took the ball from out-of-bounds, passed to Paul.
“Make sure you don’t travel!” cautioned Glenn as he ran past his brother.
Paul took a step forward, pivoted on his foot, passed to Don.
“Way to go, Paul!” Don shouted.
Was that a grin on his lips? Glenn smiled. Maybe Don was coming out of it already, he thought. Like the chick hatching from
its egg.
Don dribbled up-court, passed to Jim. Jimlooked at the basket, feinted a shot to fake his guard out of the way, then bounced a pass to Glenn. Glenn ran in toward the
basket, stopped as two men loomed in front of him. He passed to Don in the corner. Don took a set. In for two points!
The Blue Waves moved the ball in short, swift passes to their basket, tried a layup, missed. Jim caught the rebound. In no
time the ball was back up near their basket. Don tried a corner shot, missed. Tom Snow caught the rebound, but someone knocked
the ball from his hands. It rolled across the floor directly to Paul. Paul scooped it up, passed to Stevie. Glenn glanced
at the clock. There were nineteen seconds left in the half, and the Blue Waves were leading, 33–30.
Quickly they moved the ball to their front court. Glenn passed to Jim and Jim shot to Don.
“Shoot! Shoot!” the cry rose from the Sabers fans.
Don was in the corner. He shot, just as the buzzer sounded. The ball struck the rim, spun around the inside of it, and went
through.
Sabers — 32; Blue Waves — 33.
13
T he seconds winked steadily away in the second half. First the Sabers dumped in a shot, and then the Blue Waves dumped one
in. The quarter ended with the Blue Waves trailing by one point, 45–44.
They got hot in the fourth. For the first time in the game they put a spread of five points between them and the Sabers. Glenn,
resting while Benjy relieved him, noticed Coach Munson banging his fists with a rapid tattoo against his leg. The coach was
sweating as if he’d been running around on the floor, too.
All at once he stood and shouted, “Bring it down, Don! Bring it down!”
Don Marshang had just intercepted the ball, was dribbling it toward the Sabers basket. A Blue Wave ran alongside him, tried
to steal the ball. Don stopped quickly, passed to Jim. Jim dribbled a bit, was blocked. He turned, whipped a pass to Don,
and Don took a set. The ball sailed in beautifully.
The whole
Andy caught the tap. A moment later he was called for traveling and the ball went over to the Blue Waves. They moved the ball
across the center line, then passed to a man at the sideline. Don was after it like a cat. He intercepted it and dribbled
it back toward the Sabers’ basket. He passed to Jim. Jim bounce-passed to Frog in the cornerand Frog took a set. The ball arched gracefully and dropped through the net with a soft swish.
Before the quarter was over Benjy and Chet went in, replacing Andy and Stevie. Chet fouled a guy almost the first thing, resulting
in another point for the Blue Waves. Then he sank a field goal. Benjy tried twice to drop one in, but couldn’t. The Blue Waves
led 16–15 as the horn sounded.
The coach let the same fellows who had finished the quarter play for about two minutes in the second quarter, then put Glenn
and Stevie back in. Glenn wondered whether Paul would play. Maybe Coach Munson wouldn’t let him because winning this game
was very important. It would mean ten wins for the Sabers and second place. No matter how decent the coach seemed at times,
he liked to be at the top of the heap — or next to it. It gave him something totell his friends about during the summer.
The teams played evenly, neither one gaining three points more than the other. Then, with two minutes and ten seconds left
in the first half, the Blue Waves lost the ball on a traveling charge. The buzzer sounded and Glenn looked to see who was
coming in. Paul! His heart warmed.
Stevie went out. Glenn took the ball from out-of-bounds, passed to Paul.
“Make sure you don’t travel!” cautioned Glenn as he ran past his brother.
Paul took a step forward, pivoted on his foot, passed to Don.
“Way to go, Paul!” Don shouted.
Was that a grin on his lips? Glenn smiled. Maybe Don was coming out of it already, he thought. Like the chick hatching from
its egg.
Don dribbled up-court, passed to Jim. Jimlooked at the basket, feinted a shot to fake his guard out of the way, then bounced a pass to Glenn. Glenn ran in toward the
basket, stopped as two men loomed in front of him. He passed to Don in the corner. Don took a set. In for two points!
The Blue Waves moved the ball in short, swift passes to their basket, tried a layup, missed. Jim caught the rebound. In no
time the ball was back up near their basket. Don tried a corner shot, missed. Tom Snow caught the rebound, but someone knocked
the ball from his hands. It rolled across the floor directly to Paul. Paul scooped it up, passed to Stevie. Glenn glanced
at the clock. There were nineteen seconds left in the half, and the Blue Waves were leading, 33–30.
Quickly they moved the ball to their front court. Glenn passed to Jim and Jim shot to Don.
“Shoot! Shoot!” the cry rose from the Sabers fans.
Don was in the corner. He shot, just as the buzzer sounded. The ball struck the rim, spun around the inside of it, and went
through.
Sabers — 32; Blue Waves — 33.
13
T he seconds winked steadily away in the second half. First the Sabers dumped in a shot, and then the Blue Waves dumped one
in. The quarter ended with the Blue Waves trailing by one point, 45–44.
They got hot in the fourth. For the first time in the game they put a spread of five points between them and the Sabers. Glenn,
resting while Benjy relieved him, noticed Coach Munson banging his fists with a rapid tattoo against his leg. The coach was
sweating as if he’d been running around on the floor, too.
All at once he stood and shouted, “Bring it down, Don! Bring it down!”
Don Marshang had just intercepted the ball, was dribbling it toward the Sabers basket. A Blue Wave ran alongside him, tried
to steal the ball. Don stopped quickly, passed to Jim. Jim dribbled a bit, was blocked. He turned, whipped a pass to Don,
and Don took a set. The ball sailed in beautifully.
The whole
Similar Books
