To hear the old-timers tell it now, it sounds almost too good to be true. And former standout guard Bill Thomas says as much.
He’s speaking of the then-Southwest Missouri State Bears, who won the 1952 and 1953 NAIA national championships in men’s basketball.
In the ’52 national semifinals, the Bears forged a tie at the end of regulation and needed two overtimes – and a circus-like shot – just to win. In the ’53 national semifinals, they won with the Fabulous Four – the only Bears available in the final three minutes.
“We were pretty much a Cinderella team,” Thomas said, referring specifically to the ’52 team. “We didn’t have any idea of winning the whole thing. We thought we’d play one or two games, but we kept on winning.”
That, and they kept on charging right into mythical status, leading the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame to proudly induct both the Bears’ 1952 and 1953 teams as part of the Class of 2015. The teams will be honored during the Basketball Tipoff Luncheon presented by Mercy at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 10 at the University Plaza Convention Center in Springfield. For tickets, call 417-889-3100.
Coached by Bob Vanatta, the Bears fed southwest Missouri’s passion for the sport and are among only 13 NCAA or NAIA men’s basketball national champions in state history.
The 1952 Bears finished 27-5 and had a knack for drama. Before their wild semifinal win against Southwest Texas, they reached the NAIA Tournament after losing the first game of a three-game, play-in series against Missouri Valley.
The team consisted of Thomas, Bill Lea, Jerry Lumpe, Don Duckworth, Forrest Hamilton, Norm Siebern, Ray Birdsong, Fred Stephens, Jerry Anderson, Jim Julian, Bill Price and Bob Reed. The regular-season roster also included Kenny Foster, Jim Murphy, Jack Trogdon and team manager Jim Moulder.
Hamilton and Lea averaged team-bests 11.3 and 11.8 points a game.
Vanatta, hired after coaching at Central Methodist in Fayette, was a calming influence as the Bears became box-office draws at McDonald Arena. He also guided them through the grueling national tournaments, as each NAIA champion had to win five games in six nights.
“To me, he will be a great example for the coaches I see out there coaching today on TV,” said Anderson, a two-time All-American. “I never heard a curse word come out of his mouth. He never berated us. He was proof you could win and not have to be yelling and throwing fits.”
The ’52 season nearly ended in the national semifinals. The Bears trailed by two points with 6 seconds left in regulation before Thomas threw an in-bounds pass, and the relay found its way to Hamilton, who scored the tying basket. It was the circus shot. The second pass hit the backboard right under the rim, yet Hamilton scored.
“He caught it and jumped up and put spin on it, it hit the backboard, rolled around a couple of times and went in,” Thomas said.
The Bears won the game in double overtime, 70-67, and beat Murray State 73-64 in the championship game.
“They were supposed to beat us, but we didn’t have much trouble with them,” Thomas said.
The 1953 Bears beat Hamline 79-71 to win the NAIA championship and finished 24-4, winning 22 of their final 23 games.
Those Bears had their own drama, too. They beat Indiana State in the semifinal with the “Fabulous Four” of Thomas, Duckworth, Price and Birdsong – the only players left on the roster in the final three minutes.
Five other Bears had fouled out, including usual leading scorers Don Anielak, Forrest Hamilton and Steve Helms, who that season were averaging 18.4, 16.6 and 11.2 points a game, respectively.
The Bears were in a bind for several reasons: Five players fouled out. Plus, the NAIA allowed only 10-man rosters, and the team was already down to nine players entering the game. After the second round, Lumpe was required to report to the New York Yankees spring camp. Siebern reported a week earlier to the Yankees.
“Coach Vanatta called us together” with 3 minutes left, Thomas recalled. “He said, ‘There’s only one way we can go – play a box zone, two and two, and don’t let them get inside on you.’”
Birdsong, a 6-foot-9 player, was given instructions to win a tip-off following a timeout — and did. But he also was told not to think about trying to score, Thomas said.
“He was right-handed and he catches a pass at the free-throw line, and he whirled around with a left-handed hook,” Thomas said. “I didn’t know what he was doing and I’m yelling, ‘Don’t shoot.’”
It turned out to be the tiebreaking shot, and the Bears never trailed again, winning 84-78.
The 1953 team included Forrest Hamilton and Larry Anderson, John Grimm, Larry Giboney, Bob Tubert, Leland Brown, Charles Comiskey and Dale Harbaugh.
“A very special team,” Thomas said. “Everybody in southwest Missouri and the fans all over Missouri were really, really proud of us.”
………………………………………………..
Want to go?
What: Basketball Tipoff Luncheon presented by Mercy
When: 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 10
Where: University Plaza Convention Center, Springfield
Inductees: Parkview High School’s “Jolly Green Giants” of 1964-1966; Missouri State’s 1952 and 1953 NAIA national championship men’s basketball teams; Jefferson City and Lady Bears standout Karen Rapier; and high school and college coach Gary Stanfield.
Filbert Five men’s team: Chris Harville (Rogersville/Missouri State), Steven Hill (Branson/Arkansas), Sam Singh (Ozark/Bradley), Mark Sparks (Neosho/Mizzou/Drury) and Kevin Williams (Nevada/Mizzou).
Filbert Five women’s team: Sara Bos Barnhart (Billings/Drury),Terianne Wolford Brown (Nixa/Mizzou), Laura Granzow Buetow (Kickapoo/Denver/Canisius), Alyson Young Hooten (Rogersville/Avila) and Anita Rank Oplotnik (Lincoln/Missouri Southern).
Tickets: Individual tickets are $40. Tables of eight are $400 and include associate sponsor recognition in the printed program. Call the Hall of Fame at 317-889-3100.