By Greg Bigam
Special to SportingPumpkin.com
I don’t recall high school basketball not being decided in overtime if there was a tie game. As I was looking for info on the Scioto versus Darby game in 1959, I thought I misread a story on Greenfield beating the Circleville Tigers in 1959.
Proving it was difficult to win at Greenfield, even 64 years ago, the Tigers led 44-24 in the third quarter.
The story talks about inside man Larry Hannahs picking up his fourth foul in the second quarter. Teammate Jake Bailey would foul out. The 20-point lead melted away and the game ended 50-50.
Each team scored once in the three minute overtime making it 52-52, headed to another overtime. This is where I discovered that the game then reverted to a “ sudden death” where first basket wins.
Unfortunately for Circleville, Greenfield’s Lee Moorhead “hooked” a shot in from the circle to give Greenfield a 54-52 sudden death win.
Interesting looking at the box score, Hannah’s finished with 8, Bailey 7, and Cal Ellis and Joe Adkins had 6 each. The Circleville squad had two players in double figures. Don Rowland notched 11 and Asa Elsea led with 14.. I think the win kept Greenfield in first in the old South Central Ohio League, which both Circleville and Greenfield were charter members.
I don’t ever remember Sudden Death in area basketball and if it was automatic after one overtime. In 1959, it cost the Circleville Tigers in Greenfield.
