The following account of the 1954
state championship game appeared in The Indianapolis Star
on
By Bob
Collins
1954 State Finals Program Cover |
Bobby Plump drove a jump shot home
with three seconds remaining and – just like that – the “Mighty Men” of
And the game well, it was one of the
greatest this state tourney ever has seen and the Butler Fieldhouse
was a madhouse as the final gun sounded last night.
What a night for
The Trester
Medal kid was, of course, Plump—the mightiest Redskin of all. The award gave Robert a grip on just about
everything but the fieldhouse doorknobs. He also was the best scorer in the
semi-finals and finals with 81 points – the last two of which will not be
forgotten in
After
|
It was the tried and proven Plump
formula. Three steps
down, lean forward, fake pull back, jump and shoot. With a great deliberation, Plump
jumped cocked his right arm and watched the ball sail through with just three
seconds showing on the clock.
And Cinderella marched proudly off
the floor her slippers intact and her coach – a shiny Cadillac – in no danger
of turning into a pumpkin shell.
The nice thing about watching
Only difference this time was the
cat almost swallowed the mouse.
This time the Indians got their lead at 14-11
just at the end of the first quarter.
Craft and Ronnie Truitt ran the
count to 19-11 with
He had the score respectable at
23-17 when the protagonist went below for a short rest.
Came the third quarter and
A pair of free throws by Bob
Crawford cut two more points off Muncie’s agony and a long one-hander by the
ever-present Flowers made the score
23-21, Milan. Less than two minutes of
the third quarter had been played.
Plump’s
free throw gave Milan a better working margin and the Redskins, playing calmly
and deliberately, managed to hold the Bearcats, at bay until Leon Agullana tied the score at 26-26 just as the third quarter
ended.
Bobby
Plump (obscured from view) hit the game-winner with three seconds remaining. |
Truitt fouled
Plump dribbled up over mid-court
pulled the ball up against his stomach, and stood still.
Plump held the ball amidst more noise than you’ll hear in
the wildest fast breaking game, for four minutes and 14 seconds and then called
time.
Only
Then with
A bad pass gave the ball back to the
Indians and Craft tied the score at 28-28 with only
With
At game’s end, disappointed Muncie
Central players are consoled by their coaches and school administrators. |
The rest now is one of the finest
parts of
It was a disappointing defeat for
Jay McCreary and the
It was just their misfortune to run
head on into Destiny’s grandchildren at the wrong time.
And truthfully now, who on this
broad earth will begrudge little Marvin Wood and those wonderful, men of
The newly-crowned state champs posed for this photo
in the locker room after the game. |
|
|
|
|
|
Scoring by Quarters
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
14 |
9 |
3 |
6 |
32 |
|
11 |
6 |
9 |
4 |
30 |
Errors by Quarters
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
|
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
Shooting by Quarters
|
.455 |
.375 |
.000 |
.500 |
|
.190 |
.300 |
.333 |
.200 |
|
At game’s end, disappointed
Muncie Central players are consoled by their coaches and school administrators.
|