Cyclones, Pirates played classic
in '64 district
By Jamie Combs
Sports Editor
jcombs@starhq.com
It was the kind of game that drives even the
most mild-mannered fans to start popping tranquilizers like
those little candy bricks from a Pez dispenser.
On Feb. 27, 1964, precisely 40 years ago, Elizabethton
and Sullivan squared off in the semifinals of the District
1 tournament at Dobyns-Bennett's Sprankle Gym, and four quarters
of basketball wouldn't be nearly enough to determine the outcome.
The Cyclones and Pirates battled through an astounding
six overtimes before the issue was settled that night, and
Elizabethton was able to pull the chestnuts from the fire,
exiting the gym with a 60-58 win.
"I remember being drained and exhausted after
the game," Bill Swaney, who started at center for the Cyclones,
said this week when asked to reflect upon the classic contest.
"I knew we would play Kingsport (Dobyns-Bennett) in the finals
if we won, and we were fortunate enough to win the game.
"I was so tired when we played (D-B). Of course,
they were the better team -- I don't want to take anything
away from them -- but we were so tired that we were not ready
to play."
Even though coach John Treadway's weary Cyclones
fell to D-B 53-38 the following night, their victory over
the Pirates deserves lofty status.
"It's all a blur," said Swaney, referring to
the Sullivan tilt. "Six overtimes -- they all kind of just
run together."
It was Swaney who made sure the madness would
not extend to a seventh overtime, as he scored all four of
Elizabethton's points in the sixth OT on charity slings.
His final two points, which came with six seconds
showing on the clock, gave the Cyclones a 60-56 lead and put
away the Dickie Warren-coached Pirates.
"At that point I just wanted to get it over with,"
Swaney said. "You get so tired that you just get loose. I
was too tired to be nervous. When it gets that late in the
season, after playing a whole season, you don't get very nervous."
This was a contest in which Elizabethton had
the upper hand only one time -- 22-21 on a Gary Sheffield
field goal with 1:27 remaining in the first half -- before
grabbing a 52-50 advantage in the third OT.
However, the Cyclones never allowed Sullivan
to get more than a few points in the lead.
"They had a really good team," said Swaney of
the Pirates. "They might have been a little bit better than
us, but we were able to hang with them and stay close. Sometimes
when you hang around, you make the right plays at the right
times, and we did. We might have been a little more mentally
tough at that time."
Down 26-24 at intermission and 40-36 at the end
of the third quarter, Elizabethton managed to tie the game
at 46 on a Ken Stanley layup with 2:16 to play in the fourth.
A deuce from Sullivan big man Gary Martin got
the Pirates back on top, but a Swaney tip-in with 55 seconds
remaining created a 48-48 deadlock that forced the first overtime.
OT number one saw no scoring -- Elizabethton
had possession of the ball all but nine seconds in the period
-- then both clubs tallied two points apiece in each of the
next four periods.
The fifth overtime saw Martin put the Pirates
up 56-54 with a field goal from outside the foul circle, then
quickly foul out with 33 points and 14 rebounds to his credit.
"He was real smooth and just a really good player,"
said Swaney, giving his assessment of Martin. "He was tough
to guard."
Elizabethton's Mike Boatright followed by stepping
to the fore, calmly sinking two foul shots to send the game
to a tenth quarter that the Cyclones almost didn't live to
see. Had Gene White been a split-second faster on his release,
his 70-foot bucket, made from the left-hand side of the court,
would have beaten the clock at the end of the fifth OT, and
beaten the boys from 'Betsy.
"It was a good game," Swaney said. "It was a
good game to play in and a good game to watch."
Worley Birchfield, the Big Six Conference scoring
champ (15.8 ppg.) for the 1963-64 season, turned in a splendid
effort for the Cyclones, accounting for 23 points, while Swaney,
the season's No. 3 scorer (12.9 ppg.) in the conference, put
together a rock solid performance of 17 points and eight rebounds.
Stanley added 10 points, with Boatright scoring
seven and grabbing eight boards.
Gary Light pitched in 16 points for the Pirates,
who were unable to overcome an 8-of-21 showing at the free-throw
line. In contrast, the Cyclones hit 20 of 27 charity attempts.
Some other key notes from EHS basketball history
follow:
------
BOYS
THIRTY SEASONS AGO (1973-74), the Cyclones played
their final season at the high school that now serves as T.A.
Dugger Junior High.
In its home finale, Elizabethton got 17 points
apiece from Sid Taylor and Jeff Dykes while knocking off Sullivan
East by a score of 77-63. Coach Larry White's EHS team had
three other players score in double digits, with Steve McKinney
and Dennis Ellis each netting 12, and James Wash collecting
10.
------
FORTY FIVE SEASONS AGO (1958-59), Elizabethton's
Johnny Taylor laid claim to the Big Seven Conference scoring
championship, averaging 16.3 points per game, and John Holsclaw,
serving as the catalyst for an 83-52 'Betsy win, pumped in
30 points when the Cyclones visited Unicoi County.
------
FIFTY SEASONS AGO (1953-54), the Cyclones' Buddy
Nidiffer amassed three performances of more than 30 points,
topped by a 37-point outburst that anchored a 66-60 Elizabethton
triumph at Unicoi County.
------
SIXTY YEARS AGO (1944), in Nashville, Carl Treadway's
16-point effort led the E. Niles Brown-coached Cyclones past
Memphis Southside 35-33 in the state tournament semifinals,
sending 'Betsy to its only appearance in a state championship
basketball game.
Treadway netted 18 in the Cyclones' 34-27 quarterfinal
victory over Hillsboro. Elizabethton lost to Nashville West
in the championship, 38-30.
------
SIXTY FIVE YEARS AGO (1939), a Crawford Bowling
field goal in overtime lifted 'Betsy to a 44-42 win over Dobyns-Bennett
in the District 16 final, which was held on the Indians' home
floor.
------
SEVENTY FIVE SEASONS AGO (1928-29), Elizabethton
defeated Science Hill for the first time since 1920, taking
a defensive-laden 18-17 decision at home.
------
GIRLS
TWENTY FIVE SEASONS AGO (1978-79), Fridie Slagle
pulled down 20 rebounds as the Lady Cyclones registered a
36-26 conquest of Sullivan East. Slagle complemented her rebounding
total with 15 points.
------
SIXTY FIVE SEASONS AGO (1938-39), Ted Bateman
struck for 30 points as Elizabethton knocked off Morristown
46-33, and Nellie Wills buried a pair of free throws with
no time remaining to push the Lady Flashers (Flashers was
the team nickname in the program's pre-modern era) to a 35-33
District 16 tournament semifinal win over Cloudland at Happy
Valley.
------
SEVENTY FIVE YEARS AGO (1929), the Lady Flashers,
coached by C.A. Kyle, wrapped up their third consecutive Upper
East Tennessee tournament title by defeating Boones Creek
16-11 at State Teachers College. Wilma Donnelly took care
of most of 'Betsy's offense, netting 14 points.
