1944 World Professional Basketball Tournament
The 1944 World Professional Basketball Tournament was the 6th edition of the World Professional Basketball Tournament. It was held in Chicago, Illinois,[1] during the days of 20–24 March 1944 and featured 14 teams. It was won by the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons who defeated the Brooklyn Eagles 50–33 in the championship game.[2] The Harlem Globetrotters came in third after beating the New York Rens 37–29 in the third-place game. Bobby McDermott of Fort Wayne was named the tournaments Most Valuable Player.[3]
| 1944 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Dates | 20 March–24 March |
| Venue(s) | Chicago Stadium |
| Teams | 14 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons |
| 1st runner-up | Brooklyn Eagles |
| 2nd runner-up | Harlem Globetrotters |
| MVP | Bobby McDermott |
Results
First round
- 20 March - Dayton Aviators 52, Akron Collegians 38
- 20 March - Brooklyn Eagles 55, Camp Campbell Tankmen 41
- 20 March - New York Rens 39, Detroit Suffrins 33
- 21 March - Cleveland Chase Brassmen 55, Indianapolis Pure Oils 52
- 21 March - Oshkosh All-Stars 51, Rochester Wings 40
- 21 March - Harlem Globetrotters 41, Pittsburgh Corbetts 40
Quarter-finals
- 22 March - Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 59, Dayton Aviators 34[4]
- 22 March - New York Rens 62, Cleveland Chase Brassmen 38[4]
- 22 March - Brooklyn Eagles 49, Sheboygan Redskins 43[4]
- 22 March - Harlem Globetrotters 41, Oshkosh All-Stars 31[4]1
Semi-finals
23 March 1944 |
| Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 42, New York Rens 38 | ||
| Pts: B. McDermott, J. Bush – 9 | Pts: P. Bell – 14 | |
Third place game
24 March 1944 8:15 p.m. |
| Harlem Globetrotters 37, New York Rens 29 | ||
| Pts: D. Cumberland – 10 | Pts: Sonny Wood – 8 | |
Chicago Stadium Attendance: 14,226 |
Championship game
24 March 1945 9:15 p.m.[5] |
| Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 50, Brooklyn Eagles 33 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 12–9, 16–2, 14–10, 8–12 | ||
| Pts: J. Pelkington – 19 | Pts: B. Tough, B. Opper – 11 | |
Individual awards
All-Tournament First team
- F - Sonny Wood, New York Rens
- F - Mel Riebe, Cleveland Allmen Transfers
- C - Blackie Towery, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
- G - Mickey Rottner, Brooklyn Eagles
- G - Bobby McDermott, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (MVP)
All-Tournament Second team
- F - Jerry Bush, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
- F - Bob Tough, Brooklyn Eagles
- C - Bernie Price, Harlem Globetrotters
- G - Jack Garfinkel, Brooklyn Eagles
- G - Manny Hyatt, Pittsburgh Corbetts
Notable occurrences
- On 21 March, with three minutes remaining in the quarter-finals match between the Harlem Globetrotters and the Oshkosh All-Stars, a fight broke out between the players which needed officials and police to restore order. Thirty seconds after play resumed, trouble broke out again and Oshkosh coach Lon Darling decided to call his team from the game.[6]
- On 23 March, Bob Tough of the Brooklyn Eagles set a tournament record with his 32 points against Harlem Globetrotters in the semi-finals.[7]
References
- Philip Grabowski (March 21, 1944). "Corbetts in World Tourney". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. p. 14. Retrieved April 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Fort Wayne Five wins pro meet". Chicago Tribune. March 26, 1944. p. 25. Retrieved April 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Fort Wayne drubs Eagles for Pro Cage Title, 50-35". Democrat and Chronicle. March 26, 1944. p. 31. Retrieved April 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Fort Wayne, Rens to Meet in Semi-Finals". Chicago Tribune. March 23, 1944. p. 24. Retrieved April 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Ft. Wayne Five, Brooklyn gain stadium finals". Chicago Tribune. March 25, 1944. p. 20. Retrieved April 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Pro game ends in fistic melee". The Spokesman-Review. March 24, 1944. p. 6. Retrieved April 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Eagles go to Finals; Meet Trotters here". The Cincinnati Enquirer. March 25, 1944. p. 10. Retrieved April 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
Bob Tough, former Seton Hall star, equalled the tourney record by scoring 32 points against the Trotters, former champions.
External links
- WPBT 1939-48 on apbr.org
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