Downfall

When Bradley's basketball team bobbed up in Manhattan's Madison Square Garden for a game with St. John's (of Brooklyn) last week, the boys from Peoria were rated the No. 1 team in the U.S. Bradley's shoot-and-run tactics, sparked by little (5 ft. 8 in., 170 Ibs.) Gene Melchiorre, had frazzled 15 straight opponents by outrunning and outscoring them. St. John's Coach Frank McGuire told his Redmen what he wanted them to do about all this: shoot and run faster than No. 1 Bradley, and put up a better defense.

By halftime, McGuire's Redmen led a surprised Bradley, 34-29. All-America Melchiorre had not sunk a single basket. Could St. John's keep up the pace? Midway through the second half St. John's was still leading, and the Bradley Braves were wilting. Melchiorre, held to four points for the game, fouled out. Moments later, he was joined on the bench by two more first-stringers, for the same reason. St. John's wrapped up the game, 68-59.

Beaten Bradley could still be ranked up near the top of U.S. college basketball, but St. John's, beaten only twice in 13 games (by Kansas and Kentucky) clearly seemed to belong in the top ten too.

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