Sherman--Celeste, with the best record of all entries, a fine 36 - 2 mark, methodically pounded out a 58 - 45 victory over Powderly here on Friday night, March 1, 1963, to advance to the semi-finals of the Regional III Class B basketball tournament.
The victory for the Blue Devils, which was padded by an excellent performance by Joe Tillerson, who tallied twenty-nine points, moved them into the Saturday morning semi-finals against Ponder, who defeated Collinsville,
60 - 44, Friday evening.
Celeste opened the game here last night with caution, not knowing what to expect from Powderly. Powderly made its way into the regional tournament by defeating Avery by six points in bi-district after losing to the same team on two previous occasions.
The Blue Devils, on the other hand, eked out a 42 - 40 victory over Alba - Golden in bi-district tussle to gain the region playoffs.
Even Terms
Powderly and Celeste played on even terms during most of the first period and Celeste held a 12 - 10 point lead at the end of the period. Mike Weatherley, forward on Coach G. W. Tillerson's district 43 - B championship team, ripped the net for four straight field goals and the first eight points for Celeste. He ended the game with fifteen points as he and Joe Tillerson combined to moved the Blue Devils out front by a 24 - 19 score at half time.
As the two teams hit the court for the second half action, the Blue Devils began looking like a winning ball club. Tillrson, after finding a bit of trouble in hitting the basket in the first half, began laying in the points. He score fourteen of Celeste's twenty points in the third canto and came back for nine of the Blue Devils' fourteen in the final period.
The third quarter was the one that broke Powderly's back. Celeste outscored the losers by fourteen points. Tillerson began a long string of free tosses and finished the game hitting eleven of thirteen in addition to nine field goals.
Weatherley, Tillerson, and Rust controlled the backboards most of the game while David Pruitt and Ricky Henslee kept the Devils out of trouble with their fine ball handling.
Percentage
Celeste hit 21 of 44 field goals from the field and scored 14 of 19 free tosses. Powderly hit 18 of 44 field goals for a forty percent clip and nine of thirteen free tosses.
Celeste will clash with Ponder of District 37 - B at 11:15 AM, March 2, 1963, in the second game of the semi-finals. Prairie Valley of District 35 - B and Megargel of District 35 - B will play at 10:00 AM in the first semi-final game.
Celeste
Mike Weatherley................7....1....1...15
Joe Tillerson.......................9..11....3...29
David Pruitt.........................3....1....3.....7
Tiny Rust.............................3.....1....4.....7
Ricky Henslee....................0.....0....1.....0
Totals.................................22..14..14...58
Powderly
Hines..................................1...2....2...4
Mantooth............................3...1....3...7
Coursy................................2...1....3...5
Mullins.................................2...0....1...4
Moore.................................4...3....2..11
White..................................2...0....2....4
Smith..................................2...1....1....5
Self.....................................1...0....2....2
Herney................................1...1....1....3
Totals................................18...9..17..45
Score by Quarters
Celeste...........12...12...20...14...58
Powderly........10.....9.....6...20...45
(March 2, 1963, The Greenville Herald Banner)
Submitted by Sarah Swindell
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