Toledo Union Journal

Gordon,
Champion 2nd;
Tournament Monday

The curtain on the regular Local 12 Basketball League has been rung down, with the Auto-Lite Unit team winning the 1946 championship with a clean slate of no defeats and seven victories.

Play in the league started early in January with eight teams representing the Spicer Unit, Gordon Bumper, Champion Spark Plug, Toledo Tools, Toledo Tubes, DeVilbiss Unit, Surface Combustion, and the Auto-Lite Unit. The finest brand of basketball in the city of Toledo was displayed in the games which were played before large crowds in the Scott High School gymnasium on Monday nights.

The championship was not decided definitely until the final game of the schedule when the Auto-Lite team defeated the Gordon Bumper Five in a very close contest. The final score was 31 to 30, with Auto-Lite winning on a free throw in the last five seconds of the game. A win for the Gordon Unit would have made a tie for first place as the Bumpers had five victories against only one loss.

The final tally shows the Auto-Lite with seven wins and no losses, Gordon Bumper and Champion Spark Plug in a tie for second place, DeVilbiss in third position with four victories and three defeats, while Toledo Tools and Surface Combustion hold a tie in fifth spot and Toledo Tubes are in the cellar with seven losses.

The Local 12 Basketball League was managed by Bob Barker, of the Gordon Bumper Unit, who was assisted by a committee consisting of the managers of the eight teams represented in the league.

Referees selected by the committee were competent and impartial in their decisions.

Beginning on Monday, February 25, a "Round Robin" tournament will be held at Scott gym for the Local 12 basketball teams. It will be a double knockout affair with the ultimate winner being declared the champion of the year 1946. The tournament games will be free to the public and a large turnout of basketball fans is expected to attend.