50 years ago-the greatest HS game ever played

[capecod]

1/30/1965

DeMatha(Md) 46 Power Memorial (NYC) 43

In front of a standing room only crowd at Cole Fieldhouse(U of Maryland) DeMatha upset Power Memorial and their star center Lew Alcindor.

It was Power Memorial's first loss after winning 71 straight.

DeMatha double teamed the 7'0 Alcindor all game, with soph Sid Catlett 6'8 playing in front of big Lew and 6'7 sr Bob Whitmore behind him.

DeMatha practiced for this game with the 6'8 Catlett playing the part of Alcindor, while using a tennis racket(some accounts said a broom) on defense to simulate big Lew's reach.

Alcindor was held to 16 pts (Catlett scored 13 for DeMatha)


The 2 teams had played in the same Cole Fieldhouse one year earlier, with Power Memorial winning a close one = 65-62. Alcindor had 38 pts and 21 rbs in that earlier contest. DeMatha had led by 3 late in that earlier game-but fell behind when their center Bob Whitmore fouled out.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2010/01/025495.php

edit- here is a link to an article in yesterday's Washington Post about that game 50 years ago

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/the-day-dematha-basketball-toppled-power-memorial-50-years-ago-the-stags-beat-lew-alcindor-in-a-high-school-game-for-the-ages/2015/01/29/a3a3e5ea-a66f-11e4-a2b2-776095f393b2_story.html

[capecod]

Sid Catlett and Abdul-Jabbar

the link below is about the enduring friendship that Sid Catlett(DeMatha & Notre Dame) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Power Memorial & UCLA) had with each other.

They played against each other in both HS and college(Lew's UCLA won the college game). Both of their father's were jazz musicians.

Sid Catlett's father was the more famous-playing drums for the likes of Louie Armstrong

But Sid's father died when he was just 2 years old.

The link below tells the following story:

Kareem, an avid Jazz collector, found a film of Sid's dad playing. He called Catlett on the phone to tell him of his 'find'. Catlett rushed out and found the film. To his surprise his dad didn't just play the drums, he spoke during the film. Catlett had never heard his father's voice before.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/40429/what-brought-big-sid-and-little-sid-catlett-together

[tornado]

thanks a ton capecod - I really enjoyed reading that...
who hasn't at one time or another found some old pictures of their mom or dad from way back when they were young....it's a really neat find...