1949-50 Harrisburg Senators (EPBL)

1949-50 HARRISBURG SENATORS

EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA

Southern Division

16-12, .600, 2nd place

Semi-Finals: Defeated Lancaster, 2-1

Finals: Lost to Williamsport, 2-1

Johnny Hopper

Coming back as the runner-up last year, Harrisburg had their sights squarely on the championship. Billy Binder, a basketball star from Steelton, Pennsylvania who starred on the collegiate courts at Lehigh, was brought on to coach. Originally, the 29-year old was expected to be a player-coach, but wound up only guiding the team. The Senators got off to a hot start, winning 4 of their first five games and 10 of their first 14 to find themselves in a tight battle with Lancaster for the top of the Southern Division. They would drop five-straight games to start February to drop behind Lancaster and despite playing better down the last weeks of the season were unable to catch the Rockets. Still, their second-place finish, bolstered by Joe Cackovic and Jack Ramsay, garnered them a playoff spot and a first-round matchup with Lancaster.

The Rockets won the first game of the best-of-three set easily, drubbing the Sens 85-65. However, the Senators returned the favor in game 2 with a 24-point win before winning the deciding game, 71-67, on Lancaster's court. Heading back to the finals for the second straight year, Harrisburg faced Williamsport and dropped the opener, 92-74. They would bounce back to take a hard-fought second game, 73-67, to even up the series. In the deciding contest, Cackovic would score 37 points but it was not enough to overcome the hot play of Williamsport who reached the 100-point mark for the 5th time this year in a 100-94 Williamsport win. Harrisburg was the runner-up for the second straight season.

Head Coach:

• Billy Binder (June 12, 1920 - June 25, 2001)

PLAYERS:

Steve Ferraro

Joe Cackovic (February 21, 1923 - December 16, 1984)

Dick DeWees (March 18, 1929 - July 19, 1986)

Hank Dudek (September 11, 925 - September 14, 2015)

Steve Ferraro (September 29, 1922 - May 7, 2003)

Joe Gillinger (November 24, 1921 - January 24, 1967)

Jackie Goepfert (May 24, 1932 - May 1, 2002)

Stretch Hall (June 23, 1926 - December 10, 1989)

Jimmy Hernjak (June 10, 1927 - December 27, 1980)

Johnny Hopper (January 9, 1923 - June 12, 1996)

Tony Kazokas (October 9, 1930 - April 7, 2021)

Don Kotter (December 29, 1920 - November 11, 1985)

Ray Posipanka (March 16, 1927 - February 17, 1998)

Jack Ramsay (February 21, 1925 - April 28, 2014)

Burt Silverman (b. 1930 or 1931)