1950-51 York Victory AA (EPBL)

1950-51 YORK VICTORY A.A.

EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
Southern Division
15-11, .577, 1st place

Lost to Sunbury 80-75 in one-game matchup for regular season championship

Semi-finals: Defeated Lancaster, 3-0

Finals: Lost to Sunbury, 2-0

A vastly-improved York club got off to a hot 8-3 start before hitting a four-game skid in late January. After recovering to win five of six, they limped through the last 5 games of the season but still finished first in the Southern Division. In a game that pitted them against the Northern Division champion Sunbury to determine the regular season champion, York lost 80-75 despite 21 points from Art Lentz. Heading into the playoffs for the Cup, York swept out Lancaster in three games and headed to meet Sunbury for the Cup. York got pounded by twenty point on their home court in game one, and were knocked out 3 days later in Sunbury.

Al Guokas

Head Coach:

•  Al Guokas (August 7, 1925 - August 2, 1990) Also played. See below

PLAYERS:

Bill Cantwell (May 12, 1921 - May 25, 2008)

Jim Coughlin (August 18, 1919 - March 27, 1969)

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

Tom Frein (September 20, 1926 - February 4, 2006)

Jim Furey (March 28, 1928 - February 20, 1985)

Art Graboyes (March 26, 1928 - June 9, 2021)

Al Guokas (August 7, 1925 - August 2, 1990)

Tom Keesey (April 7, 1919 - December 20, 1996)

Barry Kreisberg (January 7, 1925 - December 29, 1997)

Bob Lamon (April 30, 1926 - February 3, 2000)

Art Lentz (June 27, 1926 - December 8, 2018)

Johnny Norlander (March 5, 1921 - March 6, 2002)

Dick O'Keefe (September 29, 1923 - December 17, 2006)

Miggs Reilly (June 30, 1923 - January 30, 2020)

Bob Lamon

Bernie Smith (May 22, 1926 - February 17, 2012)

Gil Swartz  

Tom Keesey

1950-51 Williamsport Billies (EPBL)

1950-51 WILLIAMSPORT BILLIES

EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA

15-13, .536, T-2nd place
Northern Division

Semi-finals: Lost to Sunbury, 3-0

The defending champions got off to a horrible 1-6 start. They slowly turned their fortunes around in January, climbing back towards a playoff birth. Entering March with an 8-12 record and 5 games behind Berwick for a playoff spot, the Billies won 7 of eight games, including the final five to steal the last playoff spot. Out of gas, they were swept by Sunbury in the semi-finals.

Head Coach:

• Larry Disque (March 27, 1921 - March 3, 1994) Also played. See below.

PLAYERS:

Pete Pasko

Walter Banull (April 27, 1929 - May 6, 2016)

Syl Bozinski (September 7, 1927 - June 30, 2001)

Chick Craig (July 23, 1922 - June 21, 2008)

Larry Disque (March 27, 1921 - March 3, 1994)

Pop Goodwin (December 22, 1920 - May 16, 2005)

John Gozdenovich (March 8, 1924 - July 7, 1997)

Wally Hatkevich (November 7, 1924 - June 10, 2006)

Ray Kodish (June 10, 1923 - March 14, 2012)

Johnny Mascavage (January 14, 1918 - April 12, 1990)

Wes Myers (December 21, 1927 - February 1, 2002)

Tom Mueller (July 4, 1924 - December 21, 1965)

Joe Nato (August 11, 1920 - September 19, 1995)

Pete Pasko (September 9, 1919 - March 31, 2004)

Perk Stabley (January 24, 1925 - September 25, 1994)

Bobby Stine (b. 1931)

1950-51 Sunbury Mercuries (EPBL)

1950-51 SUNBURY MERCURIES
EASTERN BASKETBALL LEAGUE - PENNSYLVANIA
Northern Division
23-5, 821, 1st place

Defeated York 80-75 in one-game matchup for regular season championship

Semi-finals: Defeated Williamsport, 3-0

Finals: Defeated York, 2-0

The Mercuries finally put everything together. Adding Paul Senesky and Duane Warrick, coach Stan Novak had a team that rolled through the league. They won their first seven games and never looked back. Finishing the regular season 23-5 and 8 games ahead of second-place Williamsport. They had to play a game against York, the other division champion, for the regular season title, despite their record being so much more superior. After that win, they entered the playoffs for the Cup and never lost.

Head Coach:

• Stan Novak (April 10, 1923 - October 21, 2006)  Also played. See below

  

  Tom Sabol

PLAYERS:

Bart "Jabbo" Adams

Dave Fox  (May 24, 1926 - May 9, 1984)

Ed Lerner (March 23, 1926 - January 19, 2022)

Paul McDermitt (June 2, 1923 - August 20, 2007)

Stan Novak (April 10, 1923 - October 21, 2006)

Jerry Rullo (June 23, 1922 - October 21, 2016)

Tommy Sabol (June 2, 1927 - March 3, 2006)

Dave Werther

Paul Senesky (January 24, 1925 - July 11, 1994)

Duane Warrick (August 26, 1923 - September 12, 2006)

Dave Werther (December 4, 1928 - October 24, 1997)