Rutgers 62 - Fordham 61

Rutgers Daily Targum 

Most people reading this are likely aware that a week or so ago, Rutgers suffered what in my over 50 years of Rutgers basketball was the most heartbreaking buzzer-beater loss I can remember.  After Geo Baker gave Rutgers a one-point lead with just over three seconds left, an Iowa shot banked off the upper left portion of the backboard and swished through the basket.  Ironically, just that day, I was working on this blog post about another buzzer-beater with a much happier ending.  The Fordham game didn't lack for intensity even before the game began.  A small number of loud Fordham students entered the College Avenue Gym and quickly fell afoul of the ushers.  Little did they know the ushers, in their red-letter sweaters, were Rutgers football players like Pete Savino, Bruce Van Ness and Mel Brown.  Needless to say, order was quickly restored until Rutgers took the floor for pre-game warmups.

Daily Home News - February 28, 1969

As Bob Greacen remembers, "The Fordham cheerleaders had a ram mascot with a big ram head made out of paper-mache or something.  During our pregame layup lines, the ram got between me and the basket, attempting to "guard" me.  I was in game mode and in no mood to play around with a mascot so I shoved him out of my path on the way to shooting a layup.  I must have either hurt or embarrassed him because, unbeknownst to me, he came after me as I went to the end of the other line.  [Doug] Brittelle was behind me and saw that this ram was moving toward me with ill intentions and swatted him onto their team bench.  We even got into fights with mascots!"

New York Daily News - February 28, 1969

Nor did the game live down the pre-game intensity, as Bob Greacen remembers, "The game was close throughout and we were down by a point with ten seconds to play, in possession of the ball in front of our basket and bench.  Coach [Foster] called time out and in the huddle asked [Dick] Stewart if he wanted the last shot.  "Greek's hot, give it to him," was his response and so coach drew up a play with me coming off a screen for a shot.  The play worked as drawn up; I made the shot, we won the game, but Stew had made the call.  Maybe that was an indication of his future as a coach, going on to coach at UConn, Penn, Oregon, Fordham [ironically], Penn State, South Carolina and North Carolina State."  In a recent email, "Greek" also noted that "It was a shot I had made a thousand times in my back yard (in exactly the same situation)."  Only this time he didn't need his imagination for what followed.  As the ball went through the basket and the buzzer sounded, the crowd erupted, pouring on to the floor to mob Greacen while cries of "NIT, NIT, NIT" rang throughout the College Avenue Gym ending one of the most exciting games in the history of that facility.

Rutgers Daily Targum - February 28, 1969

Rutgers Scarlet Letter 

Trenton Evening Times - February 28, 1969 - give the paper credit for trying, but this is not the winning basket which was a jump shot from the right side, close to the Rutgers bench.

Trenton Evening Times - February 28, 1969

Daily Home News - February 28, 1969