University of North Texas 50 Years of Progress & Opportunity, 1954-2004
« Previous Page    1967 Album »   
 

Eagle cagers team members.
Jubilant Eagles Ron Miller, Jim Wilson, Rubin Russell, Bruce Sharp, Matt Huff and Doug Willoughby celebrate after beating Wichita.

 

Cagers Yield Exciting Basketball Season

Coach Dan Spika's basketball team began the season in the shadows cast by 19 consecutive cage losses and Odus Mitchell's last, and possibly best, football squad. But the Eagle cagers were not to be denied their fair share of the glory.

North Texas was fast gaining the reputation of being virtually unbeatable at home by the time the MVC dogfight got underway.

Going into their first conference game January 5 with Louisville, the Eagles had posted a 7-3 record and had lost only once - to Memphis State - on the home court. Louisville pulled away late in the game to beat NT, 86-66, in the Valley opener.

Spika's crew hopped from Kentucky to Ohio where the Green and White gave notice of things to come to Cincinnati by pushing the Bearcats into double overtime before finally losing, 74-71.

The Yucca, 1967
Page 82