Remembering a National Championship
On March 18, 1967, the Ravens of St. Benedict’s College, now Benedictine College, won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Basketball Championship in a thriller against Oklahoma Baptist University at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. The 1967 Ravens were celebrated throughout Kansas, with a victory lunch in Topeka with Gov. Robert Docking and a banquet in Atchison also attended by the governor along with a host of national, state, and local officials and area fans.
And now, on the 50th anniversary of their feat, we celebrate with them once again as the 2017 Ravens head to Municipal Auditorium for their shot at the title. There will be an alumni reception in room 2502 (down the hall from the Grand Ballroom) in the Convention Center at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 16. Everyone will head across to the auditorium for the recognition ceremony of the '67 team prior to the 7:30 p.m. start of the men's game. See the 50th Anniversary video here.
An Historic Run
The 1967 Ravens were a powerful team loaded with talent and four All Americans. The team members were: Joe Brickner, Vince DeGreeff, Jack Dugan, Greg Glore, Darryl Jones, Steve Northcraft, Don Schuering, Mike Tharp, Ray Weber and Bill Wewers. The team managers were Jay Eveler and Terry Hansen and the assistant coach was Tom Colwell. Legendary head coach Ralph Nolan, whose name now graces the gymnasium in the St. John Paul II Student Center, was looking for his second national championship, having coached the Ravens to the NAIA crown in 1954 as well.
The tournament started with a jittery Raven performance against Linfield College of Oregon. DeGreeff was the star that kept the team in the contest, scoring 29 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. The last-second heroics, though, came from Glore, known as the “super sub.” With less than two minutes left and a one-point Raven lead, he hit a crucial jumper to stretch the lead to three. Later, a steal and two clutch free throws by Glore gave the Ravens the victory, 80-75.
The second round saw Jones light up the court against Southern Arkansas State. Jones’ scoring, assists, free-throws, shot blocking, and rebounding led the way throughout the game as the Ravens won 67-56. Jones stayed hot through the quarterfinals as well, leading the Ravens against St. Mary’s University of San Antonio with 25 points and 9 assists. His most significant contribution, though, might have been his smothering defense of St. Mary’s key player, 6’ 9” Doug Williams. The Ravens were never in trouble in this one, leading by 19 at the half on the way to an 88-73 victory.
The semifinal game against Morris Harvey College was a real battle, with the Ravens holding off the Eagles for a 73-70 win. Again, DeGreeff led the way with 26 points, but Jones pulled down 20 rebounds and Glore’s one-on-one defense shut down Harvey’s star player, Roger Hart. Protecting a one-point lead, the Ravens were working the clock with less than a minute to go when DeGreeff was intentionally fouled. More than 10,000 fans held their breath as he made both free throws to give the Ravens a 3-point margin and cement the victory.
In the final, the Ravens had to go up against Oklahoma Baptist and NAIA star Al Tucker. Tucker had carried Oklahoma Baptist to the NAIA championship game for three straight years and was the all-time leading scorer in NAIA tournament play. The 1967 final would be no different, as he poured in 47 points. Fortunately for the Ravens, their more balanced team play was able to offset the one-man onslaught for a 71-65 victory. Jones scored 14 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and passed off for 8 assists. Wewers stepped up in the final with 18 points and a crucial steal late in the game. Glore made two clutch free throws with less than a minute to play and a one-handed slam-dunk by Jones with 15 seconds remaining capped an exciting championship game.
