Galesburg Wins 15-13 in 4 OT’s- Why Were Scores So Low?

In 1929, Galesburg defeated Pekin in the Sectional, 15-13 in 4 over-time’s. Any of us who have looked back at basketball scores before 1940 have seen examples of these low scoring games. It is easy to look at the scores and dismiss basketball of the era. Some might say, “They couldn’t have been that good if they couldn’t even score 20 points.” 

We would be mistaken to feel that way. An example would be the great Lou Boudreau of Thornton HS. As a freshman, he led his team to a State title in 1933, then seconds in 1934 and 1935. He went to become one of the all-time greats in MLB. He and many others playing basketball in this era were great athletes. 

What factors contributed to such low scores?

Coaches Lacking Control- Until 1949 coaches were not allowed to talk to their players except before the game, at half-time, and after the game. During time outs, players stayed out on the floor. Galesburg had a wooden train engine managers took water and towels out to the players. Legend has it that the coach would write notes or give verbal messages for the manager to take out. In any case, it was very difficult to make offensive adjustments during games. 

Full Court to Play Keep Away- The mid-court line was not put in until 1932 so before that, a team had the entire floor to stall and play keep away. So over and back became a thing in 1932, and then in 1933 the ten second rule to advance the ball was put into play. 

Tough To Change Personnel- In the 1920’s, a player could be subbed out and re-enter the game one time. In 1934, the rules allowed a player to re-enter twice. It was not until 1945 that players could re-enter unlimited times. The earlier limitations meant a coach was going to keep players on the floor no matter how poorly they might be playing, and coaches tended to play a slower style to preserve the energy of the players.

Clock Running- it was not until 1964 that the clock stopped on things like violations and the ball going out of bounds. Up until 1964, the clock stopped only on free throws, injuries, and time outs. So with a running clock, teams lost opportunities to score. The games were much shorter than today. 

Jump Ball After All Made Baskets- This rule effectively took away getting the game moving up and down the court. The games tended to be more half-court games with few opportunities to score easy transition baskets. The jump ball was eliminated in 1936. 

Coaching Strategy- The common strategy of many coaches was to get a lead and quit playing. Until 1933 there was no 10 second rule and no over/back rule in basketball. So imagine how easy it was to stall if you had the entire court to play keep away. And on top of that, there was no five second closely guarded rule. 

Throughout the history of basketball, rules have been adopted to prevent coaches from slowing the game down. Coaches have all tended to want to control the game and to slow the game down. 

The Basketball- It was not until 1929 that a basketball with concealed laces was invented. So before 1929 dribbling a basketball was an uncertain act- if it hit the laces it would bounce wildly. Some report that laceless basketballs did not become commonly used until 1932 when Spalding manufactured them. It was not until 1942 that a “molded” basketball was made which meant it retained its shape and size. 

Additonally, the size of the early basketball was an issue. Today men’s basketballs are 29.5 inches and women’s basketballs are 28.5 inches. Anyone who has picked up both balls know what a huge difference that one inch makes in handling the ball and making shots. There are a variety of reports, but most historians say that until the molded ball was made in 1942, the typical basketball was probably 32 inches- full two inches bigger than today’s basketball. Imagine the difficulty in shooting a ball two inches bigger than today’s men’s basketball. And a bigger ball had to be more accurate to fit into the rim. 

This picture illustrates the size of the basketball. 

The Jump Shot- Historians say that Kenny Sailors as a prep in Wyoming developed the first jump shot in 1934. He developed the shot to shoot over his 6’4” older brother. 

Until the jump shot was developed, teams relied on shooting two hand set shots from the perimeter. In order to get the shot off, they needed space which took time for the offense to create. 

The first player to shoot a “one-handed” shot at Galesburg High School was Phil Lopez in 1943.