MANKATO -The wait is over.

After 26 years of famine, New Ulm High School feasted on the District 10 Boys basketball championship Saturday night.

THE EAGLES, with two tremendous middle quarters, overwhelmed defending champion Gibbon, 62-47 in the championship game before almost 4,500 fans in the Mankato State College gym.

This was New Ulm’s first District 10 title since 1949.

The tourney was held the past 25 years at Gustavus in St. Peter, but moved this year to the more spacious Mankato State College gymnasium where New Ulm found its luck.

THIS MEANS New Ulm (19-4) will meet District 11 champion Clara City (22-1) 7:30p.m. Thursday at Montevideo in Region 3 action.

Gibbon bowed out with a 15-9 record.

Gibbon’s only lead was 12-10 to end the first quarter. The score was tied six times before New Ulm took the lead for keeps at 18-16.

Ken Hagg, 6-7 New Ulm center, was a dominant factor in the first half.He made 8 of 11 field goals, collared five rebounds and blocked five Gibbon shots. It helped New Ulm to a 30-20 halftime lead.

Gibbon needed a quick start in the second half, but the Wildcats went sour. They had five turnovers in two minutes,and New Ulm countered with four straight baskets, two each by Ron Starke and Hagg. This made the score 38-20, with six minutes left in the third quarter. Gibbon’s back was broken and it was a matter of finishing out the playing time.

New Ulm’s lead varied from 15 to 24points the rest of the way. Biggest spread was 50-26 late in the third period.

NEW ULM out rebounded Gibbon 19-5 in the middle quarters when they outscored the Wildcats 40-16.The Eagles sank 10 of 14field goal attempts in the third quarter.

The Eagles sank 28 of 48 field goals for the entire game, a 58 per cent clip. Gibbon was 18 of 51 for 35 per cent.

Gibbon turned the ball over 19 times while New Ulm had 22 turnovers.

Hagg finished with 23 points; Steve Altmann, 10; and three other starters had eight points; Starke, Bruce Johnson, and Tom Schrader.

Gibbon managed only two points from its starting guards over three quarters and this allowed the New Ulm defense to plug up the inside where Gibbon did most of its damage in Thursday’s semifinal victory.

New Ulm also picked up some Gibbon tricks, and scored about a dozen wide-open layups underneath as Gibbon’s defense often was caught off balance.

Gibbon’s scoring totals: Jeff Weise, 13;Jeff Wylie, 13, Bob Weise, 8; Steve Herschman, 6; and Jon Wylie, 7.

Score by quarters.

Gibbon 12 8 8 19 47

New Ulm 10 20 20 12 62

New Ulm Daily Journal

March 9, 1975