The season record of 10 wins against 10 losses for Gilbert's scrappy cagers came as a surprise to know-it-all basketball experts. With not one player hitting the six-foot mark, the Yellowjacket's chances against height-conscious
opponents seemed hopeless.
Their 39-37 defeat over Alumni, always a strong opponent, showed the public that Gilbert had a team which bore watching. Surprisingly, our first two games were defeats-one to Middletown, 60-49, and another to Torrington, 56-26. Then the Yellowjackets hit their stride by downing Seymour 51-48 and Enfield 64-40 in a brace of home games. Searles, which lost but one contest all year, was narrowly defeated by Gilbert, 49-48 on the Bay Stater's own court. Enfield's home court win of 43-38 made up for their previous defeat before Gilbert upset Stonington 68-55. Then a temporary scoring record, 73-69, was chalked over Sacred Heart before a victory-conscious quintet ran over Windsor on their home court to establish the all time high score of 77-67 just previous to the ill-fated Torrington game. This contest, aptly described as being a heartbreaker, seemed to be in Gilbert's hands as the locals held the half-time score of
20-14. Then Torrington, who went on to the Class A State Tourney, staged a rally in the last half, squeezing out a 45-41 victory. It was contended by many that this four-point margin of victory was due to Torrington's superior skill at the foul line, not in baskets from the floor, as is usually the case. This upset threw a monkey wrench into the Winsted offensive, Gilbert losing to Sacred Heart 66-35 and Goodwin Tech 4440. Kingswood Prep's 52-40 loss seemed to be a tonic for the defeat-ridden Gilbertites, but Southington showed us differently as they pulled to a 52-39 triumph before victory came in the forn1 of a 60-42 win over Watertown. Dropping another to Middletown at the Y, 49-42, Gilbert then journeyed to Stonington where a 78-68 loss eliminated the Yellowjackets from the State Tournaments. Watertown knocked Gilbert
63-53 before the final contest of the season, a second verdict over Windsor at the Y, 48-40.Coach Nichols, with a number of lettermen and other experienced cagers due to return to the courts next season, has prospects for a team which will probably match the aggressiveness of this year's quintet and which quite possibly could make the tournaments which the 1950.51 squad so narrowly missed.