Hilltopper Haven - Hilltopper Flashbacks

Throughout the offseason HH is running past stories about memorable moments in Hilltopper history. The latest installment is the March 12, 1967 NCAA first round matchup with Dayton at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington. It's one of those classic "what-if" and "should-have-been" moments that has characterized Hilltopper Basketball over the years. A team like many others before it and others after it that had the talent to win it all but was stopped short by some cruel twist of fate.

The game was a rematch of the 1966 NCAA Mideast Regional consolation game. A contest which saw the Toppers defeat the Flyers 82-68. Western entered the first round matchup in 1967 with Dayon with a 23-2 record and ranked #3 in the nation despite the fact that first-team All-American Clem Haskins had missed several games late in the year with a broken wrist and upon his return had played several more with a cast on his hand. The game versus the Flyers was the first one Haskins played without the cast. Instead, his wrist was heavily taped rendering it almost immovable.

The ineffectiveness of Haskins in the game was just too much for the Toppers to overcome. But despite that handicap the game went into overtime where Dayton finally proved victorious winning 69-67 on a desperation shot right before the buzzer. So like the 1966 team before it, which had saw it's national championship hopes crushed by a crooked jump ball call versus Michigan, the '67 Toppers were also denied their chance at the crown due to a fateful injury to its All-American. Even Dayton's coach stated that he doubted his team could have beaten the Toppers if Haskins had been healthy.

The Flyers went on to the national championship game versus Lew Alcindor and UCLA, while the Toppers and their fans were left yet again to wonder "What If?"

Dayton Nips Western In Overtime In NCAA 69-67
By Bob Adams
BG Daily News

Additional post-game article: Fate Frowns on Tops Again

March 12, 1967

Lexington, Ky. - Tears were shed last night.

The end had come abruptly for Western's scrapping Hilltoppers. And not even Gov. Edward Breathitt could offer consolation.

For the second straight year the Toppers were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in a heartbreaker.

An 18-foot jumper with three seconds left snatched a 69-67 overtime win for the Dayton Flyers in the preliminary round of the NCAA. It capped an almost unbelievable comeback.

Bob Hooper spelled the difference after Dayton had called timeout with 13 seconds left in the overtime, with the score tied at 67-all.

Flyer coach Don Donoher said afterward that Hooper came into the huddle during the timeout and said: "Give me the coach, I'll put it in the basket." And he surely did.

But it was reserve Rudy Waterman who put the Flyers back into the game in the second half.

The 6-1 junior scored 16 points 14 of them coming in the crucial second period.

"We couldn't have come back without him," Donoher beamed. "He made the clutch field goal and played inspired ball."

For Western, few things went right.

Bowing out after three brilliant seasons All-American Clem Haskins was a picture of frustration.

Hampered by his heavily taped wrist, Haskins was able to hit but three of 14 attempts from the field and wound up with eight points.

"It sure makes a difference when you're not at full strength," a dejected Coach Oldham said. "We got off the boards in the second half and that made the big difference," he added. And Oldham was right.

The Flyers won the battle of the boards by 49-43 despite being out-rebounded by 22-19 in the first half.

Western faced sure defeat several times in the disastrous second 20 minutes.

The Toppers led by 10 points at halftime and by 12 early in the second half before Dayton staged a comeback to knot the score for the first time at 48-all.

Dayton had the ball with 16 seconds left in the last half with the game knotted at 62-all.

The Flyers had two chances to win, but the ball fell off the hoop as the buzzer sounded.

But Western could never get in command in the overtime period, as Waterman fired in three quick points to put Dayton up on top 65-62, before retiring via the foul route with 3:11 to go.

Haskins tied the contest at 67-all with a layup, setting the stage for Hooper's last-second heroics.

Dwight Smith playing his last game for Western, led Western with 18 points. Butch Kaufman added 17, Wayne Chapman got 12 more.

All-America Don May paced the Flyers with 26 points and 20 big rebounds. Glinder Torain added 10 points.

Western had three more field goals, but hit just 11 of 20 free throws. The Toppers wound up hitting .418 percentage from the field.

But Dayton cashed 19 of 28 foul chances for the difference.

The Flyers after hitting an ice-cold 25 percent in the first half, came back to cash 54 percent in the last period and wound up with .447 percent.

Western finished the season with a 23-3 record. Dayton now is 22-4 for the season and will meet Southeastern Conference champion Tennessee in the first round of the Mideast Regional at Evanston, Ill., Friday.

Previous Game Articles
WKU vs. Syracuse (1978 NCAA Tournament)
WKU vs. Michigan (1966 NCAA Tournament)
WKU vs. Loyola (Ill.) (1966 NCAA Tournament)
WKU vs. Georgetown (1982 Wendy's Classic)
WKU vs. UAB (1/25/86 - Mars Bars Game)
WKU vs. Auburn (1985 Wendy's Classic)
WKU vs.Florida St. (1993 NCAA Tournament)
WKU vs. Seton Hall (1993 NCAA Tournament)