Editor’s note: This sports story was originally printed in the Dec. 28-29, 1957, issue of the Bangor Daily News.

BANGOR – Bangor’s hustling Rams combined fierce rebounding with an explosive third period assault last night to upset Morse of Bath, 72-54, before 2,300 fans at the Municipal Auditorium.

The Rams, who racked up their fifth straight victory, ripped the highly-touted Shipbuilders with a 24-point blast in that third stanza. Morse collected only eight points in the eight minutes of play.

It was a close ballgame until Coach Red Barry’s fired-up team poured 17 consecutive points through the hoop late in the third period and into the fourth while the demoralized Blue was held scoreless.

The teams left the floor at intermission deadlocked at 30 points, with 10 field goals and as many free throws on each side of the ledger. Bill Cohen’s 15-foot set shot sent the Rams in front early in the third period, 33-32, and Bangor was ahead to stay.

With the score 41-38, Ted Leadbetter started the Rams on their game-shattering burst with a driving lay-up. That ignited the blaze. The Crimson peppered the hoop from all angles, setting up their shots with a nifty display of passing. It was a 54-38 ball game at the three-quarter mark.

Leadbetter made it a 20-point spread early in the final period with two free throws and a basket before Ray Bishop ended the drought for Morse with a jumper. By that time, the game was long gone. Bangor led by as much as 22 points during the final minutes of play.

Some cold shooting by Bangor and slick outside pegging by Will Sprague of the Shipbuilders made it a close scramble during the first half.

The Rams, rebounding with a vengeance and passing sharply, just couldn’t make the ball drop through the net in the early stages. Bangor made only four of 17 attempts in the first period, although Leadbetter’s two-pointer gave the home team a 15-14 edge after the first eight minutes.

Sprague began to hit some classy outside shooting in the second quarter and accounted for eight straight points midway in that stanza. The Shipbuilders built up a five-point lead at one stage, but Bangor fought back and knotted the count just before the halftime buzzer on Cohen’s arching set shot from outside the foul circle.

Sprague tallied 12 of his team’s 16 points in the second period to keep Morse in the ball game. Bangor made only 10 of 35 attempts from the floor in the first half.

Morse entered the game with a big advantage in reach, but it didn’t impress the Rams, who made their best showing of the year. They dominated both boards and simply out-scrapped their western Maine rivals.

Leadbetter’s 19 points topped the Bangor scoring, with Cohen pitching in 17. Lawton, with 14 points, had a perfect night. The steady little guard dropped in five-for-five from the floor and four-for-four from the foul line.

Sprague’s 17 points led the Shipbuilders, who dropped their second game in five starts. Ray Bishop, Morse’s high-scoring guard, was held to 13 points by a sticky Bangor defense.