Demarest Set Rebounding Record to Lead Eagles Over Crusaders 52 Years Ago Today

Lee Demarest pulled down a record-breaking 23 rebounds and scored 13 points to lead Andrew Warde High School's boys' basketball team to a narrow 60-59 victory over Stamford Catholic in a Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference game at the Warde gym 52 years ago today, Friday, January 19, 1962.

The six-foot-one-inch Demarest snapped the Crimson Eagles' rebounding record with his 23 boards, and he scored what proved to be the winning points on a jump shot with three minutes remaining in the contest. The jumper gave the winners a 56-55 lead which they never relinquished.


Sharp-shooting by Demarest and Wayne Gower helped Warde take a 14-8 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Stamford Catholic countered in the second stanza, behind the shooting of Jerry Esposito and Don Foust, to take a 31-30 halftime lead.

The lead changed hands several times in the third and fourth quarters until Demarest's basket put Warde ahead for keeps.

Esposito was the game's high scorer with 29 points, while Gower, Demarest, and Bab Ryan sparked Warde with 19, 13, and 13 points, respectively. Jim Siavrakes also played a standout game for the Eagles with some superb floormanship.

The triumph boosted Warde's FCIAC record to 4-5, while the Crusaders league mark fell to 1-8.

The Crimson Eagles' jayvees won the preliminary game over the Crusaders' reserves, 56-49. Marty Nelson was high-scorer for the winners with 12 points.

Paul