Warde Cagers Defeated Notre Dame of Fairfield at Fairfield Festival 49 Years Ago Today

Phil Ness and the Andrew Warde High School boys' basketball team stifled a Notre Dame comeback bid in the closing minutes and held on for a 72-65 victory in the opening round of the Fairfield Festival basketball tournament before a capacity crowd of 3,100 fans at Fairfield University's Alumni Hall, Thursday, December 27, 1973.

Trailing 52-44 entering the final eight minutes, the Lancers went to work. Dave Lehn, a six-foot-two senior forward, scored 17 of his 30 points in the final chapter on an assortment of long-range bombs as Notre Dame managed to grab a short-lived 59-58 lead at the 4:21 mark. Lehn's three-point play at that point put the Lancers ahead.

The lead see-sawed back and forth until Bob Neilson tallied a pair of free throws with 1:37 remaining to give the Crimson Eagles a 66-65 advantage they never relinquished. Ness blocked three shots during the final minute of play and made a pair of steals to ice the verdict. The six-foot-seven center finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds, 10 blocked shots, and 10 steals.

Ness was aided by Ron DelBianco, who chipped in with 18 points, and Bob Cleveland with 11 markers. Lehn received support from sophomore Tommy Burbank, who scored 12, and Kelly Lombard with 10. Warde managed quarter leads of 19-16, 42-27, and 52-44 before the frantic final minutes of play.

John Lademan's steal of an errant pass with seven seconds remaining lifted Fairfield Prep to a narrow 64-60 victory over a scrappy Ludlowe outfit in the nightcap.

Paul

Senior Ron DelBianco Eclipsed 1,000 Point Mark in Win Over Stamford 49 Years Ago

Senior Ron DelBianco scored seven points in the last three minutes to eclipse the 1,000 point career mark, and teammate Phil Ness converted two three-point plays during that same span to lead the Andrew Warde High School varsity basketball team to a 77-64 FCIAC victory over Stamford at the winners' court 49 years ago today, Friday evening, December 21, 1973.

DelBianco, who needed 14 points heading into the game to crack the prestigious plateau, suffered through some jittery moments in pursuit of the mark, but finished with 20 points, giving him 1,006 for his career. His two clutch free throws with 3:15 left in the game gave the winners a ten-point lead, 62-52, and also vaulted him into the Warde record book.

Stamford, which fell to 1-2, had narrowed a 20-point second half deficit to eight points on a free throw by Forrest Andrews at the 3:30 mark. DelBianco subsequently canned his foul shots, and then came back moments later to complete a three-point play, stretching the lead to 11 at 65-54. Ness, who finished with a team-high 23 points and 25 rebounds, sandwiched his six points around a Stamford bucket to put the Crimson Eagles safely in front, 71-58, with two minutes left.

Warde had to contest with Stamford's Ernie Cobb all night as the Black Knights' rubber-armed guard fired in 37 points. He converted 17 of 42 shots. Cobb's 10 points enabled the visitors to hold a 17-15 first quarter lead, but he cooled down in the second stanza when Warde outscored the guests, 16-1, in the last three-and-a-half-minutes for a 38-29 lead at the intermission.

Reserve guard Bob Sherman keyed Warde's second period surge by scoring ten points in the last four minutes of the quarter. The junior also helped solve Stamford's full-court zone press, which riddled the winners in the early stages of the contest. He finished with 16 points and also turned in a fine defensive effort, helping to harrass Cobb on his jump shots from long range.

Both teams were cold in the third period, but Warde managed to add three points to its nine point halftime advantage for a 53-41 lead entering the final stanza. Cobb tallied 10 of his team's 12 points in the period.

Brad Gold helped out Ness with 11 caroms. The winners outshot the Black Knights, 48 percent to 35 percent.

Warde captured the jayvee contest, 54-53, behind Tom Curry's 15 point performance.

Paul