Viking_Yearbook_61

From left: Ron Brown, Fronk Chase, Gordon Riese, Bill Turner, Jock Bertell, Don Bridges. Standing: Robert Scruggs, assistant coach; Don Powell, Gary Morton, Ron Saltmarsh, Eldon Lahti, R'oger Williams and Sharkey Nelson, coach. Coach Sharkey Nelson and his basketball team continued the winning hoop tradi­ tion at Portland State College during the 1960-61 season. The Vikings finished in a tie for second place in final Oregon Collegiate Confer­ ence standings, grabbed off thi rd place honors in the District 2 NAlA tournament, and completed the season with a 16-11 record. Inability to win overtime games cost the Vikings a chance for a brilliant won-loss record . The Staters went past regulation time on six occasions and won only one of the overtime contests. After grabbing off a second place finish in the OCC, Portland State lost a heart­ breaking 50-49 verdict to Linfield in the District 2 NAIA playoff. The Vikings led throughout the game and lost in the final ten seconds of action. The Viks did gain third place in the District 2 playoff, however, by defeating cross-town rival Lewis and Clark, 77-65, at the Memorial Coliseum. Don Bridges, senior forward , was selected to the NAIA All-American squad after earning all-star honors in both the Oregon Collegiate Conference and District 2 NAlA. Bill Turner, sophomore center and the team's leading scorer, also was named to the OCC all-star team. SHARKEY NELSON, Caach Other key performers for the Vikings were forwards Jack Bartell and Frank Chase and guards, Eldon L ahti, Don Powell, and Ron Saltmarsh. .