(FRENCH VERSION SUIT)
MONTREAL — This week marks the anniversary of the first university men’s basketball game played in Canada, 122 years ago. McGill defeated Queen’s 9-7 in overtime in the inaugural intercollegiate hoops contest, played on Feb. 6, 1904, in Kingston, Ont.
A brief newspaper account of the game was published in The Queen’s Journal (Vol. 31, No. 7) on Feb. 16, 1904 as follows:
“The first of the Canadian Intercollegiate basket-ball matches was played on Saturday between McGill and Queen’s. It is to be hoped that this will become a permanent feature, for the more we brush up against our sister Colleges the more we will sympathize with each other.
“An inter-collegiate basket-ball match, between Queen’s and McGill, was played in the YMCA gymnasium on Saturday, February 6th. McGill won out by the score of 9 to 7. There was a good attendance of spectators, as the game is quite popular among the students. The match was a good exhibition and was keenly contested. At half-time the score was 4 to 3, in favor of McGill. In the second half Queen’s played up and managed to tie the score. At full time the result was 7 to 7. After 10 minutes extra play McGill scored the winning goal. For Queen’s Warren did the most effective work, while A. Ross was the most conspicuous on the McGill team.”
That first McGill team, guided by coach C.B. Powter and team manager Mr. McKergow, was composed of B.H. Higgins, O.B. Keddy, A. Ross, C.W. Oliver, F. Shenkle and team captain Daniel Ross.
Basketball was invented by James Naismitha former football, rugby, soccer and gymnastics star at McGill, on Dec. 21, 1891. An inaugural inductee to the McGill Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, Naismith graduated from McGill in 1887 and was among the top 10 in his class with a B.A. Honours, majoring in philosophy and Hebrew.
Only 160 pounds, legends quickly grew about his strength and agility. As a sophomore in 1884-85, he volunteered to play centre in practice one day for an injured rugby-football player. Despite having never played the sport, he became an instant starter and did not miss a game over the next three years. In 1885-86 he won the Wicksteed silver medal as the junior class’s gymnastics champion at McGill. In his graduating year, he received the Wicksteed gold medal as the athletics champion of the senior class.
Naismith later taught physical education and became McGill’s first full-time instructor of athletics before accepting a position at the YMCA College in Springfield, Mass., where he devised the rules to basketball and first introduced it to his class on Dec. 21, 1891.
Naismith was a Presbyterian minister, a medical doctor, a physical educator and received 11 academic degrees. “He had a remarkable career — a career the likes of which probably no other Canadian ever has had,” said former classmate Rev. W.D. Reid in 1939.
A native of Ramsay Township near Almonte, Ont., Naismith was born on Nov. 16, 1861 and died in Lawrence, Kansas on Nov. 28, 1939.
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THIS WEEK IN HISTORY (February 6, 1904): Anniversary of the first men’s university basketball game in Canada
MONTREAL — This week marks the anniversary of the first men’s university basketball game played in Canada, 122 years ago. McGill defeated Queen’s 9-7 in overtime in the first interuniversity game, played on February 6, 1904 in Kingston, Ontario.
A brief account of the match was published in the Queen’s Journal (vol. 31, no. 7) on February 16, 1904, as follows:
“The first Canadian interuniversity basketball game was played on Saturday between McGill and Queen’s. It is hoped that this will become a tradition, because the more we are around our sister colleges, the more we sympathize with each other.
“An interuniversity basketball game between Queen’s and McGill took place in the YMCA gymnasium on Saturday February 6. McGill won 9 to 7. The match attracted a lot of spectators, as the sport is very popular among students. The match was hotly contested and offered a great spectacle. At halftime, the score was 4-3 in favor of McGill. In the second half, Queen’s came back and managed to equalize. At the end of regulation time, the score was 7 to 7. After 10 minutes of overtime, McGill scored the winning goal. For Queen’s, Warren was the most effective, while A. Ross stood out the most on the McGill team. »
This first McGill team, led by coach CB Powter and manager M. McKergow, consisted of BH Higgins, OB Keddy, A. Ross, CW Oliver, F. Shenkle and captain Daniel Ross.
Basketball was invented by James Naismitha former football, rugby, soccer and gymnastics star at McGill, on December 21, 1891. Inducted into the McGill Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, Naismith graduated from McGill in 1887 and was among the top 10 in his class with an honors degree in philosophy and Hebrew.
Weighing only 72 kg, he quickly became legendary for his strength and agility. As a sophomore in 1884-85, he volunteered to play center in practice one day, replacing an injured rugby player. Although he never played the sport, he immediately became a starter and did not miss a game over the next three years. In 1885–86 he won the Wicksteed silver medal as gymnastics champion of the junior class at McGill. The year he graduated, he received the Wicksteed Gold Medal as the senior class track and field champion.
Naismith later taught physical education and became McGill’s first full-time athletics instructor before accepting a position at YMCA College in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he developed the rules of basketball and first introduced it to his class on December 21, 1891.
Naismith was a Presbyterian minister, physician, physical educator, and holder of 11 college degrees. “He had a remarkable career, a career like no other Canadian probably ever had,” said his former classmate, the Reverend WD Reid, in 1939.
A native of Ramsay Township, near Almonte, Ontario, Naismith was born on November 16, 1861 and died in Lawrence, Kansas on November 28, 1939.
SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
