By Kent Weathers and Jim Sullivan Basketball efforts of the 1952 season' rewarded the Wildcats with the number two spot in the Region Four National Junior College Athletic Conference tournament and number three position in the Intermountain Junior College Athletic conference. Close of one of the busiest seasons in Weber hoop history with the regional tournament March 1 also marked the eighteenth year of coaching the game here for Dr. Reed K. Swenson. The record of the veteran mentor included conference championships in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1946, and 1950; A. A. U. championships in 1938 and 1939, the conference tournament in 1942, and the Region Four tournament in 1949, 1950 and 1951. Main gaps in the record are explained in part by World War II and in part by withdrawal from affiliated competition for free lance games. Weber opened the 1952 regional tournament by beating Northwestern Center of Powell, Wyoming, 78 to 68. The next night the Cats tangled with Snow College Badgers in the tournament highlight. With seconds left, Snow had ball possession and a two-point lead. Don Budge of the Wildcats fired an intercepted ball to Jay Brown for a lay-up. Brown converted a foul penalty for the 52 to 51 home victory. But the championship night belonged to Branch Agricultural College, 70 to 59, who continued its excellent play of the season to finish sixth nationally at Hutchinson, Kansas, losing in close games. Pre-season trips took Weber to Compton, Snow and Dixie, with Compton gaining revenge for the defeat of the previous year and the other two schools losing to the Cats, and to the Branch Agricultural College Tournament at Cedar City, won by the Aggies. The 1952 basketball team: front from left, Paul Furlong, Carlyle MacDonald, Don Budge, Jay Brown, Don Shaw, Ron Lowder; rear from left, Mark Ballif, Larry Peterson, Ron Wilkinson, Glen Hadfield, Bill Thackeray, Don Butler. These men made the near-win in the regional tournament, taken by Branch Agricultural College, Cedar City. All-tournament team: Don Budge, Weber; Totten, Boise Junior College; Larry Peterson, Weber; La Fletchie, Northwest Center College, Powell, Wyo.; Allred, Snow College, Ephraim; Adams, B. A. C, outstanding tournamment player; Marshall, B. A. C, who was voted All-American in the national tournament at Hutchinson, Kansas, later. Swenson Completes 18 Years as Basketball Mentor With Busy Court Season Don Budge, Weber strong man, goes up over Johnson, big Westminster center, for two points. In four contests with the Parsons games were two and two during the season. Ron Lowder is the show in this play, forcing Carl Hamann of Snow College Badgers to contact as Lowder leaps several feet off the hardwood. Freshman Lowder gained considerable strength in scoring plays as the season progressed. Weber took a tight one in regional tournament play in this game 52 to 51. Bad breaks, illness and injuries kept the Wildcats to third place in the conference in 1952. One of the wins was from Ricks, the four-year Rexburn Idaho, school, conference champions, with a 76 to 61 score. The starting five usually consisted of Larry (Sonny) Peterson, Ronald (Ron) Wilkinson, Donald (Don) Butler and Mark Ballif. Other players seeing action were Glen Hadfield, Paul Furlong, Jay Brown, William (Bill) Thackeray, Carlyle MacDonald Dee (Mickey) Draney, Ronald (Ron) Lowder and Donald (Don) Wilkinson. Clair Anderson assisted Dr. Swenson with the coaching job. Plans for 1953 include a pre-season road trip to the Northwest scheduled for eight-games.