The amazing University of Dayton "Cinderella" trail to basketball fame and glory has detoured suddenly and abruptly last Saturday night to the phenomenal free-wheeling Bruins of UCLA.

In this 1967 National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship classic, all of Dayton's courage, poise, determination and hustle could not contain the fabulous five from UCLA.

Playing before 18,982 fans in Louisville's spacious Freedom Hall and millions more on national television, the Bruins capitalized on a frigid Dayton shooting spell in the first half and bolted to an insurmountable 38-20 cushion at the half.



Bruins Coasted

It was downhill the rest of the way for the classy Bruins, they coasted to an easy 79-64 vicoty which earned them their third NCAA crown in four years. The Bruins could add two more to their collection if their prized sophomore wunderkid Lew Alcindor decides to remain on the campus scene.

Coach Don Donoher handed Dan Obrovac the unenviable assignment of guarding Alcindor but the sophomore did all he could before he was moved in favor of Glinder Torain.

Obrovac was forced to change his style against the 7'1'' super-star and did not take his normal shot. When the Flyers had fallen behind by 10, Donoher decided to sacrifice height for speed and inserted the 6'6'' Torain into the lineup.



Collapsed on Alcindor

The Flyers opened with a man-to-man defense which collapsed as many as three men around Alcindor every time he latched his hands onto the ball.

Alcindor contented himself with passing off to the brilliant playmakers Mike Warren and Lucius Allen. With Alcindor having his way at both ends of the court, and Warren and Allen repeated breaking through Dayton's scheme, the Bruins rocketed to a 26-8 lead with six minutes remaining in the half.

The Flyers had little trouble penetrating the Bruins' heralded full-court zone press, but once past midcourt the ominous figure of Alcindor loomed menacingly at the rear to the press to intimidate any drive to the basket.

Don May, whose 34 point outburst against North Carolina prompted writers to say it was one of the finest individual performances in tournament history was disturbed by Alcindor and missed his first nine shots.

May replied, "I didn't take my normal shot. Subconsciously he was in the back of my mind and caused me not to concentrate."

May wasn't the only Flyer who was "psyched" by the awesome one-man defense of Alcindor. As a team Dayton shot a feeble 23 per cent in the first half after shooting a torrid 50% against North Carolina the night before. Credit Alcindor for the remarkable reversal of form.



Change of Strategy

Donoher changed strategy in the second half and instead of employing a set offense the Flyers started to fast break against the Bruins. The rout was really on now. Alcindor, Allen, Warren and Lynn Shackelford combined to put the game well out of reach. Coach John Wooden pulled his sensitive phenom Alcindor out of the massacre with the Bruins leading by 24 points.

UCLA increased their lead to 76-47 before Wooden decided to empty the bench with 4:01 remaining in the game. The worst defeat in a championship game came in 1960 when the Ohio State Buckeyes rocked California 75-55. Donoher kept his first stringers in the game almost to the bitter end to avoid any further humiliation.

Donoher admitted, "If it hadn't been for Wooden's mercy we would have been beaten by 30 or 35 points."

May led all scorers with 21 points and was the high point man in the tournament with 55 points. Alcindor hit on 8 of 12 shots and finished with 20 points.