The memorable triple overtime game of March 1, 1962

This is part two of two.

KEWAUNEE COUNTY – The big day — March 1, 1962 — finally arrived. Before a packed house of 1,700 fans in Luxemburg’s new gym, including some 600 from Kewaunee, what would become one of the most memorable games in the long, storied history of the Kewaunee-Algoma rivalry began in the opening game of the state tournament.

Kewaunee started strong, racing out to a 19-14 first quarter lead and extending the margin to nine points in the second quarter. However, Algoma managed to narrow the deficit to 41-38 at halftime. Conference scoring champion Tim Zettel rifled in three quick baskets to open the second half, giving the Wolves a 44-41 lead. But then Kewaunee rallied to lead by a 55-52 score at the end of the third period.

Now, it was on to the wild fourth quarter. Midway through the period, somebody tossed an egg from the seats that nearly struck LeRoy Sroda, Algoma’s head coach, before splattering on the court. The emotion of the game became so unbearable that Algoma cheerleader Sharon Dix fainted, requiring medical attention. Late in the quarter, Kewaunee’s Don Von committed his fifth foul. When he lingered on the court, Algoma fans began chanting, “Get out! Get out!”

Meanwhile, Zettel also committed his fifth foul midway through the final quarter. To replace his best player, Sroda called on Mike Sibilsky, son of Marv Sibilsky, the legendary Algoma teacher and athletic coach. Although Mike had seen little action during the regular season, scoring a grand total of seven points, he made three crucial baskets to keep the Wolves in the game.

The lead changed hands a total of six times during the hectic fourth quarter. Trailing 64-62, Algoma sophomore Jim Pavlick sank a short jump shot with eight seconds left to tie the game. Neither team scored during the first overtime, sending the game into overtime number two, much to the delight of the howling spectators.

With Kewaunee nursing a 67-65 lead in the second overtime, Pavlick again came to the Wolves’ rescue by sinking a pair of free throws with 13 seconds left. Then, with two seconds left, Allen Slack drew a foul. Given a chance to win the game for Kewaunee, with the crowd in a frenzy, his free throw attempt bounced crazily off the rim, forcing a third overtime.

Although he lost an opportunity to be the hero of the game, Slack would become a community hero that summer when he a rescued a man from Lake Michigan while working as a lifeguard.

Slack and Algoma’s Bruce Charles traded baskets in the third overtime. Late in the period, Tom Baudhuin passed to Charles, who sank a jump shot to put Algoma ahead, 71-69. When a Kewaunee shot in the final seconds missed, Mark Wautlet grabbed the rebound and threw the ball down court as the horn sounded. Algoma had upset Kewaunee. Fans stormed onto the court to mob the players who, in turn, carried their coach off the court.

A total of 46 fouls were called in a game that featured more free throws made (50) than baskets (45), underscoring the physical nature of the contest.

“Coach Sroda was so excited,” recalled Pavlick, “that he got out of the car on the way home and danced a little jig in the highway to the tune of ‘Let Me In’ by The Sensations, a popular song at the time.”

With social media decades into the future and the game not broadcast because WDOR was a sun-up to sun-down radio station, fans not attending the game had to wait for the 10 o’clock news on television to learn the outcome. Green Bay’s stations led its sports segments with Algoma’s upset win. Channel 5’s Bill Howard began his report by saying, “Boy, do we have an upset to report to you,” while Channel 2’s “Big Al” Sampson simply threw his script in the air in wonderment as he reported the score.

The Milwaukee Journal reported the upset with a banner headline in its sports section. “March came in like Wolves rather than a lion as far as Kewaunee’s Indians were concerned,” began the game story in the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Kewaunee would go on to repeat as conference champions during the following year. Ironically, the two teams would meet again in the first round of the state tournament on March 1, 1963, one year to the day of Algoma’s upset win. This time, however, Kewaunee prevailed, 62-49 — proving that lightning doesn’t strike twice.