Kentucky - 52 (Head Coach: Adolph Rupp) - [Final Rank ]

Player	FG	FT	FTA	PF	Pts
Jim Line	5	1	3	5	11
James Jordan	0	0	1	0	0
Joe Holland	1	0	0	3	2
Wallace Jones	4	2	4	2	10
Alex Groza	3	2	4	2	8
Ralph Beard	2	0	2	2	4
Jack Parkinson	0	1	2	1	1
Ken Rollins	6	4	6	3	16
Dale Barnstable	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	21	10	22	18	52

St. Johns - 40 (Head Coach: Frank McGuire)

Player	FG	FT	FTA	PF	Pts
Gerry Calabrese	0	0	0	1	0
Thomas Tolan	2	8	8	3	12
Gerry Griffin	0	2	2	2	2
"Shadow" Weston	3	1	2	2	7
Archie Oldham	2	2	4	3	6
Dick McGuire	2	1	3	3	5
Larry Jakobson	1	0	0	3	2
Ivy Summer	2	2	3	3	6
Totals	12	16	22	20	40

Cats Beat St. John's, 52-40

Kentuckians' Attack Slowed by Injuries; Ruppmen Coast In

NEW YORK, Dec. 23 (AP) - Kentucky's Wildcats, still smarting under their unexpected one-point defeat by Temple last Saturday, released their wrath upon St. John's tonight, walloping the oft-beaten Redmen of Brooklyn, 52-40, in the opening game of a college basketball double-header before a capacity crowd of around 18,000 fans at Madison Square Garden, NYU defeated Cornell, 61-48, in the nightcap.

Although Kentucky's margin wasn't as large as expected, there was never any doubt about the outcome after the first five minutes. The Wildcats, with three ailing first stringers seeing limited duty, snapped a 5-5 ties early in the game and coast to their eighth triumph in nine starts this season. It was St. John's fifth consecutive loss in the Garden.

Were it not for the brilliant floor work of Dick (Mickey) McGuire, St. John's great court star, Kentucky's winning margin would have been twice as big. The six-foot ace, despite his disadvantage in height, snared most of the rebounds, stole numerous passes, broke up enemy defensive plays and fed his mates to most of their scores.

Capt. Ken Rollins and Forward Jim Line spearheaded the Kentucky attack. Rollins took scoring honors with 16 points on six baskets and four fouls, and Line, who fouled out eight minutes before the end of the game, netted 11 points. High man for St. John's was Tommy Tolan, with 12 points. The scrappy guard, who is on leave from the police force, connected for eight out of eight from the foul line.

Led by Line and Rollins, the Southeastern Conference champions piled up a 29-15 halftime margin. They increased their lead to 20 points, 43-23 midway in the second half, then graciously relented and St. John's staged a belated rally which served only to narrow Kentucky's lead.

Beard, despite an aggravated thigh injury, which limited his playing to only 16 minutes in the Temple game, started and starred for Kentucky. He played about half the game. Wah-Wah Jones, who has seen little action up to now due to a toe injury from his football activities, surprisingly saw lots of action. Cliff Barker, who injured his back in practice, did not see any action. The win was the fourth for Kentucky in five games with St. John's.

The first time the Wildcats got their hands on the ball, they scored. After St. John's grabbed the opening tip-off and missed a shot at their basket, Capt. Rollins snared the rebound, dribbled down the length of the court and dropped in a pretty one-handed jump shot from the foul line.

Rollins' free throw and a one-hander by limping Beard from a dozen feet out sandwiched around a pair of fouls by St. John's Gerry Griffin gave the Wildcats a 5-2 lead. Archie Oldham, St. John's six foot 8-inch center, connected with a pivot shot and followed with a charity toss to enable the Redmen to pull abreast of Kentucky.

That was the last time the Redmen were within breathing distance of the Southeastern Conference champions. Line, the southpaw specialist, then uncorked his unerring left arm and slung in eight of Kentucky's next 10 markers. Six of them came via his specialty, Alex Groza threw in the other two points on a one-handed toss from the corner.

St. John's came back to make it 15-9, but the aroused Wildcats got hot again and increased their margin to 24-11 at the 15-minute mark as Groza and Jones took up the scoring burden. Leading, 27-15, Kentucky went ahead 29-15 at halftime as Rollins stole a pass and dribbled down the length of the court to drop in an easy layup.

The Wildcats, refusing to give the Redmen a breathing spell, tallied six straight points, after Tolan tapped in a rebound, to put Kentucky ahead 34-17. Two baskets by Jones, two more by Rollins, and a free throw by Wah-Wah Jones more than made up for a pivot shot and two free throws by Tolan to put Kentucky ahead 43-23 midway in the stanza.

That appeared to be the signal for Kentucky to ease up. While Kentucky was held to a mere point in the next five minutes, St. John's scored seven to make it 44-30. Little Jim Weston was responsible for St. John's sudden barrage. In the last five minutes, the Wildcats were content to match St. John's basket for basket to win with plenty to spare.

Alex Groza (#36) and Wallace Jones (#27) squeeze St. Johns' Archie Oldham (white jersey in center) for rebound. Watching are St. John's Tom Tolan (#28) and Kentucky's Jim Line (#25)

Jim Line (left) and St. Johns' Dick McGuire collide while reaching for a loose ball

Alex Groza (#36) has his back turned as St. John's players Archie Oldham (#23) and Dick McGuire (#21) track down a rebound

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