NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Westminster College will recognize its 1959-60 men's basketball team on Saturday, Nov. 21, as the team reunites to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The team will be honored at halftime of the Westminster-Notre Dame (Ohio) game that tips at 4 p.m. on Saturday in the final game of the 18th annual Buzz Ridl Classic.
Ridl coached Westminster to the 1960 NAIA National Tournament championship game in Kansas City where the Titans lost to Southwest Texas State, 66-44, and finished the season with a 24-3 record (.888). That team's record ranks fourth in school history for total wins and winning percentage
Westminster posted a record 18-2 in the regular season, which included losses to St. Francis (73-68) and Pitt (75-61). The Titans then rolled through the District 30 playoffs with wins over Geneva (56-53) and Mansfield (63-61 OT) before entering the NAIA tournament in Kansas City.
The wins in the NAIA tournament included victories over Maryland State (64-63), Whittier (59-50), Hamline (62-59) and Tennessee A&I (39-38), the three-time defending national champion that won 18 straight NAIA tournament games before losing to the Titans. Don McCaig scored the winning bucket at the buzzer on a put-back following a Ron Galbreath misfire. Galbreath, a sophomore that year, would go on to earn All-America honors in 1961 and 1962.
The one All-American on the 1960 team was senior guard Chuck Davis, whose additional awards included the NAIA Hustle Award, first team all-district, Little All-American, All-East, and Associated Press and United Press International All-America. Davis finished his career with 1,408 career points, which ranked third when he graduated and currently ranks 10th on Westminster's all-time career scoring list.
Galbreath, who later coached Westminster for 25 years with a 448-206 record ending in 1998, surpassed Davis' total as he currently ranks fourth all-time at Westminster with 1,586 points.
Senior standouts on the 1960 team included Davis (21.1 points per game), McCaig (10.7), Ron Minnie (6.3) and John Walker (4.2). The top underclassmen on the squad consisted of Galbreath (12.9), juniors Jack Steele (7.1) and Leroy Shaw (40 total points) and freshman Warren Sallade (10 total points), who later earned All-America honors in 1962 and 1963 and ranks 16th at Westminster with 1,272 points.
Ridl, who coached at Westminster 12 years ending in 1968, posted a 216-91 (.704) record at Westminster including six trips to the NAIA tournament and a return trip to the NAIA finals in 1962.
After coaching at Westminster, Ridl moved on to coach Pitt to a 97-83 record from 1968-75. After a successful run with the Panthers, Ridl returned to Westminster as director of alumni affairs from 1975-77 and also coached the Titan golf team on a part-time basis during his retirement from 1979-91.
Following Ridl's passing in 1995, Westminster renamed its home court the Buzz Ridl Gymnasium in 1996 at the sixth annual Buzz Ridl Classic. His family requested that memorial donations be made to Coaches vs. Cancer following his death. Now in its 18th year, proceeds of the Buzz Ridl Classic benefit Coaches vs. Cancer.
Players on the 1959-60 team who are confirmed to attend Saturday's ceremony include Davis, Galbreath, McCaig, Minnie and Bill Douds. Walker and Shaw are tentatively slated to attend. In addition, members of Ridl's family are expected to attend. They include widow Betty Ridl '42, son Jack Ridl '67, and daughter Betsy Ridl Baun '70.
About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College is a top tier liberal arts college and a national leader in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Guide to America's Best Colleges. Westminster ranked third among liberal arts colleges in social mobility, according to the Washington Monthly College Guide, and is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 371 Colleges" and "Best in the Northeast" by The Princeton Review, and is named to the President's Honor Roll for excellence in service learning.
Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty while choosing from 41 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa., campus. Visit www.westminster.edu/advantage to view "Advantage: Westminster" A Strategic Plan 2010-2020.
