Maine West's varsity cagers tangle with a highly‑regarded and so far undefeated team from Morton West tonight, as the Warriors go for their third straight victory. The West bucketmen will enter the game with an interim record of 3‑1 and a season mark of 4‑2. After playing the Falcons, an away contest, the Westmen return home to meet the Panthers from Proviso West.

Balance has been the key to Maine's success so far this season, with each of the starting five averaging between nine and 11 points per game. Barney Franzen holds the highest total of points for the first six games, with 67.

Although West has outscored its opponents on free throws every time this year, inconsistency in this area proved fatal in at least one game. In their first six games, the Warriors have averaged about only 60 per cent of their charity shots. Out‑shooting, too, is in need of improvement, with Coach Freeman's quintet hitting about one out of three, too low a percentage for a team to be a really consistent winner. Much of this has been made up, however, by the hustle shown by the team.

It was this same hustle which enabled the Warriors to send Willowbrook home last week with that team's first loss of the season, 66‑53. The intenseness with which the game was fought was indicated by the unusually high number of fouls, 58 for both teams. Four players from each side fouled out in a game that saw both teams have hot steaks of seven points in a row.

After Willowbrook had dunked the first basket, the Warriors came back with seven points of their own to go out in front, where they stayed for most of the half. But in the last minutes of the half, Willowbrook tied it up 27‑27 with seven in a row.

After a few indecisive moments in the third quarter, though, West took the lead and kept it, as they dominated the rest of the game. Barney Franzen led the scoring, with a total of 22, high for a Maine West player this season. The Westmen also pulled down 41 rebounds, 16 by Al Waters to aid them in their win.

Summery of recent west games:

Waukegan 45, Maine West 42

In a real heart‑breaker for Maine, free throws proved to be the difference, as the Warriors could sink only 10 of 19 attempted. After keeping even with the Bulldogs for the first half, Maine's attack bogged down in the third period, and the Westmen entered the last quarter spotting the Suburban

League team nine points. They almost made up this deficit, however, and several times pulled within one point. With 14 seconds left in the game, West had the ball, was trailing 43‑42, but couldn't get another basket. Waukgan dunked one in the final seconds.

Maine West 54, West Leyden 45 West Leyden proved somewhat easier, but Maine still had a fight on its hands, and was only able to win by nine points over the Eagles. Free throws once again decided the contest, but this time in favor of West, which hit 20 of 36 attempted. Al Waters led Maine's scoring attack with 14 points.

Wheaton 71, Maine West 59

Playing without the services of Waters, out because of illness, the squad was outplayed throughout the game by a tough Wheaton team. The Tigers had built up a 43‑33 lead by halftime, and the closest Maine was able to come thereafter was five points. Rick Warnicke led the team in a futile cause with 20 points.

Maine West 64, Glenbard East 51

Dominating the Rams as effectively as Wheaton dominated Maine, the Warriors sank four quick baskets and then held a steady lead for the rest of the game. Balanced scoring again proved helpful as four players again scored in double figures.

After Proviso West, the Warriors must face only one more rival before Christmas. They will take on Glenbrook's Spartans Thursday night. Having entered no holiday tournaments, West will not resume play until January 5, when they travel to Deerfield.