1st Dynasty, MSG Star Dominate S16 Game - 1939 LIU 77, St. Louis 55

Our Elite Eight now includes a 2025 representative (Duke, winners of the previous game) and the first Value Add Basketball Game team, as 1939 Long Island University cruised to its second straight blowout victory.

The first college basketball star to ever pack Madison Square Garden, Irv Torgoff, sparked an 11–0 run that broke a 31–31 tie. With 17:20 remaining (29 possessions), Torgoff hit one of only two three-pointers in the entire game—one for each team—and was fouled. As one of the few high-percentage free-throw shooters of the era, the “17” on the 1–20 die roll fell within his 1–17 make range, pushing the lead to 39–31.

On the ensuing possession, Torgoff stole the ball and ignited a fast break, dishing to point guard Oscar Shechtman for a layup. That basket made it 41–31, and the game never returned to single digits. Long Island rolled from there to a dominant 77–55 victory.

Shechtman finished with a game-high 20 points, while St. Louis freshman standout Dick Boushka led the Billikens with 15 points, nine rebounds, and five blocked shots in the loss. St. Louis (1952) had advanced with a thrilling 80–79, last-second win over the 2025 Oklahoma team in the opening round, but they entered this matchup ranked well behind Long Island—172nd all-time in our game compared to St. Louis’ 46th-place ranking, a mark that will rise following this tournament run.

Long Island could face a more closely matched opponent in the next round, as 54th-ranked Auburn 2025 takes on the 1982 Idaho team for the right to play Indiana.