Meanwhile, the effectiveness of Skip Hughes' coaching began to be measured in ways other than the winning teams he brought to the Loretto campus and by the growing interest in the college game in the nearby cities of Altoona and Johnstown where fans began to take notice. Not one to rest on the exploits of Stokes, who had gone on to surpass everyone from the college ranks once he hit the NBA and took rookie of the year honors in 1956, Hughes continued to seek his successor if not his equal.

Cal Fowler, the top scorer in Pittsburgh City League history, and his backcourt mate Ed Winters were now destined to play more prominent roles and Hughes could point to another balanced attack in Aston, Jones and Trosch inside to go with the two guards outside.

With all the necessary ingredients for continuing success still neatly in place with Fowler and Winters negating the loss of O'Malley, it is difficult to believe that this edition of Saint Francis basketball would not be even better than previous ones.  "I don't know how they lost nine games that year," remarked O'Malley, repeating a conversation he later had with Trosch.   The team had managed 14 wins during the 1959-60 season highlighted by victories over small college powers Kentucky Wesleyan and Westminster, split with arch-rival Duquesne, losing by one point there and then blowing the Dukes out at home.  No player took greater satisfaction in defeating Duquesne than Trosch as he finished his career having lost to them just once.

CAL FOWLER 1960-1962 Cal Fowler is one of the greatest players to ever suit up for Saint Francis College's men's basketball team, but he will likely be better remembered for his gold medal performance as captain of his country's Olympic basketball team. Called "Slick" by his teammates, he was the personification of the word. He could handle the point, move the team along, make the key shot when it was needed, and sink a free throw with the best of them. A 1,179-point scorer for Saint Francis over an impressive three seasons in which he played with many of the school's greatest players, Fowler along with fellow guard Ed Winters formed the only backcourt in the nation during the 1961-62 season to connect for over 2,000 points. He was selected as a member of the 14-man United States basketball squad that played against Russia's touring team in the mid-1960s. He was a member of the Armed Services All-Stars which won the National AAU title, and this earned him a spot on the coveted U.S. squad and gave him valuable experience in international play as he teamed with UCLA's Gail Goodrich, Wyoming's Flynn Robinson, Dave Stallworth and Nate Bowman of Wichita. As captain of the 1968 U.S. Olympic champions and its oldest player at 28, Fowler led a team comprised of Spencer Haywood, Jo Jo White, and Charlie Scott to a victory in the gold medal game over Yugoslavia, 65-50. Surprisingly, the team had been an underdog to both Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union going into the Games.  He had captained the winning U.S. team in the previous year's Pan American Games. After his Olympic victory, he went on to play for the American Basketball Association's Carolina Cougars. "When you start naming guys from Saint Francis basketball," said Jim Lane, a reporter who covered the Frankies for many years for the Altoona Mirror, "Cal Fowler is a name that comes to mind immediately and he must rank as one of the top five players the school ever produced."

The following seasons were not as memorable but both Fowler and Winters could take solace in leaving with a winning record in 1962 counting wins over Marshall, Niagara and Kentucky Wesleyan.  Wins over Marshall were always memorable, said Trosch, with great stars like Hal Greer and Leo Byrd leading the Thundering Herd to national prominence.

Fowler added further luster to the school's reputation not only because he was named to the nation's 1968 Olympic team but because he played a prominent role as captain of his country's gold medal championship. A playmaking prodigy not only because he dished out plenty of scoring opportunities to his mates but also because he served as Saint Francis' leading scorer in 1960-62 and 1961-62.  During his junior year he led the team in seven statistical categories including rebounding. Upon graduation, he went on to play ball overseas where he attained a keen understanding of the international game under which the Olympics were played.

Sharpshooters of the 1950s had nudged modern basketball toward becoming a more wide-open offensive sideshow and brought a new formula for winning and in Fowler and Winters, Hughes had players who provided more than their fair share of the scoring punch during their college years.  To gain some appreciation for the two mens' importance to the team, consider that they were the only starting backcourt in the nation to feature two 1,000 point scorers in 1961-62.


What is The Golden Era?
From the late 1940s to the early 1970s, Saint Francis College ranked among the upper tier of the nation's college basketball programs. Between 1947 and 1971, SFC teams turned in 19 winning seasons, six 20-win campaigns and were selected to participate in the elite National Invitational Tournament on three occasions.

The Golden Era Series
The Golden Era series is a 12-part narrative of the history of the Saint Francis University men's basketball program.  The first eight parts are a chronological overview of the program's heyday, which spanned from the late 1940s to the early 1970s.  The last four parts detail themes or events that are woven through the mid-century Saint Francis teams.

PART I: Eastern Roots (6/26/13)
PART II: Stokes Sets The Standard (6/27/13)
PART III: A Most Complete Team (7/3/13)
PART IV: Gold Medal Guard Play (7/10/13)
PART V: Simply Sandy
PART VI: Stormin' Norman In Control
PART VII: Porter's Pulse
PART VIII: A Changing Game, A Changing Environment

The Meaning of Fellowship: Saint Francis vs. Jim Crow
The Jaffa Mosque: "Home of the Frankies"
The Rivalry: Saint Francis vs. Duquesne
The 'Spirit' That Was Saint Francis