Wes Murray, CEO of Texas County Memorial Hospital, and his national champion junior college teammates from Three Rivers were inducted Sunday into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
The 1979 team finished 37-3, beating Mercer County 60-59 in overtime for the National Junior Collage Athletic Association championship on two free throws with 10 seconds left. Three Rivers had won the semifinals 109-103 in double overtime against Western Texas, then coached by future Arkansas Razorbacks coach Nolan Richardson.
Members of the team were: coach Gene Bess, assistant coach Roger Pattillo, Thurlon “Sam” Weaver, Don Brown, Mark Guethle, Robert Kirby, Sylvester James, Marvin “Moon” McCrary, Dale Purnell, Milton Woodley, Pat Niemcyzk, Chuck Johnson, Dwayne Walker, Murray and manager Rick Alsup.