Veteran New Brighton sports fans rate Tom Hurley as probably the
best all around basketball player
their high school ever produced. Tom was
a 1931 New Brighton graduate, where he was captain of the
cage squad his senior year. The Lions were section champions his
junior and senior seasons and went to the WPIAL finals in 1931
before losing in overtime to New Kensington. Tom was named to the
Beaver County All Star team as a senior and to the All WPIAL teams
by both the Pittsburgh Press and the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. After
attending Duquesne University for one semester, Tom transferred to
Geneva College and was a four year basketball regular there. The
highlight of his Geneva career was a victory that ended Long Island
University’s 52 game winning streak in 1936; at the time Long Island
was ranked No 1 in the nation and had two All Americans on its
squad. Geneva also topped Long Island in another 1938 surprise, the last
time the two schools met on the basketball hardwood. Another
highlight of Tom’s Geneva years were victories over highly touted
City College of New York teams in 1935 and 1936, the second of which
was played in Madison Square Garden before 18,000 fans. These
wins helped him win many All Star honors. Before entering Geneva,
Tom played semipro ball for the Beaver Falls St Mary’s team
in the Penn-Ohio League and later coached and played for St Mary’s
again. He also coached the New Brighton team for five years after
World War II. Tom was inducted into the New Brighton Sports Hall
of Fame in 1975. He died in 1983 at age 71.
Veteran New Brighton sports fans rate Tom Hurley as probably the
best all around basketball player
their high school ever produced. Tom was
a 1931 New Brighton graduate, where he was captain of the
cage squad his senior year. The Lions were section champions his
junior and senior seasons and went to the WPIAL finals in 1931
before losing in overtime to New Kensington. Tom was named to the
Beaver County All Star team as a senior and to the All WPIAL teams
by both the Pittsburgh Press and the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. After
attending Duquesne University for one semester, Tom transferred to
Geneva College and was a four year basketball regular there. The
highlight of his Geneva career was a victory that ended Long Island
University’s 52 game winning streak in 1936; at the time Long Island
was ranked No 1 in the nation and had two All Americans on its
squad. Geneva also topped Long Island in another 1938 surprise, the last
time the two schools met on the basketball hardwood. Another
highlight of Tom’s Geneva years were victories over highly touted
City College of New York teams in 1935 and 1936, the second of which
was played in Madison Square Garden before 18,000 fans. These
wins helped him win many All Star honors. Before entering Geneva,
Tom played semipro ball for the Beaver Falls St Mary’s team
in the Penn-Ohio League and later coached and played for St Mary’s
again. He also coached the New Brighton team for five years after
World War II. Tom was inducted into the New Brighton Sports Hall
of Fame in 1975. He died in 1983 at age 71.