Notable people · Athlete · Basketball
Bevo Francis
Clarence "Bevo" Francis played for tiny Rio Grande College in Gallia County and became one of the highest scorers in college basketball history. His 113-point game in 1954 stood as a college scoring mark for decades.
At a glance
- Born
- 1932-09-04
- Died
- 2015-06-03
- Education
- Rio Grande College (now University of Rio Grande), Rio Grande, OH, 1952-1954
- Known as
- Athlete, Basketball
- Organizations
- Rio Grande College
Life story
Clarence Francis, called Bevo, was born in 1932 at Hammondsville, Ohio. He started high school at Irondale and finished at Wellsville, where he scored 776 points in 25 games as a senior in 1951.
He then went to Rio Grande College, a very small school in Gallia County. In 1952-53 he averaged 48.3 points a game, including a 116-point night against Ashland Junior College. In 1953-54 he averaged 48.0, and on one night scored 113 against Hillsdale College.
The NCAA left out some of his games because they were against junior colleges. Philadelphia drafted him in 1956, but he played barnstorming ball and chose to go home to Ohio rather than pursue the NBA.
Francis died in 2015. The Bevo Francis Award now goes to the top small-college player.
Timeline
- 1932-09-04: Born (Hammondsville, OH) source
- 1951: Scores 776 points in 25 high school games (Wellsville, OH) source
- 1952: Enrolls at Rio Grande College (Rio Grande, OH) source
- 1953: Averages 48.3 points a game; scores 116 against Ashland Junior College (Rio Grande, OH) source
- 1954: Scores 113 points against Hillsdale College (Rio Grande, OH) source
- 1956: Drafted 23rd overall by the Philadelphia Warriors (Philadelphia, PA) source
- 2015-06-03: Dies (Highlandtown, OH) source
What Bevo is known for
- Scored 113 points in one game against Hillsdale College, 1954
- Averaged 48.3 points a game in 1952-53
- Drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors in 1956
Inventions and firsts
- Bevo Francis scores 113 points in one college game (1954) credit is disputed
Honors and things named for them
- Second-team All-American (1954)
- Third-team All-American (1953)
- Bevo Francis Award named for him
Ohio places
Where Bevo Francis was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Hammondsville, Jefferson County ZIP 43930 · Jefferson County
- School: Rio Grande, Gallia County ZIP 45674 · Rio Grande · Gallia County
- Died: Highlandtown, Columbiana County Columbiana County
Myths and corrections
- Disputed: His 116-point game and other big nights came against weaker teams, and the NCAA excluded some of those games from his official averages.
Further reading
Sources
- Wikipedia: Bevo Francis birth, death, high schools, college seasons, scoring games, draft, honors