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{{Use dmymdy dates|date=JulyOctober 20132020}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Bevo Francis
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| number = 32
| birth_date = {{birth date|1932|9|4|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Hammondsville, Ohio]], U.S.
| nationality = American
| death_date = {{death date and age|2015|6|3|1932|9|4|mf=yes}}
| death_place = [[Highlandtown, Ohio]], U.S.
| high_school = [[WellsvilleIrondale High School (Ohio)|WellsvilleIrondale]] (1948)<br />[[Wellsville, High School (Ohio)|Wellsville]] (1951)
| college = [[University of Rio Grande|Rio Grande]] (1952–1954)
| draft_year = 1956
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* Third-team All-American – AP ([[1953 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1953]])
}}
'''Clarence "Bevo" Francis''' (September 4, 1932 – June 3, 2015) was an American [[basketball]] player. Born on his family's farm in [[Hammondsville, Ohio]], he became one of the most prolific scorers in [[college basketball]] history during his career at [[University of Rio Grande|Rio Grande College]] (now known as the University of Rio Grande), topping over 100 points on two occasions. Standing {{convert|6|ft|9|in|m}} and known for his shooting touch, Francis held the NCAA record for points scored in a game from 1954–20121954 to 2012.
 
== Biography ==
In 1951, during his senior year in high school in [[Wellsville, Ohio]], Francis scored 776 points in 25 games for an average of nearly 32 points per game.<ref name="FLS">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19530110&id=N_ITAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Q4oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5711,845895|title=Bevo Francis, Collegiate Cager, Scores 116 Points for New Mark|date=January 10, 1953|last=Diles|first=Dave|agency=AP|newspaper=The Free-Lance Star}}</ref> In the process, he led his team to a 19–1 regular season record and a berth in the state playoffs. He was a unanimous all-state performer.▼
Francis started his high school career in 1948 as a freshman at Irondale High School. In 1949 he transferred to nearby Wellsville High School when his father became employed by the Wellsville School District. Concerns about his eligibility prevented him from playing basketball in 1949 & 1950.
▲In 1951, during his senior year in high school inat [[Wellsville, Ohio]], Francis scored 776 points in 25 games for an average of nearly 32 points per game.<ref name="FLS">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19530110&id=N_ITAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Q4oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5711,845895|title=Bevo Francis, Collegiate Cager, Scores 116 Points for New Mark|date=January 10, 1953|last=Diles|first=Dave|agency=AP|newspaper=The Free-Lance Star}}</ref> In the process, he led his team to a 19–1 regular season record and a berth in the state playoffs. He was a unanimous all-state performer.
 
In 1953, Francis averaged 48.3 points a game, which is an NCAA record.<ref>Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball, p.39, Bill Madden, Harper Collins Publishing, New York, 2010, {{ISBN|978-0-06-169031-0}}</ref> He actually averaged 50.1 points per game over the season, but the [[NCAA]] excluded some of his best games because they were against lesser competition, such as junior colleges. One of the games that did not count in the official totals was a 116-point game against [[Ashland Community and Technical College|Ashland Junior College]].
 
In 1954, Francis averaged 48.0 points a game. He scored a then-record 113 in a single game, eclipsed in 2012 by [[Grinnell College|Grinnell]]'s [[Jack Taylor (basketball)|Jack Taylor]]'s 138 points against Faith Baptist Bible.<ref name=utsd>{{cite news|title=Bevo will always be the best in our record book|date=25 November 25, 2012|newspaper=U-T San Diego|url=http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/nov/25/bevo-will-always-be-best-our-record-book/?print&page=all|archiveurl=https://wwwweb.webcitationarchive.org/6CTWrJkfc?url=web/20140103105101/http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/nov/25/bevo-will-always-be-best-our-record-book/?print&page=all|archivedate=27January November3, 20122014|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Francis still holds the top two scoring averages in [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] history, along with many NCAA records.
 
Bevo Francis, teammate Al Schreiber, and his coach Newt Oliver later signed with the Boston Whirlwinds, a barnstorming team that played against the [[Harlem Globetrotters]]. He was subsequently drafted by [[Philadelphia Warriors|Philadelphia]] of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]], but opted to return home to his wife and family.
 
Francis died on June 3, 2015, due to complications of esophageal cancer in [[Highlandtown, Ohio]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Dauster|first=Rob|title=‘Bevo’'Bevo' Francis, one of college basketball’sbasketball's best scorers, died at 82|date=June 4, 2015|newspaper=NBCSports.com|url=http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/04/bevo-francis-one-of-college-basketballs-best-scorers-died-at-82/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/05/sports/basketball/bevo-francis-dies-at-82-scored-113-points-in-college-basketball-game.html|title=Bevo Francis Dies at 82; Scored 113 Points in College Basketball Game|newspaper=The New York Times|publisher=The New York Times Company|date=June 4, 2015|last=Slotnik|first=Daniel}}</ref> The [[Bevo Francis Award]], which is given to the top small college basketball player in the United States, is named in his honor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bevo Francis Award |url=https://www.smallcollegebasketball.com/bevo-francis-award-2 |website=Small College Basketball |accessdate=May 17, 2020}}</ref>
 
==Top scoring performances==
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==External links==
* [httphttps://espnwww.goespn.com/classic/biography/s/Francis_Bevo.html Sportscentury: Bevo Francis]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050326145405/http://bevofrancis.com/01home.htm The Bevo Francis Story]
 
{{University of Rio Grande}}
{{Authority control}}
 
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[[Category:American Basketball League (1961–62) players]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Ohio]]
[[Category:Cleveland Pipers players]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Ohio]]
[[Category:Deaths from esophageal cancer in the United States]]
[[Category:People from Gallia County, Ohio]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Warriors draft picks]]
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