Youngstown Pride still proud of WBL legacy

Bob Patton named the game himself. He called it “In the Bank” — a practice competition for his Youngstown Pride teams. The rules were simple: make a free throw and stay in the game. Miss three free throws and get eliminated. Five dollars goes to the winner.

Twenty-five years later, a certain game of “In the Bank” still stands out to the former Pride coach.

“Mario Elie and Fred Cofield are shooting and shooting and shooting and eventually it’s 75-75 — neither guy’s missed,” Patton said, remembering a practice inside the Beeghly Center during the 1990 season. “And then Elie finally missed and Cofield won. That’s how good and competitive they were.”

Like Elie and Cofield shot that day, Patton can go on and on with stories about the short-lived, yet highly-successful, Youngstown Pride basketball franchise that repeated as World Basketball League champions in the summer of 1990.

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