The arena is located inside the Lyne Center. 

More Info

Dedicated in 2007 and named in honor of coach Newt Oliver, this arena holds up to two thousand fans and is home to the University of Rio Grande basketball teams. Oliver is best known as the coach of Clarence "Bevo" Francis, a talented player that held the record for scoring the most points in a single game until 2012.

Newt Oliver Arena, University of Rio Grande

Admin

Clarence "Bevo" Francis&nbsp;was a 6-foot-9 star center for the University of Rio Grande in Ohio, with a deadeye jump shot at a time when most players relied on two-handed set shots. When he arrived as a freshman in 1952, Rio Grande had only 92 full-time students and a basketball court made of worn tile under a leaky roof. &nbsp;Before Bevo arrived the school&nbsp;compiled a 4-19 record against middling competition. But with Francis averaging about 50 points a game, the Redmen won their first 10 games of the new season, and the team became a national sensation. Francis scored 116 points in January 1953 during a home game against Ashland Junior College from Kentucky. He was helped by his teammates, who gave up free shots to feed him the ball, leading to a 150-85 victory. &nbsp;Rio Grande finished the season 39-0, with Francis scoring 1,954 points for a record single-season scoring average of 50.1.

Newt Oliver Arena, University of Rio Grande

Introduction

Images

Additional Information