George M. Reger did his Master of Arts thesis on the subject of racial integration of Marshall basketball 1954-1969. Partial account follows:
(Jim) Davidson's only racial trouble came on the court. While the other African-Americans who preceded him at Marshall may have heard racial slurs from competitors, Davidson took action against his antagonist. The incident occurred during the 1966-1967 season in a game played at the Memorial Field House with Mid-American Conference leader and then undefeated University ofToledo as the opponent.
Davidson guarded Toledo's Willie Babione so successfully the incident began, "Early in the game I blocked one of his shots and he called me a 'black son of a bitch.' Which shocked me, you know. And when the game went on, I got in foul trouble and I ended up fouling out of that ball game."Babione’s words did not sit well with Davidson and as he sat
on the bench during the second half of the game his anger began to swell. Then with two minutes and twenty-eight seconds remaining in the game, Davidson's opportunity for retaliation occurred.
Marshall's Park Beam threw the basketball at Toledo's John Brisker, hitting him in the face. Bean turned around and ran down the court, leaving the Thundering Herd's Dan D'Antoni alone next to the Toledo bench. Davidson remembered what occurred next, "Their bench was there and they surrounded Dan. Well, we were sitting there, and we all fly that way. A little scuffle ensues. But the only person I could see on that team was Babione. So I hit him. I went straight for him and knocked him out. That was important. Dan D'Antoni also remembered the Toledo fight.
“He hit Babione. I swear it sounded like a shot gun went off. I was sitting there waiting for them to throw it in bounds and they surrounded me. The next thing I know somebody's got me in arm locks and then here comes the troops. Then all of a sudden this shot gun went off and Davidson hit Babione and everybody quit. That was it. Everybody turned around and said, 'What the hell was that?' When Davidson hit him, he cracked.” Davidson's revenge was the only time an African-American player from Marshall took extreme physical action against a white athlete.
