St. Francis Brooklyn Athletics

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, NY – The St. Francis College Brooklyn men's basketball team is set to host Wagner in the second annual Levi Bough Trailblazer Game on Thursday, February 4, at 4 p.m. Bough was a trailblazing Terrier as he broke the color barrier at St. Francis, becoming the first black student-athlete on the men's basketball team in 1947.
 
On November 21, 2019, the St. Francis Athletics department announced that the first men's basketball home game in the month of February will always be the Levi Bough Trailblazer Game as the College celebrates Black History Month. In his honor, St. Francis established the Levi Bough Trailblazer Award, which will be bestowed on an individual who has made an impact on or around the St. Francis community.
 
The first-ever Levi Bough Trailblazer Award was given to Terriers' men's basketball Hall of Famer Al Inniss '58 on February 1, 2020, the same day that Inniss' number 19 was retired.

Bough attended St. Francis from 1947-50 where he played for the legendary Head Coach Daniel Lynch. Bough graduated from St. Francis in 1950 with degrees in philosophy and psychology.
 
During Bough's second season with the Terriers in 1948-49, the team posted an impressive 21-12 record and participated in the National Catholic Invitation Postseason Tournament. Bough and the Terriers advanced all the way to the finals, but were edged by Regis to conclude a memorable season. Bough averaged 2.4 points per game in 33 games during the 1948-49 campaign.
 
Prior to his days at St. Francis, Bough attended Virginia Union University in Richmond for his freshman year in 1942. Later that year, he was drafted into the United States Army, where he served his country for three years and nine months fighting in Europe. While in the Army, he was assigned to the 761^st Tank Battalion.
 
Following his service, he returned to the United States and that is when he received a basketball scholarship to attend St. Francis. At 24 years old, he was the oldest member of the team and was the only married player.
 
Bough made a life for himself in Switzerland, where he was a gas station attendant and then later a furniture salesman. Basketball always remained an essential part of Bough's life as he was a trainer and coach in Switzerland. Success was something that he was always a part of as he helped capture 18 championships between being a player and coach. He passed away in 2008 at the age of 87.