A 6’6” post from Chicago, Sapit – an NAIA All-American who helped Carroll to its first National Tournament – led the Saints in scoring and rebounding for 3½ seasons. He started out on the Hilltop’s JV (scoring 27 points per game) as a freshman before moving up to the varsity with 17 games left in the season, and finished with averages of 14.4 points and 9.5 rebounds. Sapit went on to average double-doubles for the next three years: 1966 – 18.3 ppg, 13.5 rpg; 1967 – 22.9 ppg, 17.5 rpg; and 1968 – 23.9 ppg, 20.2 rpg (which ranked 36th and 8th in the nation). In 1966, the Saints broke a tie with Eastern for the Frontier championship, winning the playoff game 73-70, powered Tony’s 30 points and 21 rebounds.
Carroll beat the College of Idaho in a best of 3 series, to reach the NAIA Tourney in Kansas City. In their opening round win over No. 14 Bethune Cookman (Fla.), 91-88, Sapit poured in 29 points. He chipped in 20 in the loser-out game, a tough 95-86 loss to No. 3 Grambling. During his time on the Hilltop, Sapit recorded twenty-seven 25-point games and eight 30-point contests, with a high of 41 counters vs. Eastern Montana. Under the glass, he achieved seven 20-rebound contests, with a high of 28 vs. Northern. “Tall Tony” reached 20-poins and 20-rebounds in a game five times.
He earned the first of his two first team All-Conference citations, was named team MVP, and was selected a third team NAIA All-American. Having been declared academically ineligible after 15 games his senior year, Sapit concluded his college hoops career with at least 16 school records including: game – free throw attempts (20), made free throws (15, tie); season – points (625), scoring average (23.9 ppg), rebounds (490, still stands), rebound average (20.2 rpg); and career – points (1821), scoring average (21.9 ppg), rebounds (1377, still stands), rebound average (16.6 rpg). After a tryout with the ABA’s Oakland Oaks in the fall of 1968, Tony Sapit returned to Carroll to work on his degree, graduating in 1969.
