Basketball Team Downs Columbia, Bows to Cornell

Their backs to the wall after an ignominious defeat by Tufts earlier in the week, the Crimson varsity basketball team fought valiantly this week-end, smashing Columbia, 80-61, Friday, and then losing, 58-55, in the last eight seconds to Cornell on the next night.

The Friday victory marked the first over Columbia for a Crimson basketball team in 11 years. During this period Lion squads accounted for 21 straight victories over Harvard quintets. Furthermore, the win was the first registered by the Crimson on the New Yorkers' court in 18 years. The varsity now boasts a record of nine wins and three defeats for the season.

Perhaps more importantly for this year's vintage crop of marksmen, the game witnessed the return to form of pint-sized guard George Harrington. A disappointment in earlier season play, Harrington, a junior, finally achieved a semblance of last year's brilliant performances as he scored consistently on set shots and driving lay-ups and tallied 19 points to lead the Crimson scoring.

But for the varsity this was a well-integrated team effort as well. The Crimson shot well, dominated both boards, and baffled the Lion shooters With a highly effective 1-3-1 zone defense.

Both teams opened the game in a zone, but Columbia switched into a man-to-man near the end of the first half in an effort to stem a Crimson offensive rally, marked by excellent outside shooting by the whole team. But the new Lion strategy was to fail in its purpose.

The varsity consistently set up driving lay-ups and easy jump and push shots as the Lions came up to play them more closely in their attempt to shut off the outside scoring. At one point, Harrington tallied on three quick lay-ups off of the Crimson offensive pattern, which is designed to set loose a cutter through the use of both a high and a low post. The pattern became all the more successful as the Lions drew in more closely, making themselves easy targets for well-planned blocks.

A brief flurry, featuring 25-foot shots from the side and corner by Lion high scorer Rudy Milkey, was able to chop the Crimson lead to six points in the opening minutes of the second half. To quell the Lion threat, Coach Floyd Wilson sent the varsity out of its 2-1-2 into a 1-3-1 zone, which is especially effective in coping with outside shooting from the sides.

The Crimson tactics seemed to confuse the inexperienced Lions, and their spectacular shooting spree soon fizzled.

In the Cornell game, the varsity was up against a team that had earlier in the season been dumped by Columbia. But Cornell had no intentions of suffering a second Ivy League upset.

Lou Jordan's excellent shooting and the aggressive rebounding of Cornell's 6 ft. 7 in. center, George Farley, proved the difference in this one, although in the last minute the Crimson did blow an opportunity to snatch the victory from the grasp of the Big Red.

A full-court zone press by the varsity had cut the Cornell margin from eight points to a single point with a minute and a half left. Guard Mike Donohue, in for Bobby Repetto, who had fouled out earlier, came up with a loose ball and the varsity immediately called time out. Coach Wilson set up a play, and with a half-minute remaining, the shot missed and the Big Red captured the rebound.

With about ten seconds left, a Crimson player fouled Jordan in an attempt to break up the Cornell freeze. The calm little guard plunked both his free throws through the news, and that was the story. Final score was 58-55.

The Yardlings were also active over the weekend. In a game decided after the buzzer had already sounded, the freshmen lost to New Hampshire, 83-82.

COLUMBIAHarvard 80--Columbia 61  G  F  PMuncaster  8  1  17Grayer  0  1  1Woolston  5  1  11Singal  1  0  2Danner  6  1  13Wolle  1  0  2Repetto  5  1  11Donohue  1  0  2Harrington  8  3  19James  1  0  2  --  --  --Totals  36  8  8