Varsity Quintet Loses Slim Lead, Drops Its Seventh Straight Game

PROVIDENCE, Mar. 2--The varsity basketball team tonight dropped its seventh consecutive game, a 57-53 heart-breaker at Brown's Marvel Gym.

Floyd Wilson's Crimson team was never in control of the contest, but it maintained a slim lead from the opening jump until 12:31 of the second half. At that point, Brown's ace, Mike Cingiser, scored on a fast break and put his team ahead, 42 to 40, for the first time this evening.

The Crimson continued to battle to regain the lead until two free throws with a minute and a half to go broke the backs of the visitors. Fouled by Crimson captain Gary Borchard, Alan Young of Brown sunk two from the free-throw line, and Brown was ahead by six. The Bruins then grabbed a Crimson fumble and frose the ball for a minute of play.

Borchard, in a losing cause, managed to reach the goal he has sought for the last half of the season--1000 points in his three-year career. His 24 points against Brown gave him a grand total of 1009, but none of the fans in attendance tonight was aware of the mile-stone. The Harvard bench got a charge out of it.

The varsity's shooting, especially that of Pete Kelley, was off the mark tonight. Brown was below par in the first half also, and the only difference between the two came on the Crimson's early edge in rebounding. Brown's Gary Nell was hot in the early minutes, but Harvard maintained a two to four point lead throughout.

Brown lunged for the lead at 13:34 of the second half, when Young scored on a fast break and subsequent free throw. That made it a 38-38 tie; Harvard took a time out to get organized; and the local fans began to cheer the Bruin quintet on. Borchard put the Crimson momentarily back in the lead, but a minute later came the fast break led by Cingiser, whose 19 points moved him to within 44 points of Brown's all-time record (with two games to go).