Danner, Harrington Lead Varsity To 76-60 Victory Over Tech Five

The second-string sophomores, lanky 6-5 Bryant Danner and George Harrington, at 5-7 the smallest man on the court, combined last night to give the Crimson much needed reserve depth and a 76-60 victory over M.I.T., at the I.A.B.

Danner, given his first starting role because Dick Woolston was slightly ill, turned in the best individual performance of any Harvard player this season. After a routine first half, he tossed in 13 points and pulled down 18 rebounds in the second half, for game totals of 19 and 25.

Harrington, a quick, accurate set shooter, who is not afraid to shoot personally, revived the laggard Crimson attack in the first half with 12 points, eight shots of 20 feet or more, in the second quarter. He also showed fine court generalship, and finished with 15 points.

The Engineers' 60 points hurt the Crimson's 50.2 defensive average, which went up to 52.0. This was still low enough to retain the national defensive lead, as the runner-up Oklahoma Aggies had allowed 52.3 points per game at latest report.

Harvard opened the game sluggishly, failing to maneuver into position for offensive rebounding, and throwing the ball away time after time. M.I.T. took advantage of defensive lapses to grab a 15-8 lead at the halfway mark in the 20-minute period.

Coach Floyd Wilson then called on his second-string guards, Harrington and Bob Barnett, to put some life into the attack. Harrington then tossed in the next six points for the varsity, to offset a pair of M.I.T. baskets.

Tech clung to a slim lead, until the Crimson finally began hitting as a team. With M.I.T. ahead, 25 to 22, Harvard scored 12 straight points before the Engineers managed two free throws for the half-time 34 to 27 totals. Between them, in the last ten minutes of the half, Barnett and Harrington scored 18 of the Crimson's 26 points.

First-string guards Bob Hastings and Dick Hurley opened the second half, but were quickly replaced after six minutes, when the varsity's attack again sputtered. But the Crimson still could not click, and Tech's Joe Cooper's six straight points tied the game at 42 to 42.

The lead then changed hands seven times in five minutes, as each team scored when it got the ball. With M.I.T. ahead, 53-50, the Crimson finally took hold, and began clearing both backboards with regularity, to grab an insurmountable lead.

The Crimson began with a ten-point streak, behind the improved play of Danner. He had two-thirds of the varsity rebounds in the half, and was devastating underneath. He leaped high for tapins, and shot effectively.

Dick Woolston, who finally got into the game when the lead was changing hands, also offered relief to the varsity attack. Harvard's leading scorer tallied 12 points in the nine minutes he played, and helped Danner under the boards to turn in a great second half clutch job.

Behind Woolston and Danner, Harvard moved from its 60-53 lead, to a 73-57 advantage. Three points for each team ended the contest, and barely preserved the Crimson's defensive leadership in the nation.

Box Score  FG  FT  TPMuncaster  3  0  6Schreiber  1  0  2Danner  8  3  19Woolston  4  4  12Canty  2  6  10Hastings  1  0  2Barnett  3  2  8Hurley  6  3  15  --  --  --  29  18  7