Varsity Quintet Bows To Yale Five, 75-67, As Robinson Shines

NEW HAVEN, March 2--In spite of the absence of star guard Johnny Lee, a powerful Yale basketball team proved too much for a slow-starting Harvard team here in Payne-Whitney Gymnasium tonight. Except for a brief three-minute stretch late in the game, the Elis were never behind, winning by a comfortable eight-point margin, 75 to 67.

Yale's big center and captain, Ed Robinson, completely dominated both offensive and defensive boards and poured in 25 points to lead in both rebounds and total points for the evening, but it was a six foot, five inch sophomore, Larry Downs, who gave Yale its victory in the middle of the final period, scoring nine points in about three minutes to break a 61-61 tie and give Yale an insurmountable late-game lead.

The Crimson started off the contest by using a full-court press in an attempt to rattle its favored opponent, but the Elis appeared ready for it.

Guard Tom Sargent refused to be bothered by either Harvard's pressing tactics or the defensive attempts of the outside men of the Crimson's zone de- fense, George Harrington and Bob Barnett. He consistently baffled the zone to set up center Robinson, who tallied 15 points in the first half, or to drive through and score himself.

He and Robinson were the entire story in the first half, putting Yale out in front with a 36-26 advantage as the half ended. Robinson completely dominated the boards, with Dick Woolston being the only Crimson player able to produce any rebounding effect.

But as the second half opened, the varsity's offense began to move. Bob Hastings, who had kept Harvard in the contest with five field goals in the first half, and Ike Canty began to shake Yale's tight man-to-man defense, and the varsity gradually closed the gap.

Yale also began to foul rather heavily, and the Crimson maintained an almost perfect foul-shooting percentage during the opening minutes of the second half. A Canty hook-shot brought the Crimson within one point, 53-52, at the nine-minute mark, but the varsity became over-eager and the scoring stopped until Downs drove in with a layup to give Yale a 55-52 lead at the halfway mark.

Two quick baskets by Hastings and Harrington gave the visitors the lead a minute later, but Sargent's last score of the game returned the lead to Yale, 57-56. Then Harrington and Woolston tossed in two successive scores, and the Crimson led again. Woolston's free toss brought the varsity to 61-57, and then disaster struck.

Bodman sunk two free throws and a basket at 14:30 to tie the score, 61-all. Then came Downs' nine points sandwiched around a Robinson tap-in, and the Elis were out in front to stay, 72 to 63. The rest was merely the formality of running out the clock, with Yale freezing the ball for a good portion of the last three minutes.

Downs wound up the evening with 20 points for Yale, while Hastings and Woolston led the Crimson with 20 and 15 points respectively. The loss sets the varsity's record in Ivy competition back to .500, with a 6-6 fifth place standing