Basketball, Hockey Varsities Favored In Tonight's Contests Against Brown

A Brown team that defeated the varsity earlier this season will be trying for a repeat performance at the I.A.B. tonight at 8:30 p.m. But the visitors have lost their last four games, all to League opponents, and as their victory over the Crimson was not of the most impressive variety, they must be rated as underdogs tonight.

For, Dartmouth notwithstanding, the varsity has been playing good basketball, or at least good enough to beat teams of Brown's calibre. In both its games last weekend, the Crimson showed unquestionable strength, and with a break or two would have probably beaten Cornell as well as hapless Columbia.

The best news for the home side is that Bob Bowditch has recovered from the cold that kept him out of the Cornell and Columbia games and on the bench for a good part of the action at Hanover Wednesday. A dead shot and a top rebounder, Bowditch should help the squad to its fourth League win. The Bruins are two and six in League play.

Led by 6 ft., 8 in. A1 Poulsen, the captain and center, Brown has a well-balanced, if mediocre offense. Poulsen who sparked the 80-75 overtime victory over the Crimson with 16 points, is averaging 13.3 a game. He will be joined by A1 Diussa and Jack Bellavance, a pair of pretty poor guards, and Dave Reed and Cliff Ehrlich, not bad forwards.

If it seems from the above description of tonight's visitors that the Crimson shouldn't have dropped an early decision to them that impression is correct. That night the varsity put on a display of the kind of basketball that has since become a thing of its past. And from all appearances, the Bruins were playing over their heads.

An injury to first-line center Dick Fischer may hinder the Crimson hockey team tonight as it tries for its second straight victory over Brown. The varsity is favored over the erratic Brown team, even though the Bruins will have the advantage of playing on their home ice.

Fischer, the Crimson's second leading scorer and its best penalty-killer, twisted his knee Thursday night in the alumni contest; yesterday he was still hobbling on crutches, and his fitness for tonight's encounter is still in doubt.

Bringing a 9-6-2 record and a three-game winning streak to Providence Arena, the varsity will be facing a team capable of losing to Yale 9 to 3, and then forcing the same team to struggle for a 4-3 triumph. The Bruins are inconsistent, and for this some cause can be laid to their friendly home arena, one uniquely suited to a type of play which is out of place elsewhere.

Providence Arena is warm, in direct contrast to the chilly Watson Rink; the ice, according to varsity manager Charles Kennel, is "like cheese." The short distance between the blue lines puts the Bruin defensemen at an advantage they did not enjoy at Watson last Saturday, when they lost to the Crimson 6 to 1.

If Fisher is unable to start, Dick Reilly will probably replace him on the varsity's first line. Dave Vietze and Bud Higginbottom will open at the wings, and Dick McLaughlin, Mike Graney, and Harry Pratt will be the Crimson defense.

The Yardlings will take a 13-1 slate into their second encounter with the Brown freshmen, whom they crushed 17 to 1 a week ago. In their last four games, the freshmen have scored an astounding 47 goals while allowing only four, for an average score of 12 to 1.