Rally Fails As Quintet Loses, 71-67

Despite a 29 point performance by captain Gary Borchard the varsity basketball team lost to Brown, 71-67, at the IAB Saturday night and fell into a fifth place tie with Dartmouth in the Ivy League standings.

The game was a study in frustration. A lacklustre first half developed into a seesaw scoring battle between Borchard and Brown's All-Ivy guard, Mike Cingiser. The Crimson pushed ahead 36-34 with two minutes left. But three straight Brown baskets, the last a buzzer-beating steal by Cingiser, put the visitors four points ahead, 40-36, at halftime.

Brown, with help from guard Dave Brockway and forwards Gene Barth and Greg Heath, started strong in the second half. With half the period gone the margin was up to 11. Harvard's incredibly complicated offensive pattern was even more plodding than usual, and the outcome seemed settled.

Then, for a few minutes, hope rose anew Borchard, scoring consistently on his patented driving flip-flop shot, led a surge that brought the Crimson to within three, 68-65, with three minutes remaining.

Brown went into a stall, but the Crimson recovered a rebound and came downcourt. Gene Augustines' 25 foot jumper missed and groans went up. Harvard recovered again and Joe Deering, playing the percentages, took a 30 footer that missed the basket completely. Brown also got into the act, missing a 25 footer from the corner before Brown finally scored again, and calmed down its rapidly graying coach.

Cingiser finished with 28 points, Barth with 13, and Heath, who controlled the backboards in the second half, had 11.

With a 3-5 record after eight games the Crimson still must play Penn and Princeton twice, and league-leading Yale and resurgent Brown once.

The Bruins have won two in a row, and are tied for seventh with Columbia, one game behind Harvard. Only the hapless Lions appear to provide an adequate if not very soft cushion at the bottom of the league for the lagging Crimson.