Kirkland Quintet Wallops Yale's Top College Team

"The Yalies seemed like the minor leagues after the tough House season," one IAB observer said Saturday after the Kirkland House "A" basketball team had crushed Stiles College 75-48 in the annual championship game.

And he wasn't just whistling Dixie. The Deacon Squad, far from a superman quintet during the House campaign when it lost twice and won another by only two points, was never pressed by the Stiles five.

Kirkland led at all stops thanks to the hot shooting of John Leshy and Alan Quint, and the pin-point passing of Dave Taft.

Leshy finished with 22 points while Quint racked up 15. The six-man Deacon squad was able to fast break consistently against the flabby Elis, who spent most of their time at midcourt watching Taft and company whiz up and down the floor rebounding and scoring at will.

Kirkland swimmers also copped the league crown, but the Yale match was called off because two Deacon mermen were busy at crew practice.

There were no inter-college games scheduled in the other winter sports, boxing, won by Dudley, squash and fencing, won by Lowell, or wrestling and volleyball, whose winners have not yet been determined.

Kirkland's winter efforts boosted its lead in the Straus trophy race to the 60-point mark. Only Eliot, which copped a second place in swimming, a third in squash, and a fourth in hockey, has a chance to catch the Deacons this spring.

Crew is a traditional first place for the Elephants, but pachyderm strength in the other sports seems to be offset by equally powerful Kirkland outfits.