Crimson Basketball Team Defeated by Brown, 70-68

With one minute to play, the score tied 66-66, and Brown freezing the ball waiting for the last shot, what do you do if you're on the Harvard basketball team?

Commit a foul? Play it loose? Try to steal the ball? Pray? Our Monday-morning quarterbacks suggest that it's advisable to avoid committing a foul, which would probably give Brown the lead and put the pressure on Harvard to score.

But with 45 seconds to play, Leo Scully lunged at Bruin guard Mike Fahey and fouled out. Fahey's two free throws enabled Brown, the second worst team in the Ivy League, to upset the Crimson, 70 to 68.

It was an ill-fated night from the very beginning. The Bruins took an early 12-2 advantage, and led throughout the first half. Harvard's zone defense, which had worked so splendidly early in the season against Connecticut and Boston College, was listless and ineffective. And while the defense bumbled, the Crimson's shooting was a dismal 30 per cent.

But Harvard trailed by only 34-29 at the half, thanks to a three-point play by the public address announcer. With four seconds left, Brown's Dave Tarr drove in for a lay-up and collided with Merie McClung. Before the referee made a call Harvard manager Jerry Kapstein announced "Offensive foul!" and as a reflex action the referee trotted down the court to give McClung his foul shots. By that time it was too late to reverse the decision he hadn't made.

Second Half Surge

During the second half the Crimson came to life. Led by Keith Sedlacek, who had 19 points for the game, Harvard sank 58 per cent of its shots and drew even with the Bruins. But the Crimson had switched to a man-to-man defense, which left Sedlacek (6-1) guarding 6-5 Jay Jones. The Bruin star poured in 20 points in the second half to keep Brown in contention.

Last-Minute Agony

With 5:50 to play, two dazzling under hand lay-ups by Scully gave the Crimson a 62-58 lead, but Brown tied the score at 66-66. Harvard had the ball, and Scully drove in for another beautiful lay-up. But this time the referee called a palming violation which nullified the basket and set the stage for the last-minute agony.

After Fahey had put Brown ahead 68-66, the Crimson worked the ball into center Merle McClung--who blew a short shot. Harvard committed another foul. Alan Fishman swished a free throw, which sewed the game up for Brown.