Indians Challenge Cagers Tonight

With hopes of moving its record to the 500 mark before exam break, the Harvard basketball team travels to Hanover tonight for an 8 p. m. contest against the fading Dartmouth Indians.

Despite its current seven-game losing streak, the Big Green still has the potential to upset any contender for the Ivy League title. And both the losing streak and Dartmouth's potential could create difficulties for the Crimson tonight.

"We're scared to death," said Harvard head coach Bob Harrison yesterday. "They've lost too many and are bound to unload one of these days. Plus they are playing at home with a very partisan crowd, and know that if they lose to us, they're out of the Ivy League race. I'm afraid they'll be higher than a Georgia pine." he said.

Harvard, on the other hand, has been playing better basketball since the holidays, and if it continues to play as it did against Navy on Saturday, it could move its Ivy mark to 3-1 and knock Dartmouth to 0-4, out of contention for the title.

The Crimson defeated the Indians early in December, 89-78, with accurate shooting and tough defense. But part of Harvard's defensive success may have been due to the absence of 6-9 center Jim Masker from the Dartmouth lineup.

Masker will be in the lineup tonight, and, after a 23-point and 14-rebound performance against Penn two weeks ago, has bolstered the Big Green middle. In December, without Masker in the Dartmouth lineup. Harvard could afford to overplay the Indians' two main scorers. Paul Erland and James Brown.

However, tonight, the Crimson will have to stop Masker underneath and keep Erland, who paces the team in scoring with a 23.4 average, away from the basket.

Though Brown, the Indians' second leading scorer with a 19.5 average, has shot poorly so far this season, he has the potential to explode, as evidenced by hi? 52-point performance against the freshmen last year. Harvard captain Dale Dover, who has done a good job defensively all year, will have to see that he doesn't.

Junior forward Brian Newmark will start at center tonight and will defend against Masker, while senior Hal Calbom. who was matched with Erland last month, will face him again on defense.

Dartmouth has had difficulty playing consistent basketball, losing by 20 points to Princeton two weeks ago, but Harvard can't overlook the Big Green. It will be 'up' for the game, and unless the Crimson is prepared mentally for the Indians, Dartmouth could give Harvard a tough battle.