Cagers Face B.U. in Beanpot Tourney Tonight

How do you break a five-game losing streak? What do you say to a team that lost six games by a total of ten points? How do you rally players who went into Christmas break with a respectable 2-0 Ivy League and 3-4 overall record, only to return with exams, two Ivy losses and a 3-9 slate hanging over their heads?

Coach Tom Sanders will try to solve these riddles tonight when his Crimson cagers take on the Terriers of Boston University in the opening round of the fourth annual Beanpot Tournament at 8 p.m. in the IAB.

Yes, that's right, the IAB. The Beanpot, that showcase of local college hoop talent modeled on the ever-popular Beanpot hockey tourney, has retreated from Boston Garden due to lack of interest. The Crimson host B.U. in Cambridge, Boston College travels tonight to Northeastern, and tomorrow night's consolation and finals take center stage at B.C.'s Roberts Center.

Harvard's holiday nightmare included a 55-54 loss to Northeastern, as well as defeats at the hands of Temple, 61-59, St. Bonaventure, 70-69, Penn, 55-53, and Princeton, 63-49.

Coach Ron Mitchell's B.U. squad, 2-6 for the season, fared little better than Sanders's over the holidays. Heading south on a road trip, the Terriers beat West Texas State, then dropped three straight to Louisiana State, Georgia Southern and Colgate.

Arrival back in the Commonwealth failed to work wonders, either. UMass romped over the Terriers Friday night at B.U.'s Case Center, 82-68.

Mitchell's one bright spot is 6-ft.-8-in. forward Kenny Boyd, who leads New England in scoring, with 22.8 points per game, and stands eighth in rebounding.

Mitchell has three other certain starters, yet has been unable to find a fifth regular this season. Playmakers Steve Dabney and sophomore Steve Jones will fill the guard positions, and 6-ft.-7-in. southpaw Neil Burns complements Boyd at forward.

Lacking a center, Mitchell has searched in vain for a third forward to fit into his fast-break, man-to-man game plan. Kerry Walker, who averaged 17 points per game as a sophomore and broke B.U. scoring records as a freshman, gives Mitchell offensive punch, but little of the defensive strength he needs. Junior Bill McKay saw action against UMass, but was tormented by turnovers.