Revived Cagers Smash Huskies, 75-62, Take Third Place in Beanpot Tourney

Harvard's unpredictable hardwood heartstoppers beat to a new pulse, with new men, a new style and new results last night at Boston College's Roberts Center.

The Crimson opened a 20-point lead in the first half, and coasted with plenty of breathing room to a 75-62 Beanpot Tournament consolation win over Northeastern, avenging their January 7 one-point loss to the Huskies.

Cardiac specialist Coach Tom Sanders (already a veteran of seven unsuccessful operations by a total of 13 points in his first year of residency) performed major surgery on his starting lineup yesterday.

Sanders opted for more size and offensive punch by adding 6 ft. 5 in. sophomore Bill Carey and junior guard Steve Selinger in place of Arnie Needleman and Mike Griffin.

Harvard, which has floored three guards all season, hit the boards ferociously, as Carey, Tony Jenkins and Lou Silver came up with the second and third shots they have lacked all season. The Crimson outrebounded the Huskies, 33-23.

The new blood revived Harvard's offense, which sank a phenomenal 69.6 per cent of its shots from the floor in the first half, 31 of 57 for the game. The Crimson's usual deliberate patterns on offense gave way to a more physical, "playground-style" of attack.

Jenkins and Silver paced the Crimson with 18 points apiece, followed by guard Ken Wolfe, who added 14. Wolfe put the stopper on the Huskies' most potent scoring threat, John Clark, who carried a 19-point average into the contest. Clark finished with six points.

Leading 36-21 at halftime, Sanders cleared his bench early in the second half, playing all eleven members of his squad for only the third time this season.

Coach Jim Calhoun's Northeastern team, choking from a host of turnovers and a paltry 29.6 per cent shooting percentage in the first half, never regained their wind until the final minutes of play.

The Huskies, led by substitute guard Tom Ryan's 14 points, could only chisel into the Crimson lead after Sanders had a complete quintet of his "gentlemen from the bench."

Sanders's lineup switch to a traditional two forwards and center offense inspired both his new and old starters. Carey, who sweeps the boards and fires the fast-break outlet pass in Westerly Unself-like fashion, has clearly recovered from his early-season jitters, snagging seven rebounds in the early going against the Huskies.

Griffin, who had jockeyed the Harvard offense through its first 13 games, came in to resuscitate a fainting Crimson attack early in the second half. The 6 ft. guard, in a two minute outburst, flipped off two assists (one while falling to the floor), stole a Huskie pass and fired in two straight driving jumpers.

In the finals of the Beanpot tourney, Boston University squealed by Boston College in overtime, 95-94, snapping Harvard's two-year hegemony in the event. The Terriers' Neil Burns won the tournament's Most Valuable Player award.