Ivy's Hoop Escapades End

NEW YORK--Penn won the Ivy League basketball title Saturday night by virtue of a 98-74 bludgeoning of the Big Red in Ithaca, coupled with Princeton's 59-44 victory over Columbia here at Levien Gym.

In Morningside Heights they were getting ready to cut the nets for the first time since Dave Newmark and Jim McMillian led the Lions to the Ivy title in 1968, but when it was over, there were sobs coming from the Columbia dressing room.

A plethora of final standings were still possible before the last night of league play. If Columbia had polished off the Tigers after its scintillating 88-84 victory over Penn the prior night, it would have meant a playoff game Tuesday night in Princeton.

However, if Penn had lost while Princeton won, there would have been a three-way tie with the Big Three all finishing the season at 11-3. That scenario would have necessitated playoff games on Tuesday and Thursday. As it turned out, the Quakers finished 12-2, while Princeton and Columbia were both 11-3.

Princeton's zone defense stifled the normally free-wheeling Lions, who shot only 36 per cent from the field after hitting on 62 per cent versus Penn on Friday. Bob Kleinert scored 19 and John Lewis chipped in 12 to pace the Tigers, but the real damage was inflicted by big men Bob Roma and Tom Young, who combined for 17.

"This makes amends for all the games we've lost," Princeton coach Pete Carril said after the game. Of course, the Tiger win insured arch-rival Penn of the title, as the two squads have each won the Ivy crown seven times in the last 15 years. "I wanted Columbia over Penn but how can you blow a game to see another team win?" Carril asked.

Princeton never trailed after Kleinert hit a corner jumper for the 7-6 lead. The 6-ft., 11-in. Young then came off the bench and scored nine points in an eight-minute stretch to give the Tigers a 32-23 edge at the half.

Princeton then came out and scored eight unanswered points at the start of the second half to put the game out of reach as a pall you could cut with a knife fell over the once-raucous capacity crowd.

The Quakers will now go on to play St. Bonaventure in the first round of the NCAA tournament, while either Columbia or Princeton stands to receive an invitation to the NIT shindig. Final Ivy Hoop Standings 1. Penn  12-2 2. Princeton  11-3 Columbia  11-3 4. Harvard  7-7 5. Cornell  5-9 Dartmouth  5-9 7. Yale  3-11 8. Brown  2-12