Down Harvard Ninth Straight Time Penn Withstands Cagers' Pressure

As far as the Harvard men's basketball team is concerned, the Pennsylvania Quaker squad is an immovable object. Despite the Herculean labors of the Crimson Cagers, they dropped their 11th straight decision to the Quakers, 75-71, last night before 2112 at Briggs Athletic Center.

Though Harvard (now 12-11 overall, 4-7 in Ivy action) put together one of the best performances of the year. Penn (15-8, 9-2) played like the defending Ivy champion it is, and the Crimson's best efforts were not enough.

Crimson guard Bob Ferry led all scores with a season-high 22 points on 10 of 17 shooting Ferry, who is leading the team in scoring, was outstanding, popping from long distance on the baseline or the top of the key. "When you get in a groove." Ferry said after the contest, "you just keep shooting."

But Ferry wasn't the only cager to enjoy a great game. Four Crimson players hit double figures, and none of the seven players Harvard Coach Frank McLaughlin used had a bad night.

Especially successful were senior Co-Captains Calvin Dixon and George White. Dixon drove for alley-oop lay-ins that brought the crow do its feet, while White turned in a solid defensive performance. But both White and Dixon will graduate without a victory over their hometown's Ivy representative.

Harvard staged an 11-6 rally in the opening five minutes of the second half to claim a 46-45 lead, the Crimson's first edge since 2-0. It also turned out to be Harvard's last lead of the game. The cagers dogged the league-leading Quakers the reminder of the contest, pulling to within one for the final time when center Monroe Trout sank a six-footer with 2:01 left that brought the score to 70-69.

But then things had already started to colapse Crimson shots that sank regularly earlier in the game had begun falling short. Forward Ken Plutnicki had twice come to the line with the chance to put Harvard ahead, and both times be had missed the front end of a one-on-one opportunity.

"We did what it took to beat them," Dixon said after the game. "We just came up short."

How short Four free throws. Penn hit an amazing 15 of 19 from the line, while Harvard sank only 11 of its 19 foul line attempts.

"We played probably as well as we can play." Harvard Coach Frank McLaughlin said "They've got some great athletes for our league"

One of them, senior forward Paul Little, made the biggest play of the game with a display of quickness and leaping ability unparalleled by any Harvard player.

With 54 seconds remaining and his team clutching a one-point lead. Quakers forward Avery Rawlings hit the first of two free throws. As the second shot bounced off the rim. Little leapt up and tripped it in before any other player had the time to leave his feet instead of having the ball with a chance to tie the game, the Crimson faced a four point deficit

Little added two free throws 26 seconds later to clinch the Quaker victory

Little is one of three seniors on the Quaker squad alt of whom play key roles in Penn's offense The Quaker seniors tallied 38 points last night, a fact the Crimson players took to heart.

"We will beast them before I graduate." Trout said after the game. "They're going to be graduating a lot of people [this year]," the Crimson junior explained

Harvard takes on Princeton tonight at Briggs at 7:30 p m

THE NOTEBOOK Princeton went into last night's games at Dartmouth with Penn for the Ivy League lead The Tigers and the Quakers have dominated the league for the past two decades winning 19 of the last 20 Ivy titles Harvard up set Princeton last year at the IAB.

Pennsylvania (75)

Lardner 8-13 0-0 16, Little 3-7 6-6 12, Brown 5-8 0-0 10, Oliphant 2-7 0-0 4, May 0-0 0-0 0, Racine 4-10 5-5 13, Rawlings 7-10 4-7 18, Maloney 0-0 0-0 0, Wott 1-2 0-1 2, Totals 30-57 15-19 75.

Harvard

Dixon 5-12 1-3 11, Ferry 10-17 2-3 22, Trout 6-8 2-2 14, Plutnicki 5-13 0-2 10, White 1-2 2-2 4, Bernard 2-4 2-4 6, Wildes 1-2 2-3 4, Totals 30-58 11-19 71.

Halftime Penn 39-35

Fouled out Brown Total fouls Penn 20 Harvard 17 Reboundds--Penn 32 (Brown 7) Harvard 22 (Trout 8) Assists--Penn 16 (Racine 7) Harvard R (Dixon 5) A--2112