Big Red Knock M. Cagers Out of Ivy Race

ITHACA, N.Y.--If the Harvard men's basketball team were a musical group, its concerts would be a washout.

You see, the Crimson can't perform on the road.

Harvard (8-13 overall, 4-5 Ivy), dropped a 75-74 overtime decision to Cornell (6-14, 3-6) last night in front of 2000 fans here at Barton Hall.

The loss was Harvard's ninth in 11 road games this year, and dropped its Ivy road record to 1-4. Following an 80-70 defeat to Brown last Saturday, the Crimson has now lost two consecutive games to Ivy cellar-dwellars.

Princeton (7-1 Ivy), Dartmouth (7-2) and Penn (5-3), the top three teams in the league, all won their games yesterday, virtually eliminating Harvard from the Ivy race.

Sophomore center Bernard Jackson keyed the Cornell attack, scoring 10 points and pulling down 15 rebounds, all off the defensive boards. After missing three easy lay-ups earlier in the game, Jackson put Cornell ahead, 70-69, with two minutes left in regulation. His short hhok shot with 80 seconds remaining in overtime again gave the Big Red a lead, 74-72.

"Bernard missed so many easy ones," Cornell Coach Mike Dement said, "but during the timeout [near the end of regulation] we said 'BJ', your're our go-to guy, and he came right back and got two big buckets."

Just as important, Jackson snared nine second half defensive rebounds after Cornell switched to a zone and Harvard started missing its outside shots.

Harvard's shooting percent plummeted from 63 percent in the first half, to just 21 percent in the second. Harvard was 1-for-18 from the field the first nine minutes of the second half, a half in which it scored only 20 points.

"Nobody moved," Harvard Coach Pete Roby said. "We were playing one on five at the start of the second half. We looked like we didn't know what we were doing with a lead."

Sophomore Steve Johnson keyed the Cornell rally with 16 second half points. With Cornell trailing, 52-40, Johnson nailed three consectuve three-point baskets, and added a pair of free throws to help the Big Red pull even with a 12-0 run.

Harvard was hurt in the second half by the absence of several key players. Co-Captain Mike Gielen missed the entire second half because of a scratched eye, and Dana Smith, Ralph James and Ron Mitchell each picked up their fourth fouls midway through the period.

"Had we not gotten in foul trouble," Roby said, "we could have kept the pressure up. I thought that was the key difference."

In overtime, freshman Rich Medina's two foul shots gave Cornell an early 72-70 lead. But a steal by Phillips and his subsequent lay-up tied the game. The basket made Phillips the 14th Harvard basketball player to join the 1000 point club.

Jackson's hook shot and a foul shot by Johnson put Cornell back in front by three points, 75-72, before a pair of James free throws cut the lead to one point.

The Big Red's Mike Pascal missed a jumper with 36 seconds remaining in the game, but Gielen, who returned to play in overtime, missed a 22-ft. jumper with five seconds remaining in the game.

"We're not in the running for the race," Dement said, "but we can certainly have an effect on the league. We hurt Harvard by giving them their fifth loss."

The Crimson pulled out to a 50-38 halftime lead behind its relentless press. Harvard converted eight steals directly into 11 points out of the press, including two thunderous slams by Mitchell.

"We didn't attack the press quickly and early and we ended up trying to pass through arms," Dement said.