M. Cagers Finally Win League Game

Going into last night's game, the Harvard's men's basketball team had hit hard times.

Plagued by a mess of injuries and sickness, the Crimson (4-14 overall, 1-6 Ivy) had lost 10 of its last eleven games this season. It had fallen to Ivy League opponents by an average of a little over 21 points in each of its games.

It was coming off the roughest road trip of the year--to Cornell and Columbia--and it was looking for even the slightest hint of momentum before playing nine tough league games to close out the season.

Then God gave the Crimson Yale.

In its first win in seven games, Harvard picked up a 54-51 victory last night over the Bulldogs. The Crimson shot only 31 percent in the second half and went 1-for-15 from beyond the three-point arc for the game. It was a veritable sub-par performance, but, nevertheless, it was a win.

And it was against Yale.

"It's always a big game when you beat Yale," Harvard senior guard Tarik Campbell said. "There's always something extra there--there's always a little bit more of a fight for bragging rights."

"Yale's a big game--without a doubt," Harvard Coach Frank Sullivan said. "Teamed with the fact that this was our first win in the Ivy League, you'd have to call this a very big game--one of the biggest games of the year."

What adds even more to the size of the victory is how the Crimson won it. Throughout the season, Harvard has begun games well only to get blown away in the second half or the latter part of the first half. Last night, though, after falling behind early, the Crimson roared back in the second half to victory.

Yale got off to a quick start in the first stanza, scoring five of the game's first seven baskets to go up 14-7 with 13:30 left in the period.

Powered by the passing and penetration of Campbell and 4-for-7 shooting by senior forward Tyler Rullman, who was still suffering a bit from the flu, Harvard stormed back. The Crimson went into the half down by only two points, 29-27.

"At halftime we were feeling pretty good," freshman forward Michael Gilmore said. "We hadn't been out-hustling the other team like we usually do, and we were only down by two. We knew we could beat them."

To open the second half, Harvard scored four of the first six baskets to go up 37-33. It would then extend the lead to seven with 8:00 left.

Late in the game, however, Yale put an element of drama into the contest. With some tough inside play, the Bulldogs narrowed the gap to three with just fifty seconds left to play, but were unable to convert on two late three-point attempts.

Rullman ended the drama, however, scoring a basket with 40 seconds left to give Harvard an insurmountable five-point lead.

"It was a good game all-around," Sullivan said. "We had a lot of players contribute. Hopefully, we can take the momentum with us into the rest of the season. We've got a tough road ahead."

'You'd have to call this a very big game--one of the biggest of the year.' Head Coach Frank Sullivan HARVARD, 54-51 at Briggs Cage Yale  48  42  --  90 Harvard  51  43  --  94

YALE: Jennings 4-10 0-0 9, Franklin 0-0 0-0 0, Rauch 2-2 0-0 4, Trimmer 0-0 0-0 0, Karazim 3-5 0-0 6, Connolly 4-15 0-0 9, Brown 0-2 0-1 0, Fitzgerald 0-1 0-0 0, Colson 5-10 3-3 13, Fairfield 3-9 0-3 6, Bialski 2-4 1-2 5. Totals: 25-58 4-8 51.

HARVARD: Campbell 4-13 1-4 9, Rulllman 6-11 2-3 14, Gilmore 4-6 0-1 12, Morris 0-0 0-0 0, Mann 2-2 0-0 4, Liopis 3-6 1-4 7, Kubiak 0-0 0-0 0, White 1-5 0-0 2, Rankin 3-6 0-0 6. Totals: 23-49 4-12 54.

YALE: Jennings 4-10 0-0 9, Franklin 0-0 0-0 0, Rauch 2-2 0-0 4, Trimmer 0-0 0-0 0, Karazim 3-5 0-0 6, Connolly 4-15 0-0 9, Brown 0-2 0-1 0, Fitzgerald 0-1 0-0 0, Colson 5-10 3-3 13, Fairfield 3-9 0-3 6, Bialski 2-4 1-2 5. Totals: 25-58 4-8 51.

HARVARD: Campbell 4-13 1-4 9, Rulllman 6-11 2-3 14, Gilmore 4-6 0-1 12, Morris 0-0 0-0 0, Mann 2-2 0-0 4, Liopis 3-6 1-4 7, Kubiak 0-0 0-0 0, White 1-5 0-0 2, Rankin 3-6 0-0 6. Totals: 23-49 4-12 54.