Unless the Crimson basketball team spirit springs out of its hibernation and shows up with its pre-exam punch in tonight's contest with Columbia, it might as well burrow into its retreat for the rest of the season, taking with it one of the saddest basketball records in the recent history of the game at Harvard.
Having finished the first half of the league schedule with a dismal record of one win and five losses, the Crimson team should be fighting for not only fifth place tonight but also to keep out of the cellar now occupied by the Elis.
It is not that the team lacks the ability to win but the will to win as shown by the fact that its only league victory in six starts has been over the league-leading Dartmouth quintet, the Indians only loss in league competition.
Face Army Monday
The Crimson five will face an impotent Army team Monday in a nonleague battle as part of the weekend double-header. If Coach Earl Brown's men can come through with victories over these two mediocre teams, it will be well on its way toward making the latter half of the season brighter than the first half.
In the first battle with Columbia in New York last week, the Crimson hoopsters lost 56 to 44 to the Lions, who, by virtue of this, their only victory are now in fifth place in the league standings. Coach Paul Mooney will start the same starting lineup in the hopes of repeating the winning combination. This puts Captain Stewart McIlvennan, who scored 15 points in the first game, beside A1 Pashayan in the two forward slots, with Harry Allison at center. Herb Maack and Les Martens will start at guard.
Coach Brown will stick to the same Lineup that started the Cornell game Wednesday with Ed Buckley and Chick Lutz at the forward posts and Bunks Burditt holding down the pivot position. Captain Bud Finegan and Don Lutze will start at guard. Radical changes in the starting lineup are far from impossible, however.
Coach Dutch Lentz of West Point will come to town Monday with a team that has won four and lost six games for the season. Its victory over third-place Pennsylvania should serve as a warning that it might break loose Monday afternoon unless given due respect.
High scorer for the team, Jammie Philpott, a promising Sophomore, will start at forward with George Rebh, while Sophomore Eber Simpson will play center. The guard situation will be handled by the captain and outstanding player, Ernie White, who will team with Ray Murphy. Hank Mazur, of football fame, is a substitute forward. Today's Schedule Cornell at Princeton Columbia at Harvard Dartmouth at Pennsylvania
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