Harvard's erratic basketball team, which pursued a policy last year of upsetting Eastern League leaders at unexpected intervals, developed that habit again Saturday night at the expense of Princeton. Beaten in four straight games in the current race, the Crimson turned the trick by holding the Tigers to just nine points during the second half. The final score was 36 to 32, whereas the losers' half-time margin had been 23-17.

As a result of this unforseen twist, Pennsylvania's fast-moving team is alone unbeaten in the league and holds first place with a record of four victories in as many starts. Dartmouth, winner over Cornell on Saturday, has won one more game than the Quakers but also has a loss to Princeton charged against it.

The 19 points he scored to lead his team to a 47-39 victory over the Ithacans sent Jim Olsen of the Hanover champions into the lead in the individual scoring race with a total of 68 points. A single tally behind him is Bob Myers, also of the Green, who was last week's pace setter.

Pennsylvania's flashy sophomore, Chink Crossin, is third with 57 points. Top scorers for the other colleges are Walter Budko, Columbia, 56; Bud Palmer, Princeton, 55; Dick Giles, Cornell, 43; George Burditt, Harvard, 46; and Jim McGaughey Yale, 37. Burditt, the Crimson's captain, played his last game for the Cantabs on Saturday.

Before Harvard and Dartmouth registered their victories last week, the Cambridge quintet had lost to Columbia on Tuesday, 54 to 43, and Princeton had defeated Yale the following night, 41 to 33. Lincoln's Birthday saw Penn strengthen its hold on first place by turning back Columbia, 58, to 55, Crossin and Colberg accounting for 39 of the victors' points between them.

Contests this week send Penn to face Yale at New Haven and Dartmouth to play Harvard at Cambridge tonight. Cornell's road trip will feature the weekend schedule, the Ithacans playing at Princeton Friday night and in Pennsylvania's Palestra on Saturday. The return Harvard-Columbia encounter is also set for Saturday and will take place at Cambridge.