HANOVER, N. H., Feb. 3--Although they were able to snatch the lead just before the end of the first half, the Harvard basketball team was no match for the veteran Dartmouth quintet which rallied in the second half to win 53 to 42 here tonight. The victory was Dartmouth's third in four EIL starts, and marked the third time Harvard has been defeated in Ivy League competition this winter.

Despite a 15-5 Big Green lead at the end of the first ten minutes of the game, the Crimson rallied as the Green shots failed to drop and Sophomore Dean Hennessey's basket with a little more than two minutes left in the half gave the Cantabs a 21 to 20 lead.

They only held it for about seconds, though. Olsen dropped in a foul shot and then a one-hander to put the Indians ahead again, 23 to 21. Dartmouth's fashy forward, George Munroe, dropped in another basket for the Green to make it 24 to 21 at the half.

Harvard got back that last basket at the start of the final half, but Olsen got hot and sparked a Green rally with four baskets. Dartmouth forged ahead to a 35 to 28 lead after five minutes of the half, but Burditt's foul shot was the only Crimson point for the next nine minutes as the Indians went out to a 49 to 29 lead. Harvard came back in the final six minutes, but the lead was too much for them to overtake.

Captain Bunks Burdit was high scorer for Harvard with four baskets and four fouls for 12 points, while Dean Hennessey followed with 11 and George Dillion with ten.