PRINCETON, Feb. 26--Hapless is the word for the Varsity basketball team. Completely incapable of controlling either backboard, the Crimson took a 71 to 55 drubbing from a Princeton team that had everything its own way in the second half tonight.

Captain George Hauptfuhrer watched the proceedings in muffin, but even his presence wouldn't have helped the Harvard cause materially. The Varsity gave a fair account of itself in a sloppy first half, leaving the floor on the short end of a 36 to 30 count.

In the final 20 minutes, the Nassau scored almost at will, moving through the Varsity's man to man defense without effort, and cleaning every rebound from the Crimson backboard. George Sella, who had a scintillating first half, tallied twenty one points for the victors, and center Bernie Adams was king of the backboards. If Coach Fank Cappon hadn't removed his regulars in the final six minutes, the rout could have reached gruesome proportions.

Brady Fouls Out

John Rockwell dumped in 21 points for Harvard, but his contribution was entirely offensive. Bill Brady played a dogged floor game before fouling out midway through the second half. Lloyd Harper coached the squad in the absence of flu-ridden Bill Barclay.

The Harvard Summary: HARVARD (55)     G  F  P Mobraaten, rf  2  0  4 Henry  1  1  3 McCurdy, lf  4  0  3 Crosby  0  0  0 Rockwell, c  6  9  21 Gannon, rg  1  0  2 Davis  2  2  6 Brady, lg  3  3  9 Fansler  1  0  2