Still imbued with the Christmas spirit, the varsity basketball team tried to give Dartmouth a basketball game last night at the IAB, but the Big Green wasn't having any. So the Crimson, after leading 49 to 31 at halftime, held on for a 76-72 victory.

The varsity outbattled the taller Indians in the first 20 minutes, pulling down 23 rebounds to the Big Green's 13. What was more, the Crimson sank 20 of 38 shots from the floor, and all nine of its free throws, as the crowd of 300 looked on in disbelief.

But the Indians, led by forward Steve Swirsky--whose style of play was unique if nothing else--roared back in the second half, and once came within four points, 67 to 63. The varsity's panic subsided momentarily, though, and by the time the Green could work the Crimson's edge down to four again, the game was over.

Joe Deering drove through three Dartmouth defenders to put the varsity ahead, 13 to 11, after seven minutes, to set off a frantic burst which produced eight points in less than a minute and a half. Deering, fittingly enough, climaxed the burst with a beautiful steal and a damn-the-torpedoes drive through several massed Dartmouth defenders, making the score 19 to 11.

After Gary Borchard knocked in a tip-in to increase the Crimson's lead to 25 to 13, Dartmouth fell apart. The ever-popular Pete Kelley sank a twisting, upside down shot for a 31-15 Crimson lead after 12 1/2 minutes, and the Indians switched to a man-for-man defense, which had no immediate effects.

In the second half, though, Dartmouth quickly began to catch up, and Swirsky's three-point play brought the Indians within nine, 63 to 54, with 10 minutes left to play. Swirsky, a heavy-set, squishy-looking player who had been averaging 4.2 points a game, tallied 16 in the second half despite a shooting style more suitable for jaialai.

With the score at 65-60, Bill Danner stole the ball and was heading for the basket when Dartmouth's Sam Barton sent him flying head-first into the wall behind the backboard. Danner, dazed, missed both his free throws. With 12 seconds left, Danner tied a Harvard record by nearly going through the other wall.

A two-pointer by Steve Spahn, Dartmouth's hustling but over-anxious guard, reduced the varsity's lead to four at 67 to 63, but shortly thereafter Barton and Indian captain Bill Shanahan fouled out.

Deering led the Crimson with 17 points, followed by Denny Lynch and Kelley with 14 and Borchard with 12. Barton topped the Indians with 18, as Gene Augustine held Spahn to 17, 12 below his total against the Crimson the last time around.