PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 14--For 35 minutes tonight the Crimson basketball team duelled Penn's Ivy League co-leaders on even terms, but in the five minutes that county the Quakers ran wild. The result was a 60-49 Penn win and Harvard's fourth Ivy League defeat.

It all started innocuously enough. With 4:55 remaining and Penn leading 49 to 46, Harvard's Barry Williams stole the ball from little Ray Carazo and was fouled. He made the first shot--it was to be Harvard's last point for 4 1/2 agonizing minutes. Williams missed his second shot and Carazo whizzed down the middle for a lay up to give Penn a four-point lead. As the Crimson's fast break moved into operation, Williams was fouled again. This time he missed both free throws.

Frustration reached its apex in the next series of plays. When Penn's Karl Vogeizang missed a shot, Bob Inman grabbed the arching rebound and raced down court at the held of a four-on-two fast break. But his pass to Leo Scully under the basket bounced off Carozo's leg. The Penn captain grabbed the ball; moments later Jeff Neuman drove up the free throw lane through three Crimson players, made a layup and was fouled.

When he made the free throw it was 56-47 and Harvard was dead.

Shooting Abysmal

The Crimson, playing after a 300-mile bus trip, was shooting horrendously, but no worse than the Quakers, who hit an appalling 32.8 per cent from the floor. Harvard had 35.7 per cent; Merle McClung led the scoring with 19 points, Williams had nine, and Keith Sedlacek seven.

The game was won at the free throw line and under the boards. Harvard made barely half its foul shots--9 of 17--while Penn hit on 16 of 21. And for the first time this year Harvard was decisively outrebounded--Penn picked off 60 to 34 for Coach Floyd Wilson's five.

The Crimson's 4 1/2 minute scoreless spell at the end of the game was matched by a four-minute drought at the beginning. Harvard didn't get on the score-board until Merie McClung dunked a layup with 4:10 some by. But Penn was just as had: the Quakers tallied only sophomore hotahot Stan Pawiak's two free throws. No one could pull ahead; Pens tried a some press at the start, but clever ball handling by Leo Scully and Sadlacek forced them out of it.

McClung Maneuvers

Harvard's guards spread the defense and them whipped passes to McClung who unmanouvered Penn's gawky 6-3 John Hellings for 12 points in the half. Harvard led at halftime, 32-31.

At the start of the second half, Harvard seemed ready to run of with the game. A quick jump shot by Sedlacek and a free throw by McClung gave Harvard a four-point edge. But the Crimson missed two opportunities to increase it, and Pawlak, getting hot while the rest of his team was cold, popped in seven points in three minutes to knot the game at 40-40.

Harvard went back ahead 42-40 on a jumper by McClung, but the lead changed hands for the 23rd and last time when Hellings tipped in Pawlek's set shot which put Penn ahead 43-42. The tans traded points, until Carazo's free throw put the Quakers on top 49-46. That's when disaster set in.

A little more may set in tonight, when the Crimson journeys to Princton for a contest with Bill Bradley and the Tigers