The Yard breathed an audible sigh of relief-this week as two previously winless, teams finally hit the victory column. The basketball squad, after seven straight defeats, staged a second half rally to whip. Brown 72-64, and, the fencing team came up with it a first win is three outings by squeezing past Bradford Durfee 14-13.

The hoopsters' victory was the biggest surprise of the season. On a previous eating the Yardlings had fallen an easy 87-701 victim of the Brains and 4 Saturday's game at Providence didn't promise is to be better.

After 12 minutes of the first half, the team had dropped behind in characteristic fashion by a score of 26-12. Another romp was in the making.

Subs Narrow Margin

At least that's what Brown thought. The Bruin coach confidently sent, in a his second team; so did the Yardlings. But the Crimson squad proved a bit better than its opponents and started a rally that narrowed the margin to 23-29 at the half.

Then the transformation took place.

Relying largely on the rebounding of center Don Arbuckle and the sharp shooting of forward Jarobin Gilbert, who scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half, the squad proceeded to stun the Bruins. It grabbed the lead six minutes into the second half and held it for eight minutes.

With six minutes left, Brown once again gained the upper hand, 52-51, and opened up the gap to 57-54. Guard Gene Dressler then hit a field goal and was fouled. This was the first in a parade of Bruin fouls that handed the Yardlings six easy points. They went into the lead 62-57 and never again relinquished it.

As it finally turned out, the Crimson's scoring was spread evenly among the starters: guards Dressler and Steve Ekdahl had 15 and 11 respectively; forwards Gilbert and Al Talesnick ended up with 14 and 12 each, and Arbuckle had a total of 7.

The key to victory was a shift in defensive strategy midway through the contest Coach Bruce Munro decided then to put more pressure on the Bruin guards, Fishman and Fahey. The change was effective. During the first half the duo combined for ten field goals: during the second they made a total of one.

Rough Schedule

Despite the victory, the hoopsters' future is still none too promising. The team has been hampered all year by poor ball-handling a lack of height, and a frequest inability to follow pregame strategy. And the next two squads it faces are powerhouses: B.U. (a 84-76 victor over the Yardlings last Wednesday) and Bentley Junior College.

Things look a bit brighter for the fencers. Strong performances were turned in this weekend by captain Tom Musliner and Dan Isaacson in the foil, and Bob Damos and Ed Garrick in the saber. All went undefeated in the victory over Bradford Durfee.

There are three matches left on the schedule, Princeton, M.I.T., and Yale.

While these good things were happening, disaster lurked in the wings for another freshman team. The track squad took it on the chin from powerful Exeter Academy in a close 60 1/2-57 1/2 meet which hung in doubt until the last event.

The loss left only swimming and wrestling undefeated. The matmen breezed past Columbia 24-9 and the swimmers drowned Deerfield Academy 53-42.

Squash continued to stretch its wining streak, now at nine, by whipping Exeter 3-2, and Princeton 6-3. As usual, he hockey team continued on its blissful middle road, taking a whipping from B.U. 11-4 and then giving one to Princeton 8-2