For the fourth time this season, Harvard's basketball teams lost a game in the last ten seconds of play. Last night the Crimson's tormentor was M.I.T., and the score was 36 to 34.

Harvard was trailing by 12 points midway through the second half, but a tremendous streak of hot shooting enabled the Crimson to tie it up at 32-all with 1:46 to play. M.I.T.'s Alex Wilson hit a five foot jump shot. Harvard tied it again when Keith Sedlacek missed a foul shot and banked in, the rebound.

With eight seconds to play, Wilson took a pass and drove down the lane past Sedlacek to put in the winning two-pointer. The clock kept running; at the buzzer Sedlacek tried a desperation 35-foot shot, which missed.

M.I.T. won the game by playing patient team basketball, and by moving the ball well against Harvard's full court press. The Engineers hit 34 of 60 shots from the floor--a phenomenal 56.6 per cent--and 18 of 20 free throws. Harvard was 39-for-85 from the floor.

Wilson, a 6-5 center, led the M.I.T. attack with 34 points, most of them on short jump shots from the key. Sedlacek, after an embarrasingly bad first half, scored 20 in the second half and totaled 26 points for the night.

The Crimson's performance during the first half was dismal. John Scott tallied Harvard's only three field goals during the first seven minutes of play. M.I.T. started slowly too, but gradually built up a 40-32 lead at halftime.

But Sedlacek, Gene Dressler, and George Neville were all shooting brilliantly during the second half. Harvard chopped the Tech lead to 56-51, but then committed a succession of ball handling errors--most of which Dressier was responsible for, M.I.T. pulled back in front, 64-52, and with 8:45 to play they were nursing a 72-65 lead.

Harvard Rally

Harvard fought back gamely. Jeff Grate and Charlie McMonaugle sank foul shots, and Sedlacek swished a jumper from the corner. Gene Dressier stole the ball and hit a short jump shot, then connected a on 20-footer moments later. Jim Griswald's shot from the corner put the Crimson ahead 75-72 with 6:05 to play.

Suddenly Harvard's shooting, defense, and ball handling all went to pot simultaneously, and M.I.T. regained the lead, 80-76. Baskets by Sedlacek and Barry Williams tied the score again, setting the stage for the now routine last-second heartbreak.