Harvard's freshman basketball team, on the-strength of individual talent, stayed within a few points of the Crimson varsity until late in the game last night, when a concerted team effort gave the varsity a 98-85 victory before almost 1000 enthusiastic fans in the Indoor Athletic Building.

Even though the crowd was partial to the freshmen, expected to be one of Harvard's best teams ever, the Yardlings could not generate a team offense and had to rely on individual efforts by their two high school All-Americans, James Brown and Floyd Lewis.

When Brown fouled out with ten minutes left in the game, the varsity, which led throughout the game, clinched the victory, outscoring the freshmen 17 points to four in the closing five minutes.

Sophomore guard Matt Bozek, who led the final outburst with eight points and a steal, finished the game with 26 tallies. Harvard's other starting guard, junior Dale Dover, hit on 10 of 1? field goal attempts and finished with 23.

Lewis, called on four goal-tending charges, controlled the opening tip, but his team couldn't control the game. The varsity had leads of four to six points throughout the first half, until a hot shooting streak by Bozek-like his scoring streak that won the game-gave the varsity a seven-point lead at half-time.

Both teams' starting line-ups returned to start the second half. The freshmen, with outstanding rebounding from forward Marshall Sanders who led all rebounders with 15, whittled the varsity's lead to 70-?? with ten minutes left in the game.

Then Brown fouled out. The varsity went ahead by seven on a couple of driving lay-ups by Dover, but the freshmen narrowed the gap to two points again. With Bozek's final scoring splurge, the varsity put the game out of reach.

The shortest man on the freshman team, 5' 10' guard Jean Wilkinson, led his teammates with 19 points. Brown scored 17, and Sanders had 15.

"The freshmen didn't have the offensive cohesiveness today that they will have later on." said varsity coach Bob Harrison. "They'll be much better next time, but so will we." he added. Both teams plan a rematch on Sunday, November 23 at 8 p. m. in the IAB.

"We really had no offensive patterns today." said freshman coach Ken Klug, "but we hope to be ready for them on the 23rd."

Both the varsity and the freshmen open their seasons on December 4 against St. John's University on Long Island, New York.