When the Crimson basketball team plays Cornell in Ithaca tonight, it will have an opportunity to avenge last week's 73-65 loss to the Big Red and move up from sole possession of the Ivy League cellar.

A victory over Cornell, presently 2-8 in League play, would probably put Harvard. 1-9 among the lives, in a sixth-place tie with the Big Red and Brown, currently 2-8, which meets Princeton tonight.

A Crimson triumph will not be easy as Cornell has a home-court advantage that in the past has almost assured a Big Red win. Last season, for example Harvard upset Cornell, 81-77. in overtime in the IAB, but fell, 92-72, in Ithaca. The squad has not defeated the Big Red away since 1961.

Must Do Better

If the Crimson performs as it did last week a victory over Curnell will be even more difficult. In that game. because of pear offensive and defensive rebounding and sloppy ballhan?lling. Harvard had 19 fewer shots from the floor than the Big Red had-the major factor in the Crimson loss.

Last week. Cornell's leading scorer and re-bounder 6' 5" center Bill Sehwatrzkopf, paced his teammates with 22 points and 11 rebounds. If Harvard can successfully control him with tough defense and effectively screen him away from the boards, it will severely reduce the Big Red's offensive potential.

Hardy's Responsibility

As in the last contest, much of the responsibility for containing Schwartzkopf will fall to captain Ernie Hardy. This individual match-up has an added facet since Harly only trails the Curnell center by ten rebounds for the Ivy League rebounding lead.

Coach Bob Harrison plans to use a man-to-man defense against the Big Red's weave offense instead of the 1-3-1 zone that the Crimson used last week. With the man-to-man. Harvard should be able to utilize the height advantage it has under the basket.

"Our chances of beating them really lie in controlling the boards," said junior guard Dale Dover, the tenth leading scorer in the Ivy League-one point behind teammate Matt Bozek. "If we can outrebound them, we'll do all right," he added.

Cornell's other rebounding threat, 6'4" forward Dick Amato, snatched 13 rebounds against the Crimson last week and put in 19 points. With effective board play. Harvard should be able to prevent him from scoring.