In its two Ivy League contests this past weekend, the Harvard basketball team fell behind early, had to play comeback ball, and eventually dropped both games, 84-60 to Penn Friday night and 91-66 to Princeton Saturday night.

The losses mired the Crimson in the Ivy League cellar with an 0-6 record. Harvard's overall mark is 7-10.

Suffering from cold shooting both nights, the Crimson failed to seriously threaten either opponent though it was never out of either contest until the closing minutes.

Against Penn, Harvard dropped behind 16-2 after five and a half minutes of play, but then, paced by sophomore forward Tony Jenkins, it pulled within nine at half-time, 41-32.

Jenkins finished the game as the leading scorer with 22 points, hitting eight-of-nine from the floor and four-of-four from the line. But his performance was not enough to keep the Crimson in the game.

Penn stretched its lead to 58-46 midway through the last half, and then went into a zone defense which Harvard, with miserable outside shooting, could not break. The Quakers, ranked in the top ten in the nation, snatched 12 quick points and coasted to the win.

Defense

"It sure didn't feel like a difference of 20 points between teams," Penn head coach Chuck Daly said after the game. "Harvard defensed us better than any other team we've faced."

Crimson's defense the next night held its own again, but again its offense could not get rolling. Shooting only 24 per cent from the floor in the first hall, the Crimson fell back 42-22 at half-time.

Harvard traded baskets with the Tigers for the first five minutes, but then Brian Taylor. Princeton's All-American candidate, blocked a Crimson shot, scored on a driving lay-up, and hit a fast break tip-in. Princeton had gained the momentum of the game early, and Harvard spent the rest of the game trying to get it from them.

Eric Fox and Jean Wilkinson, who both started for Harvard in the second half, did everything they could to get Harvard back in the game. Fox hit on seven-of-nine from the floor and grabbed eight rebounds in the half, and Wilkinson, a 6-0 junior guard, blocked several shots and added ten points. Fox and Wilkinson both finished with 14 points.

But Princeton wouldn't budge, and with Taylor and Ted Manakas leading the way, it kept the Crimson from drawing closer than 17.

"We've been playing pretty badly lately," Princeton head coach Pete Carril said after the game, "and the players knew that we had to win this one or there would be no tomorrow."