In a knockdown, dragout encounter at the IAB last night, Yale handed the Crimson cagers their tenth consecutive loss, 53-51.

After 40 minutes of breakneck play, the outcome boiled down to Harvard forward Bob Hooft's two attempts from the foul line with only three seconds left to play. Hooft came within a heart throb of sinking his first free throw but when it trickled off the rim, the Crimson's chances went with it.

Harvard played a crisp, cohesive ball through most of the first half, as the cagers seemed well on their way to snapping a four-game Ivy League losing streak, but could muster only 22 points in the second stanza.

The Elis held a razor-thin lead through the early going, as midway through the first half Hooft netted a reverse layup to make it 14-12 Yale. Three minutes later, Jonas Honick swished a 20-footer to cut the lead to 18-17. the Crimson finally went ahead when Jeff Hill caromed home a 15 footer to make it 21-20.

Trailing at Halftime

Harvard went into the locker room at the half with a 29-24 edge after a 12-point scoring salvo in the final five minutes. After Rick Bengal pulled up on a fast break to hit a short jumper, Hooft took a length-of-the-court lob and raced in for a layup that beat the halftime buzzer.

The Crimson offense never quite seemed to regain the equilibrium it showed in the first half with Honick and Hooft both scoring eight points and Steve Irion chipping in with six when play resumed.

The Elis' Carnell Cooper notched it at 35 apiece with 13:16 left to play and thereafter the cagers' offense began to fizzle. After a three-minute scoring lull with both squads tied at 39, Yale piled up a 48-41 lead. During the cold spell, the hoopsters went eight minutes without a field goal before Irion dropped a whirling hook from the baseline.

Play also became more physical in a basically cleancut game that saw only 12 turnovers. The cagers trailed 53-47 after Hooft sunk an off-balance ten footer. The Crimson drew within two with just over a minute remaining when Irion followed Hill's bucket with a jumper off of a rebound.

Yale had three chances to increase its edge but Cooper, Tim McChristian, and high-scorer Dick Shea all botched foul shots.

Harvard still had time for one last sortie down the court. Hill's forced jumper from long range missed but Hooft was there for the rebound. He almost put the ball in but had to settle for the foul, which set up the do-or-die situation that decided the game.