Harvard basketball coach Frank McLaughlin was wandering through the lobby of the IAB looking for jumper cables last night, just minutes after the Crimson had dropped an 81-61 decision to Northeastern. "My car battery's dead," McLaughlin said. "Just like my team."

And indeed the Crimson cagers needed a recharging last night, as they totally collapsed in the second half against the Huskies en route to their 12th straight loss and their 14th in 17 games.

Good team play, along with an exceptional performance by co-captain Glenn Fine (12 assists, seven in the first half), led the Harvard five to a 42-37 halftime bulge. Shooting well above the season average from the floor (53 per cent) and the line (8-for-8), Harvard looked to be on its way to a much sought-after victory as the teams broke for the dressing rooms.

Turnaround

But the Huskies returned from the intermission ready to play, while visions of exams and unfinished papers haunted McLaughlin's troops. Northeastern won the tap and Herb Caesar quickly sunk a charity toss with only seven seconds gone in the new period, cutting the Harvard margin to four. A jumper by Caesar and another by teammate Bill Loughnane tied the game with 17:28 to play.

Don "the Duck" Fleming popped one in from 18 feet, but that was the last Harvard bucket for almost eight minutes as Northeastern ran off 15 unanswered points. When Robert Taylor finally canned a 15-footer from just left of the foul line at 11:05 the score was 60-46 Northeastern, and the Crimson had been outscored 23-4.

Both squads traded baskets until the Crimson suffered another five-minute scoring drought and the Huskies stretched their lead to an insurmountable 77-52 with 4:10 to play.

While Northeastern shot a blistering 72 per cent in the final stanza, Harvard's field goal percentage plunged to an embarrassing 20 per cent.

Playing a zone defense for much of the first half and all of the second, the Huskies eliminated Harvard's meager inside game and the Crimson could set up few if any layups in the later stages of the contest.

By contrast, Northeastern tallied at will. Pete Harris (21 points) popped from the periphery for the visitors, while Caesar and Chip Rucker drove by Harvard defenders time and time again.

The psychologically battered Crimson will not see action again until February, so perhaps with some rest and relaxation, not to mention lots of practice, the team will be prepared to play 40 minutes worth of winning basketball. HARVARD FG  FT  REB  A  PF  TP Mannix  1-5  0-0  1  0  1  2 Coatsworth  3-4  2-2  1  1  4  8 Allen  2-8  2-2  4  2  1  6 Harris  4-9  0-0  4  0  3  8 Hooft  1-8  2-2  4  1  4  4 Mills  0-1  0-0  0  1  1  0 Taylor  4-6  0-1  3  1  2  8 Fine  4-12  2-2  2  12  1  10 Clarke  0-3  0-1  2  0  1  0 Kohn  0-1  0-0  0  0  0  0 Fleming  5-9  0-0  2  0  3  10 Trumbull  0-0  3-6  2  0  0  3 Sims  0-1  2-4  1  0  0  2 Totals  24-67  13-20  33  18  21  61 FG% 35; FT% 65; team rebounds--7; turnovers--20.

NORTHEASTERN FG  FT  REB  A  PF  TP Pollard  0-1  0-2  1  0  0  0 Moss  3-6  2-2  4  4  2  8 Loughnane  6-9  1-2  2  5  1  13 Harris  9-17  3-3  5  2  3  21 Lehman  1-1  0-0  1  1  2  2 Caesar  3-6  1-2  5  0  4  7 Jefferson  1-1  0-1  6  0  1  2 Leitao  1-3  3-4  1  0  3  5 Schoening  2-2  0-0  2  0  3  4 Beale  1-1  0-1  0  0  1  2 Edwards  0-0  0-0  2  0  1  0 Rucker  6-10  5-6  4  2  4  17 Totals  33-57  15-23  39  14  25  81 FG% 57; FT% 65; team rebounds--6; turnovers--21.

Scoring By Periods Northeastern  37-44  81 Harvard  42-19  61