Like all Harvard-Yale contests, it was The Game for women's basketball, but like the 1978 football team, the Crimson fell seven points short, dropping a 50-43 decision to the Bulldogs, Saturday in the semi-final of the Ivy League Tournament.

Harvard defeated Penn in the consolation game yesterday 74-59, and Yale took the league championship with a 63-55 victory over Princeton in the final, at Yale's Payne-Whitney Gymnasium.

"We just didn't change gears--we didn't do things that we could have done. Yale was beatable," coach Carole Kleinfelder said yesterday.

The hoopsters endured a costly lapse early in the first half. Poor shooting, turnovers and weak defense against Yale sharpshooter Lisa Brummel left the Crimson with a 12-point dificit midway through the half.

Some freshmen were disoriented by the intensity of the upperclassmen about games with Yale," Betsy Rowe, team manager, said yesterday.

Raid

That disorientation cost the Crimson. The team committed 33 turnovers to Yale's 19, although the squad did outrebound the Bulldogs, 60-45.

Elaine Holpuch's efforts secured the Crimson's rebounding advantage. Holpuch collected 19 caroms and scored 14 points to lead the Crimson in both categories.

"Elaine's play was a bright note. She did a real nice job for us especially considering she is a freshman and this was her first tournament play," Kleinfelder said.

In their second-half comeback, the cagers narrowed the gap to as few as five points, but forward Brummel and center Rosa Aparicio, who led Yale with 12 points each, smothered the Harvard effort.

In the consolation game, the Crimson had little trouble with Penn, opening up an early ten-point lead. A squad of mostly substitutes played much of the game and handed the Quakers a convincing trouncing.

"We didn't have too many problems with them and I don't expect any when we play them again (February 24) in Philadelphia," Kleinfelder said.

The Crimson travels to Northeastern Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. contest.

NOTEBOOK: Captain Caryn Curry was named to the All-Tournament team.