The Harvard women's basketball team, suffering from fatigue and letdown after the Ivy League championships last weekend, dropped its third game in four contests Saturday, falling, 82-79, to South Eastern Massachusetts, at North Adams, Mass.

The Crimson dropped a 65-60 decision at Boston University the night before, and the squad's record now stands at 14-7.

For one of the first times this season, foul trouble caught up with the hoopsters. Gillian Raney and Caryn Curry both fouled out against S.E. Mass; and Dorris Woolery, Sue Arboucher and Karen Smith finished the game with four fouls. S.E. Mass. outscored the Crimson, 28-11, at the foul line.

Bad shooting, a more frequent problem this year, again plagued Harvard. Usually reliable shooters Caryn Curry and Wendy Carle combined for an unseemly 7-22 from the floor; and, as a team, the cagers could manage only 34 per cent.

However, it was S.E. Mass. shooter Mary Beth Hill who caused the most damage to the Crimson effort as she popped for 29 points (including 11 from the foul line) before she fouled out.

"She really destroyed us." Betsy Rowe, team manager, said yesterday.

Freshman Dorris Woolery helped keep the contest close in the first half. S.E. Mass, maintained a small lead throughout the first half, but Harvard tied it at 35 just before the midway point.

"We've just been trying to put things together after the Ivies. We just don't have the edge that we had going into the tournament," Woolery said yesterday.

Coach Carole Kleinfelder tried a new starting lineup with Caryn Curry and Wendy Carle at guards and Sue Arboucher. Hildy Meyers and Kim Belshe, all forwards, under the boards. The team's centers. Elaine Holpuch--whose ankle is still bothering her--and Karen Smith entered the game as substitutes.

Smith, a 6-ft. 1-in. freshman, echoed her teammates sentiments about the letdown. "We peaked at the Ivies and we've had some trouble after. We just have to keep the intensity going," she said yesterday.

S.E. Mass. widened its margin early in the second half, but Harvard fought back and kept within striking distance throughout. The cagers narrowed the gap to three points with plenty of time left, but the squads traded baskets until the final buzzer.

The Crimson faces two Ivy League focs this week at the IAB. Brown, 66-38 losers to the cagers in the Ivies, visits Cambridge Wednesday night: and Yale, 50-43 victors over the Crimson in the Ivy semi-finals, plays Harvard Friday night.

SE MASS 82, HARVARD 79 at North Adams, Mass.

H--Sue Field 1 0-0 2; Gillian Raney 3 0-0 6: Caryn Curry 5 0-0 10; Kim Belshe 3 0-0 6; Hildy Meyers 3 0-0 6; Wkdy Carle 2 0-0 4; Dorris Woolery 6 6-6 18; Kim Aboucher 2 0-0 4; Elaine Holpuch 6 2-5 14; Karen Smith 3 3-3 9; Totals 34 11-16 79.

SE--Mary Beth Hill 9 11-14-29; Barbara Bash 5 5-8 15; Danette Jordan 2 4-7 8; Joyce Laughlin 0 4-4 4; Alison Wordane 1 0-0 2; Kathy Dorsey 0 2-2 2; Sally Darhington 3 0-0 6; Mary McCarthy 7 2-4 16; Totals 27 28-39 82.