Princeton poured in several clutch free throws, took advantage of last-minute Harvard errors and held off the Crimson, 57-53, last night at the IAB.

Sophomore Don Fleming bullied his way into the Tiger lane and nailed a four-footer with four minutes remaining to tie the game at 48, but a resilient Princeton defense prevented any further advance.

The loss drops fifth-place Harvard to a 2-4 Ivy mark and 26-11 overall, while Princeton used its fifth straight triumph to go to 9-7 overall, and 5-1 Ivy, one game behind league-leading Penn.

If Harvard was ever going to upset a Pete Carril team, this was the year to do it. The Tigers, an uninspired unit, played a dreary game, shooting 44 per cent from the floor, and committing 22 turnovers.

Jinxed

But Carril's Harvard jinx held; his victory was his 24th out of 25 contests in his 13 years at the Princeton helm.

Bad shooting killed Harvard. Again. The Crimson hit 39 per cent of its field goals, a telling contrast to its 62-per-cent winning performance at Dartmouth earlier this week.

Fleming led all scorers with 14 points, but four fouls in the first three quarters and a 6-14 yield from the floor limited his effectiveness.

Junior Tom Mannix, more effective working inside than usual, but less impressive shooting from the perimeter, finished with 11 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Mark Harris had an uncharacteristically slow night under the boards with three rebounds, but captain Bob Allen took up the slack with eight.

Freshman sixth-man Calvin Dixon kept Harvard in the contest midway through the first half by hitting three straight jumpers, the finale an arching 20-footer that resulted in a three-point play.

The Dixon jumpers--elegant parabolas that caught nothing but net--evidently did not impress coach Frank McLaughlin sufficiently. He mysteriously benched Dixon through most of the second half, banishing an offensive threat it seemed Harvard could ill-afford to lose.

Harvard had a chance to tie the game at 50 with just under two minutes left after a Princeton stall failed. But guard Robert Taylor, who endured a 0-8 shooting night, threw a pass out of bounds. Princeton's Randy Melville was then fouled at the other end of the court, where he sealed the outcome with two free throws with 1:49 left.

Penn, undefeated in Ivy competition this year, comes to the IAB tonight for an 8 p.m. contest. Led by captain Jamie Salters, the Quakers rate as heavy favorites to continue their undefeated string.

THE NOTEBOOK: Stop That Rumor: No, swingman Don Fleming is not related to Harvard's intellectual history czar, Donald H. Fleming, Trumbull Professor of American History.