A fantasy: the Harvard women's basketball team stifled its critics by nipping Brown yesterday afternoon, 56-55, on junior co-captain Pat Horne's half-court rocket with one second remaining in the game. The sweet victory moved the Crimson one step closer to nabbing its first Ivy title in this weekend's tourney at the IAB.

Reality: the sixth-seeded Harvard women's basketball team was swamped yesterday at the hands of an overpowering Brown squad that manhandled the Crimson, 72-41. The loss destroys whatever dregs of a chance the 3-20 cagers had in coming up with the coveted Ivy League championship.

Harvard stormed out to a commanding lead on junior Ann Scannell's free throw, 1-0, but from that point on, the Bruins had no trouble narrowing the Crimson advantage and then increasing its own lead.

The Crimson cagers shot a sobering 23 percent from the floor, while Brown managed to hit 59 percent. Brown hoopsters Trish Wurtz, Sylvia Mass and Donna Yaffe each hit for 12 points, many of which came from outside the key.

In the Hole

Harvard junior Franesa Hall led her team with her own dozen.

If Harvard had been able to win all three of its contests this weekend, it would have wrapped up the Ivy League title, despite its feeble season record. But with yesterday's defeat, the Crimson cannot emerge from the tournament with anything better than a fifth-place position.

In other tournament action yesterday, fifth-seeded Yale nipped fourth-seeded Princeton, 52-51. The Tigers gnawed away at Yale's lead for the last portion of the second half, but the Bulldogs had their victory saved for them when Princeton cager Vickie Wallen missed a 10-ft. jumper with two seconds remaining in the contest.

Later in the day, second-seeded Dartmouth breezed past last-ranked Cornell, 65-46. Big Green center Gail Koziara--who has carried Dartmouth for the entire season was unstoppable as she poured in 30 points.

When play resumes today Harvard will take on Cornell at noon. Dartmouth will tangle with Brown at 2 p.m., and Penn--the tournament's top seed--will try to down the Bulldogs.

On Sunday the winners of the Penn-Yale and Brown-Dartmouth matchups will fight for the Ivy League title.