Without a conference tournament, the opening games in conference play in the Ivy League matter more than in any other conference in Division I basketball.

With the automatic NCAA bid only going to the regular season winner, a slow start in league play is usually devastating, while a fast start can jump a team into title contention.

“We have a young team with so many freshmen and sophomores,” said Harvard head coach Frank Sullivan. “What we have been trying to impress upon them is every game is a must win. Every half is a must win.”

After Dartmouth’s 80-73 home win over the Crimson last Saturday, the teams face each other again this Friday at Cambridge in a key game for each team.

Harvard (7-8, 0-1) has lost four games in a row and only has its star center Brian Cusworth for three more games. The senior will graduate after home games on January 26 against Yale and January 27 versus Brown.

If the Crimson has trouble against a Dartmouth team (6-7, 1-0 Ivy) that hasn’t won in Cambridge since the 1998-99 season, that does not bode well for its match-ups against other league opponents—such as perennial powers Penn and Princeton—without its star center.

The Big Green, on the other hand, hopes that it can emulate Harvard’s early season success with a victory in Cambridge. Last year, the Crimson swept its two games against Dartmouth and remained in contention for the league title until it was swept at home by Princeton and Penn.

A Big Green win would make it 2-0 and could lead to a similar title drive. But first, it must take care of business against its rival.

“There’s a lot of history between these two teams,” Dartmouth senior guard Leon Pattman said after the game, in which he scored a game-high 27 points. “I know Penn and Princeton are usually the top games, but there’s some real strong feelings between the two teams. We are basically keeping them on our minds until we beat them again Friday.”

BIG FINISH

Cusworth turned in one of the best outings of his career in the opener at Hanover, perhaps setting the stage for more big performances in his final three games in Crimson colors.

Cusworth, who can only play in one semester due to Ivy League regulations, is making the most of his half-season, leading the league in rebounds and block shots, with 8.7 rebounds-per-game and 2.4 blocks-per-game. He is also averaging 16.5 points-per-game, second in the league to Penn forward Mark Zoller’s 19.2 points-per-game.

All three of those categories were improved by Cusworth’s monster game at Dartmouth. The big man led the team with a career-high tying 25 points, a game-high 15 rebounds, and four blocked shots.

The Big Green is deep in the front court but their lack of height--with their tallest players standing three inches shorter than the seven foot Cusworth--led to mismatches on the offensive end.

Trying to defend the big man caused foul problems for Dartmouth. Forwards Elgin Fitzgerald and Brian McMillan each committed four fouls, while fellow forwards Dan Biber and Kurt Graeber picked up three apiece.

In the end, Big Green coach Terry Dunn chose the 6’8 sophomore Biber to guard Cusworth down the stretch and in overtime. Biber held the big man to just two points in overtime and will likely be matched-up against Cusworth in the rematch.

INJURY REPORT

Two of the Crimson’s reserves have been battling health problems in recent weeks and are unlikely to play against Dartmouth.

Sophomore forward Kenyon Churchwell has been suffering heart problems, while sophomore point guard Erik Groszyk is trying to recover from a concussion.

Churchwell is out indefinitely after undergoing tests to determine the cause of the problem. His last game was December 28 at UC Irvine.

Groszyk suffered a blow to the head during the Crimson’s 87-79 win at Long Island on December 9, and has not played since, missing the next seven games.

“Erik and Kenyon both have injuries that we are very alarmed about and are determined to get the answers about before they return to action,” Sullivan said.

Churchwell has appeared in 11 games on the season and has scored ten points, while Groszyk has played in six contests on the year, recording five points and three assists.

—Staff writer Ted Kirby can be reached at tjkirby@fas.harvard.edu.