Cornell Tops Five

The Harvard basketball team mounted a second half surge of heroic proportions to overcome a five-point half-time deficit, but Cornell's rugged Walt Eisdail sparked a countersurge which foiled the Crimson in the end, 77-68, last night at Ithaca.

There was one bright spot in the Harvard performance. First nighter Ernie Hardy, scholastically eligible again, played a strong offensive and defensive game with nine points and nine rebounds.

But Hardy's efforts weren't enough to offset the Big Red's rebounding muscle. Cornell's George Chapman held Harvard high-scorer Chris Gallagher to only two points in the first half, and the 6-5, 230-lb. Eisdail scored 15 points overall.

Propulsion

Cornell pulled ahead early in the first session and held a small lead, from one to five points, until 12 minutes remained in the game. Then Crimson captain Bobby Beller and forward Bob Kanuth propelled Harvard into a 50-49 advantage.

Eisdail and guard Paul Fry refused to fold, and Cornell deflated the rally with a seven point burst of its own. That was it, as the Ithacans controlled the action the rest of the way, enjoying a 12-point lead only a few minutes before the final buzzer.

Beller continued his hot shooting with a team high of 15 points, seven in the first half. The 6-4 Kanuth had 13 points and Gallagher, who started to move late in the game, finished with 12.

Cornell's Greg Morris led all scorers with 17 and the 6-0 Fry added 12, 10 in the closing, victorious stretch.

Toughie

Harvard takes on another toughie tonight in New York. The sixth-ranked Columbia Lions beat the Crimson by 30 last Saturday and shouldn't have much trouble repeating the feat.

Harvard is now 4-11 on the season, 1-7 in the Ivy League.