St. John's Courtmen Win; Varsity Vanquished, 72-63

(Special to the CRIMSON)

NEW YORK. Dec. 4-The Crimson basketball team held its own against highly rated St. John's tonight, but a consistent fast break by the Redmen and a few poorly chosen shots by Harvard gave St. John's a seven-point lead early in the second half which it never relinquished. The Crimson lost. 72-63.

In an exciting, well played game between two of the best freshman teams in the East, St. John's edged the Crimson. 96-94. before the varsity contest.

The Harvard varsity, which proved tonight that it's capable of good basketball, played the game with a 2-3 zone which kept confused St. John's from scoring early. Sophomore guard Matt Bozek had eight points for Harvard to St. John's one before the Redmen rallied to tie the score. 10-10

Using a full-court zone press, a rarity for Crimson teams. Harvard, missing several free throw opportunities, traded points with St. John's. Then Redmen captain Joe DePre, scoring leader with 20 tallies, hit on two jump shots and a base line drive, and St. John's led narrowly. 32-29. at halftime.

Bozek led the Crimson with 18 points, and guard Dale Dover added 16 on fast break lay-ups and twisting drives.

"Our game plan was good." Dover said afterwards. "but the thing that hurt us was not getting back into our zone quickly enough from the press."

St. John's. fired up by coach Lon Carnesecca added quickly to its three-point halftime lead on long set shots against the Crimson zone by guard Richie Lyons and Jim Smyth. Harvard couldn't narrow the gap to less than seven, and a last minute desperation 40-foot set shot by Crimson reserve Jeff Brogan completed the scoring.

"It was no disgrace to lose to St, John's." coach Bob Harrison said. "We went out hard in the first half and proved that Harvard can play good basketball, and I think that effort put a pretty big psychological and emotional pressure on us for the second half."

Last Three Seconds

In the freshman game. St. John's forward Bill Schaeffer, whose 30 points led all scorers, hit a short jumper underneath with three seconds left in the game to tip the Yardlings.

The Redmen led at halftime. 53-46. but Harvard's freshmen, who fulfilled preseason expectations by their good shooting and rebounding, stormed back in the second half on the strength of several fast breaks and three field goals literally dropped into the basket by Floyd Lewis.

The Yardlings went ahead. 67-63. lost the lead on jump shots by St. John's high school All-American Mel Davis. 76-71. and regained it. 85-84. with five minutes left in the game on powerful rebounding by Marshall Sanders, who led all rebounders with 23.

James Brown, who played most of the second half with four fouls, finished with 21 points, as did Sanders and Lewis.

"Of course we're disappointed that we didn't win, but even a win wouldn't have proved who was the better team," said coach Ken Klug. "All it took was one break either way."