Crimson Basketball Squad Takes On Minutemen

The Crimson basketball will be looking to make it three in a one as they face the minutemen from the University of Massachusetts tonight in Amherst.

After an opening game loss to a tough Indiana five, the squad has posted consecutive victories over Springfield and Boston University. Tonight's game will be crucial if the Crimson hope to establish them as a top power in the East.

"UMass is a very sound basketball team," coach Bob Harrison said yesterday. "They execute well and they're hard to beat up there." The Harvard five will not have an easy time of it. The Crimson just eked out a victory last year at home, 80-78.

The only definite starters for the Minutemen, according in coach Jack Leaman, will be center Charles Peters to land forwards A1 Skinner (6-4) and Tom McLaughlin (6-4). "The other positions are up for grabs between Bill Endieott John Murphy, Tom Gillams and Rich Petino," Leaman said.

Petino is the team's leading scorer, averaging about 16 points a game Skinner is averaging around 13 points, while Peters and McLaughlin have been scoring 9 to 12 points a game respectively.

UMass has, as a team, averaged only about 75 points a game. "That kind of puts us at a disadvantage," Leaman said. Harvard's average is all even 100 points, having put together two games over the 100 mark, scoring 122 against Springfield and 102 in the B.U. game.

Under 100 Points

""I'm very impressed by what I've seen of Harvard," Leaman said. "They have the best personnel of any team in New England." Leamen's strategy will be to slow down the Crimson attack. "We'll have to fight them on the boards," he said, "and make them play our game, which is a lot slower. There's no question, we have to keep them under 100 points."

The only planned change by Harrison for tonight's contest is to play Ken Wolfe 16-21 in place of Hal Smith in the guard slot. Joining Wolfe at guard will be Jim Fitzsimmons 16-11. Up front for the Crimson. Harrison will play Anthony Jenkins (6-8). Marshall Sanders (6-5) and James Brown (6-6).

Brown put one a one man show in last week's game with the Terners, scoring 36 points one some great moves. In addition, he blocked shots and grabbed 11 rebounds to slow down the B.U. offense.

"The game will be a tough one". Harrison said, "They're a hard-nosed ball team. We're going up there with the idea of playing our best and coming home with a win."