Women Cagers Fall, 53-52; 4th Period Slump Keys Loss

BURLINGTON, Vt.--This was a game that the Harvard women's basketball team wanted to win, needed to win, and really, should have been able to win.

But the Crimson hoopsters (1-7) lost last night to an inconsistent and sloppy Vermont squad, 53-52.

A devastating stretch of poor shooting denied the Crimson a victory. During that 12-minute span in the fourth period, Harvard turned cold, ice cold. Unable to muster any sort of adequate play, Harvard's lead collapsed and it fell behind, 46-40.

The Crimson squad made an innumerable number of turnovers. The easiest baskets didn't fall through the hoop--even the many layup opportunities turned out to be worthless.

The dramatic reversal of the caliber of play was so extreme that the hoopsters were unable to score a single point for more than five minutes.

For most of the contest, however, Harvard was in control of the game's tempo. During that time, the Crimson played well and displayed the season's best basketball skills.

Harvard shooting returned last night to a level of consistency which had been seen only in its sole victory of the 1981-82 campaign against the Pennsylvania Quakers. The team forced an incredible amount of Vermont turnovers with its tenacious play, and several times it capitalized on the recoveries with baskets.

That, unfortunately, was only for most of the game.

At the end of the first half, Harvard had played its most solid twenty minutes of the still-young season and the team left the court with a two point lead, 25-23.

After falling to an early 10-4 disadvantage, the Crimson squad pumped in four consecutive baskets with freshman forward Lisa Leithauser popping in two from outside the key.

Until four minutes remaining in the half, the lead petered back and forth without either team taking command of the game. But at that time, the Catamounts put together another mini-streak and found themselves with a five point lead.

But Vermont's momentum again did not last for long. The Crimson team reasserted itself with junior forward Franese Hall dominating play on the court for the remainder of the half. Hall, in this stretch, controlled the boards and scored three skillful two-pointers, hitting from underneath the hoop and from long range.

Dominoes

Harvard continued to control all aspects of the game as the second half commenced. Leithauser and co-captain Pat Horne each chalked up four points to increase Harvard's lead to eight, 33-25, but soon after that, the cagers fell flat.

The Crimson's tide went out to sea for just a bit too long. With three-and-a-half minutes remaining in the game, the team began to regroup and assert itself once more.

In the game's remaining time, twelve points for Harvard jumped onto the score board with Horne, Hall, Margaret Long, Wendy Joseph, and Val Jordan, each adding to Harvard's final effort. But the Catamounts were able to generate enough offense to squeak out a victory by only a one point margin.

A highlight of the game was Leithauser, another freshman who seems to have developed a great deal of court maturity, contributing a team high sixteen points.