M. Cagers Top D.C. Explorers

Sophomore Tim Hill and senior Kyle Snowden both had 18 points as the Harvard men's basketball team won an exhibition game over the D.C. Explorers, 75-65, at Lavietes Pavilion on Sunday afternoon.

Harvard played well enough to win against the Explorers, a Washington-based club team made up of former college players, including three from Harvard. Though the Explorers had a distinct size advantage, the Crimson out-rebounded its opponent 52-51 and had three more blocks.

It was also a rather ugly game, as both teams shot just under 35 percent from the floor and well under 30 percent on three-pointers. The Crimson was also not in midseason form from the free-throw line, shooting 65.5 percent.

Still, it was an exhibition game, and with about two weeks until Harvard's first real game, the team did shed some light on some questions.

First, sophomore Bill Ewing can play. At 6'9" and a chickwich over 200 pounds, the center maintained his own against Explorer behemoths Craig Hodges and Malcolm Hollen-steiner '90 for 25 minutes on Sunday with 10 rebounds, six points, three blocks and only two fouls.

This was good news for the Crimson, as the team only has two other people that are true post players.

"Bill was the nicest lift of the day," Harvard coach Frank Sullivan said. "He had deflections, changed some shots in the lane and his rebounding stats were very good."

The second revelation for Harvard wasn't much of a revelation. Just like last season, if Harvard has good team defense and perimeter shooting, things go well; if not, the Crimson struggles.

The end of the first half showed this vividly. Harvard's offense died in the last nine minutes, scoring four points, while the Explorers' Ni-Nelson Richards led a comeback to take a 34-33 lead at halftime.

"We can't afford lapses like that," junior guard Mike Scott said. "We have to play 40 minutes of basket-ball."

Guarding Richards, who had 25 points on the game, was not something that one could expect the defense to accomplish, as Harvard will likely never again see a 6'3" point guard with the moves that Richards has. Also, when captain Dave Demian left early in the first half with a twisted ankle, the Crimson's defensive scheme was hurt, as Demian and Scott usually rotate guarding their opponent's best backcourt player.

Still, the Harvard frontcourt buckled down well on the Explorers' big guys, holding them to 12-for-45 from the floor.

The Crimson shooting, however, was poor at times, so-so at others. Senior forward David Weaver never got his touch from outside, going one-for-nine from three-point range. Also, Hill was cold in the first half before he poured on 13 points in the second.

Sullivan attributed Weaver's difficulties from outside to the fact that he has mainly been practicing as more of a power forward because of the team's lack of depth at that position.

"We've had some days with only eight or nine players in practice," he said. "This was good for David Weaver to get out on the perimeter."

However, the team is not worried as much about the offensive concerns as it is the defensive.

"I think that [shooting] is the least of our concerns," senior power forward Chris Grancio said. "What we're going to focus on is team defense--that's how we won last year, and that's how we're going to win this year."

Harvard starts its regular season Nov. 26 at Lafayette. D.C. Explor  65 Harvard  75

HARVARD, 75-65 at Lavietes Pavilion D.C. Explorers  34  31  --  65 Harvard  33  42  --  75

D.C.: Evers 2-4 4-4 9, Richards 9-17 3-4 25, Fudd 3-11 2-2 8, Mitchell 2-13 0-2 4, Hodges 6-14 3-4 15, Hollensteiner 1-7 2-4 4, Bowsher 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 23-66 14-20 65.

HARVARD: Demian 2-4 0-0 5, Hill 6-18 5-6 18, Weaver 3-16 1-4 8, Beam 0-3 0-0 0, Scott 4-9 3-3 12, Snowden 6-12 6-9 18, Grancio 2-7 4-5 8, Ewing 3-7 0-2 6. TOTALS: 26-76 19-29 75.

HARVARD, 75-65 at Lavietes Pavilion D.C. Explorers  34  31  --  65 Harvard  33  42  --  75

D.C.: Evers 2-4 4-4 9, Richards 9-17 3-4 25, Fudd 3-11 2-2 8, Mitchell 2-13 0-2 4, Hodges 6-14 3-4 15, Hollensteiner 1-7 2-4 4, Bowsher 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 23-66 14-20 65.

HARVARD: Demian 2-4 0-0 5, Hill 6-18 5-6 18, Weaver 3-16 1-4 8, Beam 0-3 0-0 0, Scott 4-9 3-3 12, Snowden 6-12 6-9 18, Grancio 2-7 4-5 8, Ewing 3-7 0-2 6. TOTALS: 26-76 19-29 75.

D.C.: Evers 2-4 4-4 9, Richards 9-17 3-4 25, Fudd 3-11 2-2 8, Mitchell 2-13 0-2 4, Hodges 6-14 3-4 15, Hollensteiner 1-7 2-4 4, Bowsher 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 23-66 14-20 65.

HARVARD: Demian 2-4 0-0 5, Hill 6-18 5-6 18, Weaver 3-16 1-4 8, Beam 0-3 0-0 0, Scott 4-9 3-3 12, Snowden 6-12 6-9 18, Grancio 2-7 4-5 8, Ewing 3-7 0-2 6. TOTALS: 26-76 19-29 75.