Basketball

The Big Green basketball team dropped three of its four league contests during the past month, thereby slipping from second place to a tie with Yale for third in the final standings. Columbia took the 1936 title with the unprecedented record of twelve straight league victories, the final standings ending in this fashion:

Points W. L. For. Agst. Columbia 12 0 452 350 Penn 7 5 372 315 Dartmouth 6 6 385 382 Yale 6 6 382 375 Princeton 5 7 371 387 Cornell 3 9 349 463 Harvard 3 9 364 403

Bill Nash, Columbia captain, captured the individual scoring honors in this year's race, but was four points shy of the all-time record set by Al Bonniwell of Dartmouth last year. Bill Thomas of Dartmouth finished second in the scoring standings, and was selected All-League forward in a poll of the coaches of the member teams.

After downing Vermont, 31 to 26, on February 20, the Indian courtmen dropped three straight league games, to Columbia at Hanover, 35 to 34, to Princeton at Princeton, 34 to 24, and to Columbia at New York, 40 to 33. They came back in their final game, however, downing Princeton at Hanover, 48 to 40, to divide third-place honors with Yale.

In the first Columbia contest, Dartmouth romped ahead to a 25-15 lead in the first. half, but Bill Nash led the Lions on a 20- point rampage while the Indians sank but two floor goals, and the league-leaders took their sixth straight game, 35 to 34- The contest was a hair-raiser from start to finish, with Art Toan and Bill Thomas leading the home forces with 10 points each. The long shots of Nash were too much for Dartmouth in the second half, and after the Blue and White leader had brought the Lions up to even terms, Ganzenmuller and Wolff clinched matters with a pair of baskets in the final two minutes. A pair of foul shots by Oscar Goodman left Dartmouth one point behind, and the closing seconds were a mad scramble for possession of the ball.

The Princeton encounter away from Hanover saw the Tigers, paced by Bill Tilden, run up a 21-8 lead in the first half. The Orange and Black five continued its pace, running its advantage to 17 points before Art Toan and Don McKinlay led a late rally that brought Dartmouth to within 10 points as the game ended. The work of Captain Hugh MacMillan, Princeton guard, was a vital factor in keeping the total of Green floor goals down. Toan and McKinlay each had 5 points for the evening.

Journeying to New York for a return battle with Columbia, the Indians again fell before the Lions, 40 to 33, as Bill Nash enjoyed a 17-point scoring splurge. Columbia went ahead 8-0 at the start of hostilities but was leading by only 21-17 at half-time. Columbia continued its superior team play in the second period, gaining a 10-point advantage soon after play was resumed. Thomas and McKernan kept Dartmouth in the fight, however, and the Lions had to be on their toes until the final whistle. Thomas, with 14 points, was high scorer for the Green.

In closing their season with a 48-40 victory over Princeton at Hanover, the Indians overcame an early Tiger lead and then put on a last-half drive after the visitors had evened the count at 29-all. Princeton went ahead 13-6 in the early minutes of the game, but through its ability from the foul line the Green five held a 20-17 lead at intermission. The Tigers came back strong in the second half, until McKernan's timely basket halted them at 29-29 and Toan and Thomas went to work and produced 13 points between them. Thomas was the evening's stellar performer with 17 points to his credit.