Basketball

In the last seven games, all league affairs, the Big Green basketball team managed to win only one while losing six straight. Dartmouth defeated Harvard 78-60, but then lost to Penn 56-48, Holy Cross 76-60, Columbia 55-49, Cornell 73-53, Princeton 67-57 and finally Brown 74-71.

It was a disappointing end to a season that had started off so promisingly. One of the major reasons for the defeats was the loss of Captain Pete Geithner who suffered a muscle injury against Columbia. The steadiest and most consistent player on the team, Geithner was also the only real play-maker, and without him Dartmouth could make little headway. The Indians' 6' 7" pivot-man, Paul Wisdom, also faded in the stretch, and while Dick Fairley, his replacement, did a fine job, particularly on rebounding, his shooting was off.

The cumulative statistics for 26 games tell part of the story. Dartmouth's field-goal shooting average was slightly over 33%, while the free-throw average was only 61.2%. Both averages were low and, of course, took a beating in those final six contests.

On an individual basis, Paul Wisdom emerged with the scoring honors, hitting for 14.3 points per game. Ken Patterson, who played up forward with Wisdom, had a 12.0 average, while guard Glenn Wilson posted an 11.0 average despite missing eight games. Wilson, incidentally, was elected captain of the team for next year.

Behind Wilson with a 10.0 average was Pete Geithner, and the next highest man was Dick Fairley with a 6.0 average. Fairley was one of the few players who boosted his average during the final games.

There is not much point in rehashing the games. Dartmouth should have won several of them, notably the Brown and Princeton games and possibly the Columbia contest. Weak shooting was one of the major reasons for defeat, and Coach Doggie Julian's constant lineup juggling could not produce any combination which seemed effective. Morale also was at a low ebb, particularly after the Geithner injury, and the end of the season came none too soon for all concerned. The only consolation lay in the freshman team, and if they don't produce next winter Doggie Julian will be ready for a rest cure and Red Rolfe will really have to expedite the recruiting system.

HIS SPECIALTY: Dick Fairley, junior center from Washington, D. C., who is adept at getting rebounds, displays his skill in the Holy Cross game.