Basketball

It is difficult to say just what happened to Dartmouth's basketball team in the home stretch. Last month we reported the Indians were riding a six-game winning streak, which they extended to nine by defeating Holy Cross 73-69 and stopping Penn 76-52 and Cornell 84-49 in two Ivy League contests. Then league-leading Yale, whom the Indians had defeated 69-57 earlier in the season, came to Hanover. It was a must game for both squads. Dartmouth played poorly, hampered at times by a full court press that the Elis employed to slow the Big Green down. Furthermore, the Indians missed some excellent scoring shots, their ball handling was sloppy, and in general the spark was missing. However, the Big Green led consistently throughout the game, pulling away to a seven-point lead with five minutes to go. Then the Big Green elected to freeze the ball and before one could realize it, Yale had broken through to pull up to 55-56. This time, with a minute left, Yale kept the ball for 45 seconds, then drove in for the basket. The play was broken up, but in the ensuing scramble the Elis came up with the ball, it was flipped out to a Yale reserve who had just entered the game and his set shot swished through the net as the final buzzer sounded to give Yale a 57-56 win.

A few nights later, Harvard dashed any Dartmouth hopes by stopping the Indians 69-60. Yale then defeated Harvard to wrap up the title.

In the two other Ivy contests, Dartmouth edged past Princeton 75-74, and defeated Cornell in the final game 56-47, but even in these contests the Indians did not look effective.

Make no mistake, this was a good Dartmouth basketball team. They did as well in the Ivy League play as the 1956 team, but they were just not good enough this year. On a given night - and they proved it time and again - this team could defeat any Ivy team, but they were erratic. The players blew hot and cold. Center Jim Francis was off for a while, Dave Carruthers did not show the form he displayed in 1956, Captain Ron Judson shifted from forward to guard, and even the reserves were spotty. Defensively the Indians were usually tops and the rebounding was excellent, but up front, where the game is won, Dartmouth was just not a championship unit this winter.

In scoring, only two men were in double figures - Center Jim Francis and Captain Ron Judson, who averaged 15 points per game. Dartmouth's field-goal shooting percentage was .366, while the Indians grabbed off a total of 1,306 rebounds, some 40% better than their combined opponents. The team averaged 70 points per game as against 60 for all opponents, but was hurt by too many close losses in crucial league games.

George Bixby '57 of Haverhill, Mass., won the Indoor Intercollegiate title in the 35pound weight throw in Madison Square Garden on March 2. His heave of 59 feet 514 inches set a new College record. He is the son of Chesley T. Bixby '23.