Basketball

Barring a colossal breakdown or some major mishaps during the next two weeks, Dartmouth's basketball team should retain its firm grip on first place in die Ivy League and win a berth in the N.C.A.A. playoffs. But the Big Green players have probably given Coach Doggie Julian more gray hairs and ulcers than he has known in any previous season in Hanover. On repeated occasions the Indians have played just well enough to win and several times have had to stave off last-ditch efforts by the opposition. For example, in a mid-January game at New York the Big Green had little trouble stopping an average Columbia team 82-60, but in February, playing at home, Dartmouth was forced into a double-overtime before winning 72-70, with Coach Julian having to rely largely on reserves to pull out this one. Similarly, in early February, Dartmouth squeaked by Brown, 69-64, and had to hold off Cornell to win 58-48. In the two most recent league games against Harvard and Yale, the Indians topped Harvard, 76-64, but were outplayed by a hustling Yale team, defending Ivy League champions, and suffered their first league defeat, 70-67.

Following the close win over Columbia, Coach Julian commented: "We can't afford to have an off night with everyone gunning for us. This is still a young team, bound to make mistakes, but mistakes can cost you the championship."

Against Columbia Doggie went to his bench, calling on Dave Gavitt at guard and Bryant Barnes at forward, and the move paid off with these two hitting 16 of 23 from the floor to account for almost half of Dartmouth's points. Dave Farnsworth, Hal Douglas, Stu Hanson, Gary Vandeweghe and John Jones are other reserves who have frequently spelled Dartmouth's starting five very effectively - and there's little doubt that Dartmouth's bench strength has been the major factor in the record to date.

Dartmouth's starting five, of course, dominate the scoring columns thus far, with forward Rudy LaRusso averaging a neat 16 points per game, followed by guard Chuck Kaufman, whose outstanding playmaking and 13-point .average have been a key factor in Dartmouth's record. Sophomore guard Walt Sosnowski, whose last-second hook shot won the Columbia game, is hitting at a 12-point average, while center Tom Aley is averaging 11 points per game. Forward Gary Vandeweghe and guard Dave Gavitt are hitting at just over six points in each contest, while the remaining team members are all under five points per game.

Dartmouth's record, coupled with a 76 point game average, top rebounding and some good defensive play, has pushed the Indians into the national rankings, consistently among the top twenty teams in the nation.

However, in the most recent game with Yale, which only last winter upset Dartmouth to win the league title, the Big Green had an "off night" with the Elis outshooting and outrebounding the Big Green. Yale led 42-32 at halftime and widened this to a 65-51 score in the third period. Dartmouth put on a last-ditch rally which just fell short. With five games remaining, all against Ivy League opposition, the Indians cannot afford too many nights like this or Yale may well retain its championship this winter.