Basketball

While most eastern college basketball players were tangling with final exams, the Indian hoopmen were resting from Ivy League action and playing four non-league opponents. On January 20, the Indians met the Colby College Mules and came out of the contest 21 points behind, 84-63. The Green's Steve Spahn was high man as usual with 27 points, but Colby's Dave Thaxter registered 32 and Ken Stone had twenty.

The following weekend Loyola of New Orleans made its first appearance in Hanover and up-ended the Green, 74-54. The Wolfpack's Darryl Tschirn rippled the cords for 25 points while Spahn contributed 19 to the Indians' cause. The next night the Green visited Boston University and won its first road game of the year, 64-53. The game can be described as an all-around team effort as Spahn tallied 21, Sam Barton had 19 and Barry Elson, a consistent scorer of late, had 16. The Indians led 33-24 at the half, but saw the game tied with twelve minutes to play before finally pulling out in front to stay.

Playing their third game in five days, the Indians traveled to Worcester to meet Holy Cross. Again it was Jack "The Shot" Foley who was a thorn in the side of the Green. He scored 30 points as the Crusaders breezed to a 92-61 victory.

Returning to Hanover and Ivy League competition, the Green finally started to click. On February 2, Columbia, a team which had beaten the Indians earlier this year, was trounced 65-54. Three Indians were in the double-figures, Spahn, Barton and Elson, while the Lions' Art Woliansky was high man for the night with 25 points.

On the following night the Indians met league-leading Cornell in what proved to be one of the finest games seen in Hanover in several years. Trailing by as much as nine points in the first half and down 33-28 at the intermission, the Green fought back to tie the score at 34-34. From that point on the score was knotted twelve times with neither team managing more than a two-point margin.

With two minutes to play, the score was tied at 58-58. With about forty seconds remaining, Sam Barton coolly sank two foul shots to move the Green out in front. In the final 35 seconds the ball exchanged hands no less than four times, but the Indians tightened their defense to down the Big Red, 60-58. Spahn had 27 points and Elson and Barton each netted 14. Special mention should be given forward Steve Swirsky who sank two vital baskets when it appeared the Green might fall behind, and a pat on the back is in order for sophomore Fran Hanlon who played the entire second half in place of an ailing Bill Shanahan.

Dartmouth fans were hoping for more of the same type of basketball over Carnival Weekend when the Green hosted Brown and Yale, but such was not the case. The Bruins, winless against Ivy League opponents, led 43-26 at the half and were never in real danger as they coasted to a 71-52 win. The next night Yale, co-leader in the league race, had very little trouble handing the Green an 85-72 setback. Spahn led both teams with 27 points.

The Indians at this writing have a 6-12 record for the season and are 3-5 in the league. Spahn is the leading scorer in the Ivy League, with an overall average of about 22 points per game. The Green is hurting on the boards where the teams with the "big" men have dominated the play. With four of their final six games on the road, the Indians will have to battle to finish fifth in the Ivy standings.

Pat Terenzini '64 of Rutland, Vt. was the winner of the Carnival slalom race.