Blue Devils Crunch Cagers, 89-52, in N.C.

DURHAM, N.C.--In the end, it wasn't the stunning upset that the Harvard men's basketball team had dreamed of.

But at the same time, it wasn't the devasting, embarrassing defeat it had feared.

Instead, Monday night's culture shocker here between Duke and Harvard produced an expectable, 89-52, defeat of the Crimson by the nationally third-ranked Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Five Duke players reached double figures as the hosts overcame a "lethargic" start to run to a 40-19 halftime lead and coast to the 37-point triumph. Keith Webster (11 points) and Neil Phillips (10 points) led the Crimson effort.

The Devils are the highest-ranked team Harvard has faced in recent memory.

The two schools now return wence they came; Duke (18-2) to the rough and-tumble Atlantic Coast Conference, whichcurrently places three teams in the national topfive, and Harvard (now 4-11 overall) to thesheltered courts of the Ivy League--far away fromplayers like Johnny Dawkins.

Dawkins, Duke's senior All-American guard andleading scorer (19 points per game) had an offnight--scoring only 10 points in 19 minutes--butprovided the contest's most exciting moment whenhe attempted a 180-degree, double-pump reversedunk on a breakaway.

The shot caromed off, but the crowd (listed at8564 but really closer to 6500) gave him astanding "O" for effort.

Harvard tendered slam-dunk entries of its own,with efforts by Phillips and Kyle Dodson, but eachplayer was fouled on his try and missed the shot.

The winners were gracious and self-assured invictory, as befits a national powerhouse."Harvard--you know we're just a lot better thanthem and should win," Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewskisaid. "Overall they played very well. Theycertainly were not intimidated. They took the ballright at us and hit a couple of times.

"I told them: `You can play poorly and win[against Harvard],'" Krzyzewski added. "I guessthat's the Polish way of getting your team firedup."

But Harvard tested that advice early. A Websterfree throw on the game's second sequence gave theCrimson a short-lived, but symbolically nice, 1-0lead.

And even after Duke had gone ahead to stay, thecagers hung tough and actually had a chance to tiethe game with 11 minutes left in the half, whenWeldon Williams was called for an intentional foulon Phillips' aborted dunk attempt--giving Harvardtwo free throws (and possession of the ball).

But the 87-percent free throw shooter missed apair ("I thought a lot about [the crowd noises] onthe first shot," Phillips said), and the BlueDevils were never threatened again.

Harvard had moderate success in the first half,using a 2-1-2 zone which kept Duke shootersoutside and Duke shooting percentages low (41.2for the half).

Meanwhile, the cagers consistently beat Duke'sfull-court press only to struggle in their setoffense. Harvard shot 29 percent from the floor inthe first half and committed 14 turnovers.

The hosts' superiority was most felt on theoffensive and defensive boards, where a 26-17total rebound edge at halftime grew to anastounding 48-24 advantage for the game.

While the likes of 7-ft., 2-in. Martin Nessleyand 6-ft., 10-in. Danny Ferry cleaned the glassfor the Blue Devils, 5-ft., 11-in. guard Websterled the Crimson with six rebounds.

Both teams boosted their shooting percentagesin the second half--Harvard to 43.3 percent andDuke to a red-hot 69 percent efficiency.

Harvard fought gamely--although admittedlyagainst some little-used Blue Devils--drawing towithin 26 points with six minutes left, beforeDuke ran off a 13-0 spurt.

Matt DeGreeff's corner jumper at 0:08 secondsbroke a five-minute Harvard scoring drought andleft the final score at 89-52.

Harvard Coach Peter Roby was nonplused by therather predictable outcome. "The reason I want tokeep on playing Duke--it's not that we have achance to beat them, that's the farthest thingfrom my mind--but because Duke has such a good[academic] program."

Judges Jounced

In a moment of calm before journeying south toface the lurking Blue Devils, the cagers facedBrandeis Saturday night at Briggs Athletic Center.

The Crimson rolled to an easy 81-58 victoryover the Judges, increasing its all-time seriesedge to 14-2 over the visitors.

While Brandeis committed 12 turnovers in theopening 20 minutes of play, Kyle Dodson and KeithWebster chipped in with eight points apiece topush Harvard to a 38-26 lead at the half.

Harvard, 81-58 at Briggs Athletic Center

HARVARD (81): Neil Phillips 2-1--5; KyleDodson 5-2--12; Bill Mohler 3-6--12; Keith Webster6-4--16; Pat Smith 2-2--6; Mike Gielen 4-0--8;Carm Scarpa 0-0--0; Fred Schernecker 1-0--2; TeddEvers 3-3--9; David Lang 1-0--2; David Wolkoff1-1--3; Matt DeGreeff 1-0--2; Todd Litfin 0-2--2;Bill Whelan 0-2--2; Rutledge Simmons 0-0--0

BRANDEIS (58): Derek Oliver 5-2--12;Alan Pearlstein 2-1--5; Paul Deale 0-2--2; RichardBroderick 0-0--0; Stanley House 10-0--20; MichaelSwell 4-0--8; David Power 1-0--2; David Stern1-2--4; Rob Toomey 0-0--0; Chris Byner 0-5--5;Stephen Hamelburg 0-0--0; Peter Silberfarb 0-0--0Fouled out: House. Total fouls: Harvard 21.Brandeis 20. Rebounds: Harvard 32 (Phillips 11),Brandeis 16 (Oliver 5) Assists: Harvard 23 (Smith6), Brandeis 11 (Broderick, Power 3).

Harvard  38-43--81Brandeis  26-32--58

Duke, 89-52 at Cameron Indoor Stadium

HARVARD (52): Neil Phillips 5-0--10;Kyle Dodson 1-3--5; Bill Mohler 1-0--2; Pat Smith1-0--2; Keith Webster 3-5--11; Mike Gielen 3-1--7;Fred Schernecker 2-2--6; Tedd Evers 2-1--5; DavidWolkoff 0-0--0; David Lang 1-0--2; Matt DeGreeff1-0--2; Carm Scarpa 0-0--0.

DUKE (89): David Henderson 5-4--14; MarkAlarie 3-4--10; Danny Ferry 4-1--9; Tommy Amaker1-0--2; Johnny Dawkins 4-2--10; Jay Bilas 4-3--11;Billy King 5-2--12; Weldon Williams 4-0--8; KevinStrickland 2-0--4; Quin Snyder 3-0--6; John Smith0-1--1.

Fouled out: Mohler. Total fouls: Harvard 25,Duke 18. Rebounds: Harvard 24 (Webster 6), Duke 48(Bilas 10). Assists: Harvard 12 (Smith, Gielen 4),Duke 28 (Snyder 8).

Harvard  19-33--52Duke  40-49--89

A: 8564CrimsonDaniel B. WroblewskiCrimson forward KYLE DODSON (25) attempts ashot against Duke Monday night. The Blue Devilsprevailed. 89-52, as Harvard saw its record dropto 4-11.