The Harvard basketball team left the "Big White" of Cambridge behind to defeat the Big Red of Cornell, 88-81, last night in Ithaca, New York, in a game that was originally scheduled for last Saturday night.

The Crimson raised its Ivy League record to 3-3 by rebounding from Sunday's loss to Columbia in New York City. Five Crimson hoopsters tallied in double figures to counteract an awesome performance by Cornell's 6-ft., 4-in. sophomore, Mike Davis, who pumped in 32 points in a losing effort.

The score see-sawed back and forth throughout the game until Cyrus Booker hit two free throws with 2:41 remaining to break a 77-77 tie, giving Harvard a lead they never relinquished.

With 1:37 left on the clock, Bob Hooft scored on a jump shot from the corner to increase the lead to 83-79. Pete Call provided Cornell's last bucket when he rippled the nets in vain with a jump shot from the corner at the one minute mark.

Harvard Coach Frank McLaughlin missed the last minute heroics, though, thanks to an early departure arranged by a referee who slapped McLaughlin with a flagrant technical foul midway through the second half.

The Crimson mentor followed the referee onto the court to continue a onesided conversation and received a technical foul and an ejection for his troubles.

Cornell was leading, 59-54, when McLaughlin exited. "The technical foul seemed to provide the Crimson with impetus and they began to play with more intensity," Harvard manager Tom Welch said last night.

Cornell increased its lead to 63-54 before a Harvard point spurt, capped by a Rich Bengel basket, tied the game once again at 65-65. Neither team could take command in the next few minutes and the score remained tied, 77-77, with 3:58 left in the game.

In the meantime, four Cornell players had fouled out of the contest to give Harvard an added advantage in the last minutes. Cornell players Kevin Halloran and Paul Sellew both picked up their fifth fouls within one second of each other and left the game at the crucial 3:58 mark.

Brian Banks supplied the lion's share of Harvard's firepower with 19 points. Also scoring in double figures were Bob Hooft, Glenn Fine, Cyrus Booker, and Mark Hadley.

Hooft is Fine

Hooft added six rebounds to his 13 points while Fine notched three assists to complement his 11 markers. Booker and Hadley hit for ten points each.

The hoopsters open an exciting weekend of basketball Friday night at 7:30 when perennial Ivy League powerhouse Princeton invades the IAB. Saturday night, the sparks should fly when the Crimson hosts league-leading Pennsylvania.