Enter Smokin Joe Carrabino.

Held in those first 12 minutes to just two points and no rebounds by Boston's top high school player of last year--former Central Catholic standout Leo Parent, of Lawrence--the Crimson's 6-ft., 8-in, tower of terror showed he can point his finger as well as he can play the game.

With 8:04 left in the first half, Carrabino engaged. Parent in a finger-pointing episode after the freshman landed an elbow that sent Carrabino into his finest Dusty. Rhodes impersonation.

"The freshman was a little unnecessarily rough," Carrabino said. "They put him on me as in kind of hatchet man I just couldn't allow that I'm a senior, this is my home court. I've got to retain some kind of respect.

The Crimson co-captain's antics resulted in his third-ever technical foul. But after Parent sank the resulting free throw to put his squad up, 17-11, Carrabino--and Harvard--came alive.

Last year's Ivy League Player of the year added six quick points as Harvard responded with eight consecutive points in all.

I'd like to think it kind picked us up," Carrabino said of the technical.

Six more points from the Encino, Calif. native doing a second unanswered eight-point spurt--this one just after halftime--put Harvard up 32-25.

Smokin' Joe & Co continued to hit with sizzling accuracy--Harvard shot an uncanny 750 from the field in the second half--and built a44-31 lead with eight minutes to go.

One of the big reasons was a defensive adjustment at halftime that completely shut down Manhattan's All-American candidate, Time Cain.

The senior forward notched 14 first-half points, but after Harvard adjusted its defense to shadow him more closely in the second, he couldn't connect for another point.

"The baseline's his strength," said junior Arne Duncan, "and we took that away from him."

Like it's done all year though, Harvard on this one at the foul line, without from the floor, 46-36, the Crimson uses 20 free throws (compared to Manhattan's five) to remain undefeated.

Harvard has now outscored its opponents from the charity stripe, 116.25.

"If we can get to the foul line," said Duncan, "there's not any team that can catch us."