The largest Briggs Athletics Center of the year Saturday night witnessed the Harvard men's basketball team's finest performance of the still young season, which is quick becoming one of the squad's finest campaigns ever

Harvard remained undefeated by rebounding from an early nine-point deficit and snagging an impressive 56-51 victory over a scrappy Manhattan squad

The win, before 875 partisan fans, left the Crimson holding a 5-0 record --the best Harvard start since the 1957-58 team opened 6-0.

Records don't really turn me on, said Harvard Coach Frank McLaughlin, whose troops have won six in a row dating back to last year "But playing well does, and we're going pretty good now."

Indeed After a sluggish start that included three cheap victories over three interior opponents. Harvard Saturday night finally passed its first legitimate test of the sear.

"This was a good one for us," said McLaughlin, who had a list of reasons why "for starters, they're a good team.

"And they resemble Penn and Cornell [who, with Harvard, are the fac to take the 1984-85 Ivy League title] and this shows what we can do against teams like that."

"I think this shows we're much better than anything we've shown so far," added senior Co-Captain Bob Eerry, who continues to regain the outstanding touch that seemed to chide him during the second half of last year.

Perhaps more important than the win was the Crimson's strong showing in front of Manhattan, which owns one or the five votes that sends teams to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in March.

Manhattan reportedly cast the only vote against Harvard a year ago, and that was enough to keep the Cantabs out of the post-season tourney.

The reason? A 22 point lasper victory over the Crimson that saw Harvard play one of its worst game in years.

"They basically kept us out of the NIT last year," said Harvard's Keith Webster, who Saturday night broke out of a season long slump that had kept him on the bench at game's start.

"If it comes down to the NIT again this year, they'd have to vote or us," Webster added.

For the first 12 minutes Saturday night, though, if looked like the Jaspers (now 2-4) would only vote to keep Harvard on their schedule.

Because in those first dozen minutes Harvard shot an abominable 125 from the floor and continually turned the ball over to the sharp shooting visitors, who built early leads of 14-5 and 16-9.

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."

THE NOTEBOOK: Carrabino led all scorers with 22 points... He needs to average just over 15 per game the rest of the year to become Harvard's all-time leading scorer... Junior Pat Smith turned in another fine game, providing four assists and four points.... Several Harvard players attributed to the victory to an out-standing scouting job by the Harvard coaching staff...Greg Wildes started, but after missing on his first three shots sat out the remainder of the game in favor of Webster...Harvard returns to action Tuesday against Holy Cross. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Briggs.

at Briggs Athletic Center

MANHATTAN (51)--Tim Cain 7-0--14; Maurice Williams 0-2--2; Leo Parent-4-3--11; Ed Lawson 4-0--a; Jim Haufler 1-0--2; Charlie Roberts 2-0--4, Steve Klemick 3-0--0; Chris Sciano 2-0--4; John Haufler 0-0--0; Sean Hall 0-0--0. Totals 23.5--51.

HARVARD (56)--Joe Carrabino 9-4--22; Arne Duncan 4-3--11; Greg Wildes 0-0--0; Bob Ferry 2-5--9; Pat Smith 1-2--4; Keith Webster 2-6--10. Totals 18. 20--56.

Halftime: T, 21-21.

Fouled Out--Roberts. Totals Fouls--Harvard 11, Manhattan 23. Rebounds--Harvard 17 (Carrabino 8), Manhattan 15 (Williams, Parent 3). Assists--Harvard 12 (Duncan, Smith 4), Manhacan 8 (Lawson 5).

Att:875.