With one giant step forward on Sunday, junior Bob Ferry sent his team one giant step back wards on Monday.

For when the left foot of the Harvard men's basketball squad's star found its way onto a nail early Sunday morning, it caused a quick readjustment in the Crimson's starting lineup. And last night at Briggs Athletic Center, that shuffle almost caused a mild disaster.

With Ferry on the bench in his Sunday best, it took Harvard more than a half to find anything resembling Monday good. Only superlative performances from a former Ivy League Rookie of the Year and a current Ivy Rookie of the Week saved the cagers from a complete embarrassment, as they managed an 87-80 victory over lowly (as in very lowly) Lehigh.

"This game was a step backwards for us," Crimson Coach Frank McLaughlin said after the first-ever meeting between the two schools. "We've been playing so well and then something like this happens."

One for the Books

Just two days after its first weekend sweep in over a year--two victories over Yale and Brown that sent Harvard into the thick of the Ivy title chase--the Crimson turned in one of its worst first halves of the year in a game whose only significance was in the scoring books.

"We sat in the locker room at halftime and said that this was ridiculous," said Harvard's Joe Carrabino, the former Ivy League Rookie of the Year who deposited a career-high 32 points to save the day. "We were lucky to be down by only one [32-31 at the half]."

Confidential Chat

And after a pleasant chat with McLaughlin at the half led to a Crimson surge that put Harvard on top by as many as 21, a not-so-pleasant performance from the Crimson bench put the Engineers within striking distance with just a minute left to play.

"We got kind of sloppy at the end," said the Crimson's Arne Duncan, the current Ivy Rookie of the Week who deposited a career high himself this particular night. Coupled with Carrabino's 32, Duncan's 20 points were the saving grace in an otherwise dismal day that began with Ferry's mishap.

With his team mired in the middle of a nine-games-in-15-days stretch, Ferry's freak accident and subsequent absence from the lineup--the first in his 70-game collegiate career--increased the pressure on his team-mates. "Harvard's not a super-talented team," McLaughlin said.

So with much of its super talent in Ferry on the sidelines, the attention shifted to Carrabino and Duncan. But in the opening 20, not even that deadly duo could come up with enough offensive power to offset the absence of Harvard's other ex-Rookie of the Year.

"Bobby has so many dimensions," Carrabino said afterwards, "that his absence takes a lot away from this team."

Only some nifty ballhandling from sophomore guard Pat Smith and the early 31-16 run from Carrabino and Duncan in the second half's opening minutes gave Harvard its third victory in a row--the first time the cagers have managed that feat all year.

"Maybe it wasn't a pretty win," Duncan said, "but at least it's a win."

THE NOTEBOOK Harvard is now 10-9 on the season and will meet Brandeis tomorrow before moving on to Penn and Princeton this weekend for its most important road trip of the year. Ferry will not play tomorrow but is expected to return for the weekend.

HARVARD (87)--Ken Plutccki 3-6--12. Arne Duncan 7-6--20. Joe Carrabino 13-6--32. Pat Smith 2-0--4; Keth Webster 1.2--4, Greg Wides 2.2--6; Kevin Boyle 0-3--3, Monroe Trouf 1-0--2, Bob Daugherty 0-0--0; Felipe Farie 0-0--0; Ben Danielson 0-0--0; Totals 29-29--87.

LEHIGH (80)--Ron Gregory 4-6--14; Seamus Dowling 1-0--2; Paul Wickman 5-0--10; Mike Andorelewicz 5-1--11; Mike Poisha 9-3--21; Vernon McKay 0-0--0; Raymond Lee 2-0--4; Don Henderson 2-3--7; Joe Turocy 0-0--0; Doug Gaffiney 0-0--0, Turocy 32-16--80 Fouled Out; Gregory, Wcikman, Androlewcz, Henderson.

Halftime, L. 32-31.

All: 200.