"But Dawkins was a real confidence builder for them." McLaughlin added. "He had been having a little trouble [shooting from outside]... but tonight he had an absolutely great game."

In order to appreciate the caliber of Harvard's performance it mounted a season high 604 field goal average, dished off 14 assists as a team, ran a continually swift game and still managed to limit the number of turnovers to eight-one must consider its opponent's talents.

This is a team which beat nationally ranked Virginia and boasts a 17-5 season record, playing in the Samson-like Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). One Blue Devil, freshman Martin Nessley, is a towering 7-ft., 2-in. There of its starters stand 6-ft., 7-in, or above.

The Blue Devils dunk, then run fast breaks with graceful proficiency. The team competes against the best talent in the country, game in and game out, and has gained national recognition-Duke is ranked 25th in the country. Sopomore Dawkins is thinking about going pro. And playmaker Tommy Amaker--he collected 10 assists last night--is touted as the ACC's best freshman.

Compared to the omnipotent ACC, the Ivy League seems to be dwarfed into obscurity For these reasons, Harvard's dramatic and inspiring effort is something to be considered highly unexpected, if not extraordinary.

The mood in the locker room after the sounding of the final buzzer radiated a glowing pride, despite the loss.

"We're pleasantly disappointed," Carrabino said. "We showed that we could play with anyone in the country... Still, though, there's a nagging feeling that we should have won. The difference between winning and losing was their getting inside for a couple of easy shots in the second half. Their physical talent just overlook us a couple of times."

Harvard's ability to compete closely with Duke came not from a sense of apathy or anticipation of an easy victory against an Ivy League team. The Blue Devils played hard, and they played well. The contest developed into an intense emotional struggle. At several points during the game, the atmosphere proved hectic enough to spark some minor physical confrontation.

"They're a team of great athletes," Carrabino said. "They played very, very hard. There's no doubt that they're leaving here knowing that Harvard can play basketball."

The Crimson's performance as a team has gelled over their last three contests. During the longest and most gruelling road trip of the season, to Columbia and Cornell, Harvard split over the weekend, losing to the Big Red only in the game's final seconds. With their stellar show against Duke, the cagers enter this weekend's crucial Ivy contests--against league leaders Brown and Yale--with a sense of confidence they have not experienced for quite a long while.

"There's no question that if we play like we did against Columbia, Cornell and Duke that we can win this Friday and Saturday," McLaughlin said. "But we can't just leave here and say, 'Boy, we're going to win...The only thing that I'm concerned about is an emotional... letdown."

By coming razor-close to dunking Duke, Harvard has proven itself--once and for all--a team to be taken very seriously in league competition. Co-Captain Monroe Trout seems to have recovered from his nagging injuries. McLaughlin has discovered new depth in the backcourt by granting adequate playing time to freshman Keith Webster. For these reasons--and some more--Harvard's season record of 7-9 (3-3 in the Ivies), is a bit deceiving.

Carrabino said, "The morale of this team is very good. We have a lot of confidence."

But the Blue Devils don't really care how much confidence the Crimson has. Their only concern is that a member of the Ivy League--a league dwarfed by the ACC--almost upset and humiliated them.

At Briggs Athletic Center

DUKE(89)--Jay Bilas 2-2-6; Dan Meagher 2-0-4; Mark Alarie 11-1-23; Tommy Amaker 0-0-0; Johnny Dawkins 15-3-33; David Henderson 4-11-19; Doug McNeely 2-0-4. Fouled out; Bilas

HARVARD (86)--Arne Duncan 4-0-8; Ken Plutnicki 1-9-11; Joe Carrabino 14-2-30; Bon Ferry 6-8-20; Pat Smioth 2-0-4; Greg Wildes 0-0-0; Kelth Webster 3-1-7; Kevin Boyle 0-0-0. Fouled out; Duncan, Plutnicki.

Hattime: 45-43, Duke

Att: 2850