DURHAM, N.C.--In the end, it wasn't the stunning upset that the Harvard men's basketball team had dreamed of.

But at the same time, it wasn't the devasting, embarrassing defeat it had feared.

Instead, Monday night's culture shocker here between Duke and Harvard produced an expectable, 89-52, defeat of the Crimson by the nationally third-ranked Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Five Duke players reached double figures as the hosts overcame a "lethargic" start to run to a 40-19 halftime lead and coast to the 37-point triumph. Keith Webster (11 points) and Neil Phillips (10 points) led the Crimson effort.

The Devils are the highest-ranked team Harvard has faced in recent memory.

The two schools now return wence they came; Duke (18-2) to the rough and-tumble Atlantic Coast Conference, whichcurrently places three teams in the national topfive, and Harvard (now 4-11 overall) to thesheltered courts of the Ivy League--far away fromplayers like Johnny Dawkins.

Dawkins, Duke's senior All-American guard andleading scorer (19 points per game) had an offnight--scoring only 10 points in 19 minutes--butprovided the contest's most exciting moment whenhe attempted a 180-degree, double-pump reversedunk on a breakaway.

The shot caromed off, but the crowd (listed at8564 but really closer to 6500) gave him astanding "O" for effort.

Harvard tendered slam-dunk entries of its own,with efforts by Phillips and Kyle Dodson, but eachplayer was fouled on his try and missed the shot.

The winners were gracious and self-assured invictory, as befits a national powerhouse."Harvard--you know we're just a lot better thanthem and should win," Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewskisaid. "Overall they played very well. Theycertainly were not intimidated. They took the ballright at us and hit a couple of times.

"I told them: `You can play poorly and win[against Harvard],'" Krzyzewski added. "I guessthat's the Polish way of getting your team firedup."

But Harvard tested that advice early. A Websterfree throw on the game's second sequence gave theCrimson a short-lived, but symbolically nice, 1-0lead.

And even after Duke had gone ahead to stay, thecagers hung tough and actually had a chance to tiethe game with 11 minutes left in the half, whenWeldon Williams was called for an intentional foulon Phillips' aborted dunk attempt--giving Harvardtwo free throws (and possession of the ball).

But the 87-percent free throw shooter missed apair ("I thought a lot about [the crowd noises] onthe first shot," Phillips said), and the BlueDevils were never threatened again.

Harvard had moderate success in the first half,using a 2-1-2 zone which kept Duke shootersoutside and Duke shooting percentages low (41.2for the half).