After suffering three straight season-opening road defeats by a combined total of seven points, the Harvard men's basketball team has rebounded to capture each of its first two home games of the 1986-'87 campaign--and has outscored those opponents by a combined 33 points.

Following up on Saturday's 17-point victory over the University of New Hampshire, the cagers routed Brandeis, 79-63, last night before 500 spectators at Briggs Athletic Center.

Despite a rather sloppy outing (24 turnovers), the Crimson took control of the game early and was never threatened by a less-talented Judges squad.

Eleven of Harvard's 22 first-half field goals were lay-ups, as the cagers' executed their run-and-gun offense better than they have all year.

Consecutive fast-break lay-ups by Neil Phillips and Mike Geilen--the latter coming off a perfectly timed, behind-the-back pass from Co-Captain Arne Duncan--gave the cagers an early 16-7 advantage. But that was only a preview of what Harvard (now 2-3 on the year) had to offer.

After Crimson guard Kevin Collins (11 points on five-for-six shooting) staged a personal seven-point Harvard run, junior forward Kyle Dodson ignited the sparse Monday night Briggs crowd by converting a mid-court steal into a slam dunk.

Dodson finished with eight points and six rebounds as Harvard, which shot 49 percent from the field, failed to reach the 80-point plateau for the first time this season.

The Judges (now 2-4) were not able to string together consecutive baskets until Rob Toomey (nine points) and Derek Oliver (15 points, six rebounds) converted back-to-back hoops with just over five minutes remaining in the first half.

Phillips, who registered a rimcollapsing slam dunk of his own, led a balanced Harvard attack--10 different cagers scored--with 14 points on six-for-11 shooting.

Still trying to regain last year's co-MVP form after missing more than a month of practice, Phillips also made four steals, grabbed three rebounds, and handed out two assists in his longest stint of the young season.

Despite his team's 16-point victory, Harvard Coach Pete Roby was not excited with his squad's play.

"We were just flat," the second-year mentor said. "It was a lack of execution and mental toughness. We've had some emotional games, and we're only human. We have to be a little tired."

The Crimson, which led by as many as 29 points midway through the second half, was outscored, 18-4, at one point down the stretch, although most of the cagers' starters sat out during that period.

"We played a sloppy second half," Roby said. "We just didn't concentrate. It's a credit to Brandeis that they didn't quit when we went so far ahead."

Steady Co-Captain Keith Webster, who scored 10 points and handed out six assists, hit two more three-point baskets last night and is now 15-for-34 from three-point range on the season.