A win is a win, and whether you win by one point or 50 points, it all counts the same.

By edging New Hampshire, 74-71, Saturday, the Harvard men's basketball team evened its record at 2-2. And it doesn't matter that the Crimson has been outscored by its opponents by an average of 19.5 points in its four games--Harvard is still a .500 team.

Tonight, the Crimson will try to get a winning record as it takes on the University of Vemont at 7:30 p.m. in Briggs Cage. The Catamounts are 1-3, but their record may be deceiving.

Last season, Vermont pounded the Crimson, 110-92, in Burlington, and Harvard does not want a repeat of that thrashing. But even on the road, Vermont should be a tough opponent for the cagers.

"I think Vermont is more talented than UNH," Harvard Coach Pete Roby said. "I think we're going to have our hands full with Vermont."

The Catamounts are led by center Joe Calavita, one of the better big men that the Crimson will face this season. The 6-ft., 11-in., 245-lb. co-captain averaged 20 points and 9.5 rebounds per game a year ago, and he has improved with age. So far this year, he's averaging 29 p.p.g.

"They have a dominant big man inside in Calavita, and they have a lot of guys to surround him who can shoot the ball," Roby said. "They give you an inside-outside game."

Calavita's success is due in part to Vermont Coach Tom Brennan. Brennan, who coached at Yale, has a lot of experience working with big centers.

"Coach Brennan knows how to coach with a big guy," Roby said. "He knows what things he has to do with a big man to maximize his talents."

Fortunately for Harvard, Roby knows what he has to do to minimize Calavita's effect on the game. The Crimson will run and press in hope of keeping the Catamounts from setting up in a half-court offense where they can get the ball to the big man.

"We're going to run and try to take [Calavita] out of the game a little bit," Roby said. "If Calavita's going to beat us, he's going to have to work for it."

The problem for the Crimson's running game and pressure defense has been inconsistency. Watching the team so far this year is like watching a giant crimson yo-yo. It goes up and down, up and down.

The squad's pressure defense has worked exceptionally well at times this year--like in the squad's 87-83 win over Tennessee Tech, and in comeback runs against B.C. and UNH. But the Crimson has also suffered from lackluster play, notably at the end of the UNH game and at the start of the B.C. game.

"We haven't been consistent from game to game, or from half to half, or even from possession to possession," Roby said.

But Roby knows that it will be just a matter of time before the team gets itself together. Against the Catamounts, Harvard must play with confidence and aggressiveness.