Penn senior captain Barry Pierce, the emotional leader of the squad, missed several crucial free throws down the stretch, but also managed to contribute 14 points.
In the end, a Penn team that had been laughing and moving half-heartedly through pre-game warmups was reduced to a relieved bunch that ran off the floor with a new respect for this Harvard squad.
Both teams will lose only one significant contributor next year--the Crimson will say goodbye to Campbell, and the Quakers to Pierce--and the Harvard-Penn match-ups should continue to be interesting.
In a couple of weeks, Harvard's players will finish their season, while Penn's will, in all liklihood, move on to the NCAA Tournament.
But without a doubt, this weekend offers new hope for the future to Harvard fans.
As erstwhile Dodgers fans used to say in Brooklyn: "Wait 'til next year."