Each fall Peanuts,the comic strip, depicts Charlie Brown attempting to kick a football held by his friend Lucy.

Charlie rears back, takes aim and plows, full steam ahead, at the waiting football.

Just as he gets there, though, the devilish Lucy removes the ball, causing ol' Chuck to fall right on his derriere.

The strip ends with Lucy laughing and Charlie lying on the ground in disgust.

It never fails. It is the same story every fall. Nevertheless, Charlie is back out there each football season ready to kick again, and eventually fall again.

So goes the plight of the Harvard men's basketball team.

Each night the team heads out on the court more determined than ever to kick the football. It seems, however, that each night there is someone there to remove the ball and leave the Crimson with a loss.

Last night it was Brown playing the role of Lucy.

The Bears withstood Harvard's fierce charge and determination; and in the game's closing minutes, walked away smiling and with a victory.

Brown stole a win in what was perhaps Harvard's best game of the season, its best attempt at getting off a clean kick.

On offense, the Crimson opened up its game slightly allowing for contributions from a variety of sources.

Sophomore David Demian led the Harvard effort with 17 points, including seven of the team's first nine points and two key three-pointers in the second half.

The Crimson also pounded the ball inside, getting big numbers from its three big men, Kyle Snowden, Chris Grancio and Paul Fisher.

The Harvard defense took its best aim at a victory as well.

The Crimson shut down the Bears' second leading scorer, Brian Lloyd, holding him to a goose egg in the points column on the night.