It was fitting that on the eve of Earvin "Magic" Johnson's return to the NBA, the Harvard women's basketball team rediscovered its own magic, which had vanished for much of this season.

Junior Jessica Gelman's baseline jumpshot over two UNH defenders with three seconds left catapulted Harvard to a dramatic 81-79 victory last night at Lavietes Pavilion.

The Crimson, which had failed to win close ball games against Arizona, Providence, URI and George Washington, again appeared flustered down the stretch but managed to overcome the specters of past losses.

"If we can put 40 minutes together of playing to win, instead of playing not to lose, we'll be alright," Harvard coach Kathy Delaney Smith said. "[Tonight] was a huge win for us."

Although Harvard seemed to control the tempo for much of the game, the Wildcats employed a harassing, full-court press with six minutes remaining, erasing a 10-point Crimson lead to knot the score, 77-77, with 1:26 to play.

Earlier in the season, Harvard probably would have succumbed to the pressure. Last night, the Crimson persevered; two free throws by senior guard Elizabeth Proudfit and Gelman's jumper, plays reminiscent of last season's greatness, sealed the victory.

The clutch shooting of the veteran backcourt recalled the heroics of last season. Against Providence, Proudfit hit the game-winning shot, while Gelman nailed seven-of-nine free throws in Harvard's 105-99 overtime win at Cornell.

But the magic was not merely limited to the veteran backcourt. Freshman Rose Janowski--a left-handed incarnation of Tammy Butler '95--performed superbly in the paint, scoring five points and hauling down four rebounds off the bench. The 6'2" center displayed good leaping ability and an array of post-moves in a dazzling, 13-minute performance.

"No one has been able to stop Rose [in practice] for the last two weeks," Delaney Smith said. "We couldn't be happier."

Indeed, Janowski's performance could not have been more timely. Harvard has lacked a low-post threat to compliment Allison Feaster for much of this season. While senior Katy Davis has been productive, her game consists primarily of turn-around jumpshots, as opposed to the sweeping hooks and assertive drop-steps of Janowski.

"She was a total spark," Gelman said. "She was awesome especially in the first half when she grabbed those rebounds."

The Crimson certainly needed to perform well in its final non-league game before tearing into the meat of the Ivy season.

Another defeat in the waning moments would have been catastrophic--a crushing blow to an already diminished sense of confidence.

But Harvard prevailed.

"It's a great win," Proudfit said. "The rest of our games are very important and this was a tune-up game [for the Ivy League]."

Although the victory over UNH was a non-league contest, the tune-up was valuable, nevertheless.

With the filter changed, the wiper fluid filled and the alignment straightened, Harvard seems to have recaptured last season's magic and appears poised to begin its drive toward the Ivy title.

Ethan G. Drogin is the Crimson's Sports Editor.