"Senior Night" at Lavietes Pavilion meant much more than an emotional pre-game ceremony on Saturday night.

Two weeks after suffering the season-ending loss of captain center Paul Fisher to mononucleosis, the remaining members of the class of '99--point guard Tim Hill, shooting guard Mike Beam, center Bill Ewing, and guard Chris Dexter--went toe-to-toe on consecutive nights with the Ivy's national powers, pulled off the biggest upset in Harvard basketball memory and emerged having equaled the school record as the winningest four-year class in history, with 56.

The deep, talented class took a season fraught with injury and frustration and validated its claim to be considered among the best classes ever to don the Harvard uniform.

Though these players will likely bring home at least one win next weekend and in doing so amass more wins than any other Harvard class, the two most successful campaigns of the past four years were 1996 and 1997. Then, the current seniors played in the shadow of the '97 class, which included the likes of Harvard's all-time rebounding leader, Kyle Snowden.

The current crop certainly has succeeded on paper, but several disappointing setbacks earlier in the season prevented the team from cementing its place in history. Saturday provided the defining moment to do just that.

"This was the only team we hadn't beaten in my four years," Hill said. "We couldn't have asked for a better night."

Sophomore forward Dan Clemente may be the most potent Crimson scoring threat, and he certainly made the most dramatic bucket of the night against Princeton--a 26-foot explosion that spotted Harvard a three-point lead with 1:47 left in regulation--but the forward was marked by opposing coaches all weekend, and contributed just two baskets after halftime on Saturday.

Similarly, freshmen guards Drew Gellert and Patrick Harvey have greatly increased their role in the Crimson backcourt since the exam break. The two notched 11 rebounds and five steals in the two games.

However, it was the seniors who produced in crucial areas to put Harvard over the top.

Facing the two most formidable big men in Penn junior Geoff Owens and Princeton freshman Chris Young, Ewing was very nearly Harvard's first, last and only line of defense against interior assault. Two weeks ago, Owens won the battle of the boards, and Young nearly single-handedly battered the Crimson into submission with 17 first-half points.

This week, Ewing did everything that could be asked of a starting center, much less one impressed into duty by Fisher's illness. Ewing was judicious yet active on the offensive end, and his 17 rebounds on the weekend are indication that he did stood his ground against more sizeable opposition.

Hill was typical, which is to say, superb. In addition to breaking Harvard's all-time assists record with 14 on the weekend, the senior slashed hard into the defense and exhibited judgement that was a wonder to watch.

After Hill got in foul trouble on Friday night, those in attendance got a rare chance to see just how important Hill presence is. The point guard played 82 minutes over the weekend, but when he left the court for three minutes against Penn, the Quakers took it to the replacement Gellert immediately.

That Harvard saw its six-point lead transform into a two-point deficit is proof enough. When Hill lost the floor, Harvard's control over the game was notably diminished.

It was largely due to Hill's floor generalship that Princeton Coach Bill Carmody said, "Harvard controlled the game tonight. It was theirs from the outset."

Mike Beam, who was kept on the bench due to foul trouble much of Saturday night and who has been eclipsed by the emerging freshmen at times in the past month, scored all 11 of his points against Princeton in the final 7:30 of regulation and overtime. Beam worked without the basketball to get in the offensive flow, then drained consecutive threes to open the overtime period and put Harvard up for good.

"I struggled much of the game, but I got a little more aggressive with the dribble, hit a big shot, and got going," Beam said.

Even Dexter, who has seen little playing time in an injury-plagued Harvard career, got the starting nod in his final home game and dropped a three-pointer in ten minutes of action.

Something just seemed to come together for these four this weekend. Hill did not have to hold the ball 30 seconds out of each shot clock. Beam showed aggressiveness and mobility, and Harvard got both interior defense and active, appropriate contributions on defense.

"Our preparation for this weekend was incredible," Beam said. "This was the best idea we've had heading into the Penn-Princeton weekend in my career."

Whatever the reason, Carmody clearly summarized the cause of the upset best.

"Harvard was prepared for us, and we couldn't thwart that confidence," Carmody said. "The things that their guys can do well, they did well."

All this on a weekend when Clemente was frequently eliminated as the go-to guy on the offensive end.

It was almost eerie, hearing Princeton, which also lost to Yale the previous weekend, compare its woes to Harvard's successes.

"Things just happen in the course of the ballgame, and we never got control," Carmody said in frustration. "Our mental status is not good, and we're struggling against senior teams [like Harvard] that handle themselves well."

After nine years of frustration, that admission makes you feel awfully good about the journey of the men who made it happen.