The Harvard men's basketball team learned a lesson on Saturday: Colgate fights more than just plaque.

In a non-league game, Colgate (4-4) shot its way past the Crimson (3-3), 88-79.

Colgate sophomore guard Dave Hardy led the way for the Red Raiders, shooting 16-for-19 from the free throw line en route to a career-high 21 points.

Harvard captain Dan Clemente led all scorers with 29 points, including four three-pointers, tying him for the Harvard career three-point mark.

Clemente has 167 three-pointers during his four-year career, equaling the record set by Mike Gilmore '96.

Earlier in the season, Clemente surpassed 1,000 career points. He currently stands at 1,116 points on the season. In the game, Clemente also moved past Mike Gielen '89 (1,104 points) into 12th place on the school's all-time scoring list.

The game was a tug-of-war affair early, with neither team asserting itself. With six minutes remaining in the half, Harvard was tied with Colgate, 27-27.

Colgate ended the half with a flurry, however, outscoring the Crimson 19-5 in the last 5:47 before the break. The Red Raiders took a 46-32 lead at halftime with apparent control of the game.

But Harvard would not go softly into the night. Behind Clemente's outside shooting, Harvard crept back into the game and tied the score at 66-66 on Onnie Mayshak's lay-up with 4:04 remaining.

Unfortunately for the Crimson, Harvard would come no closer.

Colgate answered with five straight points, four of which were free throws by Hardy. Colgate's sophomore was 13-for-16 from the charity stripe in the last 10 minutes of the ballgame.

Though Harvard outrebounded Colgate, 38-33, and though Clemente led all scorers with 29 points, the loss was demoralizing to the Crimson squad.

"I think we had a lack of energy throughout the game," said sophomore forward Sam Winter. "We got down 14 points at the half, and when we came back, our defensive prowess was lacking."

Clemente is currently 17-for-38, or 44.7 percent, from behind the arc on the season. His continued accuracy throughout non-league games bodes well for Harvard in future contests.

The Crimson begins its Ivy League season this Saturday when Dartmouth comes to town. According to Winter, the team is going to have to raise its level of play in order to compete against league opponents.

"I think, in general, our non-league schedule is not as difficult as our Ivy [schedule]," Winter said. "We have not played up to our expectations yet. Most everyone on the team thinks we should be 5-1 or 6-0 by this point."

Though Dartmouth is not of the same caliber as annual Ivy powerhouses Penn and Princeton, Harvard must avoid a sluggish start to upend the Big Green.

"We have to play better," Winter said. "I'm not sure what it is, but for certain games, like Albany and Colgate, we just haven't shown up. Against Dartmouth, we should be ready."

Sophomore guard Brady Merchant agreed with Winter's assessment. "Dartmouth is going to be shooting for us, and we want to get a good jump on the Ivy League," Merchant said.

Though the Crimson is at .500 through six games in the season, the team is looking to improve not only its record but also its confidence.

"We have to win the games we're supposed to win," Merchant said. "Honestly, I think Albany and Colgate are not as good as Northeastern and B.U. [two teams Harvard defeated]. The whole team is really disappointed."

Harvard does not play until Saturday this week, so the squad will have a lot of time to sink its teeth into some game tape and new offensive schemes.

Perhaps for the team's own good, Colgate gave Harvard a cleaning it will not soon forget.