For local basketball fans, few moments are as memorable as Larry Bird's steal and assist to Dennis Johnson that propelled the Celtics to a shocking 108-107 come-from-behind win against the Pistons in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals.

Last Saturday, before a rowdy crowd at Lavietes Pavilion, sophomore Pat Harvey and the Crimson gave local basketball fans another memorable ending reminiscent of Bird and the Celtics of yesteryear.

It was a classic game.

Harvard's improbable, 79-78 win over Dartmouth in the final seconds of regulation capped a phenomenal display of energetic and acrobatic athleticism that left many spectators and coaches alike on the edge of their seats throughout the second half.

Sophomore forward Sam Winter threw down a thundering dunk four minutes into the second half that whittled the Big Green lead to three. Three minutes later, sophomore guard Brady Merchant elevated to deliver an authoritative block which denied Big Green guard Flinder Boyd an easy breakaway lay-up.

Both of these impressive individual efforts generated a frenzied response from the Crimson fans and set the tone for the drama that was about to unfold in the ensuing minutes.

Down the stretch, the Crimson and the Big Green were evenly matched. At one point, both teams combined to hit six straight three-pointers and traded the lead four times in the game's final minutes.

Despite the energy in the building, Harvard's fans were silenced when Big Green forward Ian MacGinnis made two free throws to extend Dartmouth's lead to four with only 29 seconds left. Needing two possessions, the Crimson's hopes for a win were slim.