The Harvard men’s basketball team finished 2003 on its highest note of the season, finally picking up its first win Tuesday at San Jose State after opening the campaign with 11 consecutive losses.

Prior to the victory, the Crimson had dropped three games over the winter break, losing heartbreakers at Northeastern and at home against Rider before being thrashed at No. 5 Stanford, 100-59.

Junior guard Kevin Rogus led Harvard, averaging 17.25 points per game over the four contests, while sophomore forward Matt Stehle averaged 15.75 and went 15 for 17 from the free-throw line.

Harvard 58, San Jose St. 53

The Crimson recovered from its loss to Stanford by avoiding what would have been the first season-opening, 12-game losing streak in school history. But it certainly wasn’t pretty.

Harvard had to overcome tying a season high with 25 turnovers and going without a field goal for over seven minutes of the second half to snap its 13-game losing streak.

The Crimson never trailed in the first half, leading by as many as 10 points and taking a 30-24 advantage into the locker room.

Stehle led four Harvard starters in double figures with 14 points on six-of-seven shooting, while junior captain Jason Norman, Rogus and sophomore point guard Michael Beal chipped in 11 each. Norman also hauled down eight rebounds and made three steals.

Stanford 100, Harvard 59

Harvard managed to hang with Stanford for a while and only trailed 30-27 at one point, but the Cardinal’s size eventually won out in the Dec. 28 meeting.

Stanford’s frontcourt outscored the the Crimson big men 73-29 for the game. The Cardinal held a 46-2 advantage in the paint after halftime.

“The issue for us was we couldn’t stay with them inside at all,” Harvard coach Frank Sullivan said. “Our starting frontcourt couldn’t rebound the basketball with them, we didn’t have the speed to stay with them in conversion and we were ineffective in guarding them inside the rim.”

Rogus led the Crimson with a game-high 22 points.

Harvard went 14 for 14 from the free-throw line, turing in its first perfect showing from the charity stripe this season.

Rider 101, Harvard 95 (OT)