Draughan tired in the second half, finishing with a game-high 13 points. He was picked up on the offensive end, however, by Flato, who came off the bench to match Draughan’s 13-point effort on 5-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-7 from downtown.

“The difference in the game was Eric Flato,” Sullivan said. “We had a tough time guarding him.”

Flato and Martin carried Yale in the second half, as the duo combined to score 17 of the Bulldogs 22 points after the break. Martin, who finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, made several crucial baskets in the low post to help Yale reclaim the lead.

Harvard, which shot only 32 percent on the night, kept it close by hitting 13-of-15 from the line. Cusworth hit all six of his free throws and led the Crimson with 12 points, while Giovacchini added 11 and Stehle had eight and a game-high 15 rebounds. Rogus, who played with eight stitches above his right eye after getting cut in Friday’s win at Brown, finished with six points on 2-of-12 shooting.

“We could have used one or two [more] makes from him,” Sullivan said. “Yale had a bead on him, more so than other teams we’ve played recently.”

The loss dealt a fatal blow to the team’s chance to advance to postseason play for the first time since 1946.

“We were really looking forward to picking up a win here and stepping into second place,” Cusworth said. “We made a hell of a fight...the game could have gone either way.”

—Staff writer Caleb W. Peiffer can be reached at cpeiffer@fas.harvard.edu.