RUN AWAY LOVE

After nearly 15 minutes of play, Harvard was three points ahead of the Commodores.

But a 10-0 run starting with 5:03 left to play in the first half gave Vanderbilt a commanding lead as the clock wound down. Curry hit a three-pointer with 16 seconds to play to break Harvard’s scoreless streak. But Tinsley pushed his team’s lead back up to 10 with a three of his own just before the half.

“That’s something we’ve been working on all year, ending halves right and starting halves right,” Casey said. “It’s just something to work on for the future. I’m not too sure what happened, but it wasn’t a good sign.”

Vanderbilt rode its momentum into the second frame, making every shot it attempted in the first 5:35 and stretching its lead to as many as 18 points with 7:49 to play.

But Harvard went on a scoring streak of its own as the game drew to a close, outscoring Vanderbilt, 19-12, in the final five minutes of play.

“We’re a group that never gives up,” Curry said. “We weren’t going to fold. We could have just [given] in, but that’s not what this team is about, that’s not what we do. I’m proud of the way the guys put it on the line and tried to come back.”

Although co-captain Keith Wright shrunk the gap to five points with two free throws with 1:51 to play, the late comeback effort ultimately fell short.

“We feel like we belong here,” Casey said. “We got some shots to fall and we got real close, but just couldn’t finish it up.”

—Staff writer Catherine E. Coppinger can be reached at ccoppinger@college.harvard.edu.