By Matt Noonan 

Harvard University’s men’s basketball team will have to wait another year to attain NCAA glory, as Vanderbilt University defeated the Crimson on Thursday in the first-round of the 2012 March Madness tournament, 79-70.

The Commodores earned a 33-22 advantage at the break, and then netted an additional 46 points in the second frame to secure the win, as well as a second round matchup against Wisconsin.

The Crimson kept things close following the opening tap, but senior Jeffery Taylor‘s layup at 4:06 in the first half provided the necessary spark for the Commodores to finish the opening session on an 11-3 run. Vanderbilt then extended its lead to 15 midway through the second frame, which provided them a lead they never relinquished for the remainder of the game.

Harvard was led by sophomore Laurent Rivard, who registered 20 points, while junior John Jenkins paced Vanderbilt with a game-high 27 points.