LANCASTER, Pa. – The Haverford College men's basketball team took it to 17th-ranked Franklin & Marshall College in the opening half but the host Diplomats rallied in the second half to steal a possible upset away from the Fords with a 58-44 Centennial Conference win.

Haverford (3-7, 1-3 CC) scored the first five points in the game then stretched out its lead over the Diplomats to nine, 16-7, halfway through the opening stanza. F&M (9-2, 3-1 CC) clawed their way back into the match-up but the Fords took a 21-19 lead into the locker rooms at the intermission.

Doug Edelman sank the front-end of a pair of free throws to kick off the second-half scoring and extend the Haverford lead to three but from that point on the nationally-ranked Dips rallied.

A 17-1 run by the hosts erased the Haverford lead and tilted momentum in the Dips' favor for the remainder of the game.

The Fords were just 15-of-54 (28 percent) from the floor but F&M only hit four more baskets in a 37 percent evening. The 14-point winning margin came more from a 19-for-23 night from the foul line by the hosts. Haverford made only 16 appearances at the free throw line hitting 10 of their chances.

Bo Friddell scored 10 points and Sam Permutt pulled down 10 rebounds for Haverford game-highs. F&M was led by James McNally's double-double of 26 points and 13 boards.

The Fords will try to put an end to their five-game losing streak on Saturday, Jan. 9, in a home contest against Centennial-foe Dickinson College. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Gardener Integrated Athletic Center.