CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – A 50-point outburst in the opening half led Haverford College's men's basketball team to an 87-61 non-conference victory over Medgar Evers College on Saturday afternoon at the DeSales (Univ.) Tournament. The Fords' Brett Cohen recorded a double-double by the time the teams headed into the locker rooms at the halftime break and Cohen finished with game highs in points and rebounds with 21 and 17, respectively.
Tied at 15-15 as the clock ticked past the midway point of the first half, Haverford (3-5) exploded with a 35-10 run over the final 9 minutes and 51 seconds to carry a 50-25 lead into the intermission. Cohen posted 13 points and 10 boards into the scorebook over the opening 20 minutes to record his third double-double of the season.
Haverford quickly extended its halftime lead by scoring the opening six points of the second half before finishing off the Cougars (1-10) who picked up their lone win of the season in the second game on their schedule.
Twelve different players scored for Haverford in Saturday's lopsided victory. Along with Cohen, freshman Matt Sherman reached double-figures in scoring with 11 points. Both Garrett Johnson and Henry Stevens hit for nine points each and Lucas Colombo added eight. Colombo was second on the team in rebounds with seven and led both teams in assists with six.
Valin Williams led Medgar Evers with 12 points and 15 rebounds.
Saturday's first-half total marks the fifth consecutive season Haverford has posted at least 50 points in one half, but the first time the Fords reached that plateau in the opening frame.
Last winter Haverford used a 53-point second half to power past Dickinson College in a 77-60 victory, and the year before the Fords scored 54 in the second half of an 88-76 win over Washington College on Nov. 30, 2011.
In the 2010-11 campaign Haverford scored 54 in the second half of a 108-103 overtime victory at Ursinus College, and the year before the Fords used a 53-point outburst over the final 20 minutes to derail Washington on its home court in an 80-75 road win.
Haverford's season continues Sunday at the DeSales Tournament with a 3 p.m. match-up against the host school.