CHESTER, Pa. – The Haverford College men's basketball team shot a blistering 11-of-22 from beyond the arc Sunday, while also limiting host Widener to less than 38 percent shooting from the field. However, those stats were not enough to prevent the Pride from escaping their home gymnasium with a 73-67 victory against the Fords.
The 11 three-pointers made by the Fords on Sunday rank as the eighth highest team total for a single game in program history. Walt Plumlee was 3-of-5 from distance and led the Fords' offense with 24 points. Kahlil Garnes added 15 of his 17 points from three-point land, while Matt Sherman poured in 14 points on the Fords' score sheet. A balanced attack by the Pride featured four starters that reached double figures. David Nicholson led his side with 20 points, while Sardayah Sambo recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Haverford got the early jump on the road with a trio of treys. The third three-pointer of the afternoon put Haverford up 16-10 with just seven minutes gone by. Widener came back to tie the score on two separate occasions and led 23-20 after a three-pointer from Nicholson with exactly seven minutes remaining in the opening half.
Nevertheless, the Fords grabbed the lead back with a steal and quick basket from Sherman. Continuing their stifling defense, the Fords sustained a 12-0 run that pushed the lead to nine points after back-to-back three-pointers from Plumlee and Sherman. The Pride broke their scoreless stretch of 4:05 with a layup, but four points at the free throw line in the final minute of the first half helped Haverford keep the nine point lead, 36-27, as the teams headed to the locker rooms.
The Fords ran their lead to as many as 10 points in the early minutes of the second half. Both times it was Sherman's scoring that put Widener's deficit in double figures. Following a pair of free throws from Sherman that made the score 44-34 with 16:26 left in regulation, the Pride went on a run of their own to tie the game at 45-all with 12:49 to play.
Widener reached its first two possession lead of the afternoon with another three-pointer from Nicholson that made the score 55-50 with 8:21 left in regulation. However, Haverford rallied for its final lead of the afternoon following a pair of three-pointers from Henry Stevens and Plumlee that helped the visitors take a 58-57 lead with 6:27 to play.
Nicholson's fourth and final three-pointer of the afternoon gave the Pride a lead they would not relinquish with 6:15 to play. The Fords had the contest at a single point deficit on two occasions in the final 3:30 of playing time. Haverford had its best chance to recapture the lead with just over two minutes to play as they came away with a steal, but subsequently turned the ball over with a chance to go ahead. Five points at the free throw line from Widener in the final 1:21 of playing time put the finishing touches on Sunday's scoring.
Men's basketball will return home to the Calvin J. Gooding '84 Arena this Tuesday for the team's Centennial Conference opener. Haverford will take on Muhlenberg in a scheduled 8 p.m. start. That game will be preceded by the women's contest that will tip at 6 p.m.