HAVERFORD, Pa. – Looking to avenge one of its defeats from the first time through Centennial Conference action, the Haverford College men's basketball team led Ursinus for nearly 30 minutes of playing time on Thursday evening before a late charge from the Bears paved the way to their 80-72 victory inside the Gooding '84 Arena.
Four Fords finished in double figures to take that advantage which they held for the majority of the contest. Kahlil Garnes paced the team with 21 points while Joe Scibelli recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Jonathan Lang (16 points) and Michael Wiper (10 points) were also significant contributors on the offensive end of the floor. Ursinus' Ryan McTamney led the visiting Bears with 24 points.
The opening half of play featured five lead changes, but the Fords would take the lead for the remainder of the half when Lang hit a three-pointer at the 11:22 mark to give his side a 19-17 advantage. Another triple from Lang later gave Haverford its largest lead of the half, 29-21, following a 7-0 run that he capped with 7:44 remaining in the half. The Fords matched that eight point advantage three more times in the opening period before carrying a 42-36 lead into the locker room.
Haverford's lead grew to as many as nine points during the second half when Joe Hartman connected from distance to put the Fords up 55-46 with 14:11 to play. Ursinus went on an 8-0 run to close that gap but the Fords did not relinquish the lead until the 7:03 mark of the second half when a pair of free throws gave the Bears a one point advantage, 60-59. Those free throws also snapped a streak of 24 straight minutes where the hosts held the outright lead.
The Fords did briefly retake the lead with under six minutes to play as Scibelli and Garnes scored on back-to-back possessions, giving Haverford a 64-62 edge with 5:45 to play. Ursinus tied the game on the ensuing trip down the floor, but Lang answered to give Haverford its final advantage of the night with a free throw to make the score 65-64 with 5:03 left in the contest.
With the tightly contested game hanging in the balance, both defenses locked in as neither team scored for over a minute and a half. However, the Bears would break out the offensive slump first and run off 11 straight points over the next 2:41 of playing time to take a 74-65 lead with 45 seconds showing on the game clock. The Fords got as close as close as six points in the final minute following another triple from Garnes. Nevertheless, Ursinus held on for a come-from-behind 80-72 victory.
Haverford knocked down 11 three-pointers in the contest. Garnes and Lang combined for nine of those baskets as the Fords shot 44% from beyond the arc. However, the Bears were able to overcome that with a 42-24 advantage on points in the paint.
Men's basketball will wrap up its week with a trip to Dickinson this Saturday. That game will be a 4 p.m. tip after the women play the Red Devils in a 2 p.m. start.