BALTIMORE – The Haverford College men's basketball team wrapped up its 2018-19 season with a hard-fought 71-67 defeat at the hands of Johns Hopkins on Saturday night. Despite today's result, the Fords finished their season with their most overall and road victories since the 2011-12 season. Haverford's Centennial Conference win total ranked as the program's best since the 2012-13 campaign.
Four Haverford players finished in double figures in the season finale. Fittingly enough, all three of the Fords' seniors reached double figures in the final games of their collegiate careers. Joe Scibelli added one more double-double to his total, giving him 14 this season and 32 for his career. Scibelli secured those 32 career double-doubles in 87 career appearances. Kahlil Garnes became the first player in program history to appear in 100 career games. Not missing a single contest throughout his career, Garnes scored 10 against the Blue Jays. Kyle Goldfarb also netted 11 points, finishing in double figures for the second straight road game. Jack Cork was the fourth player in double figures as he scored 15 points off the bench.
The Fords stuck right with the playoff bound Blue Jays for the vast majority of the contest. Johns Hopkins did go on a 12-2 run just past the midway point of the opening half to open its largest lead of the game, 34-24. Nevertheless, Haverford countered that with an 11-3 run of its own and trailed by just four heading into the locker room.
Haverford tied the game at 50 with a 14:58 remaining in regulation time on a layup from Cork. After that basket, the Fords never trailed by more than four up until the final minutes of the contest. A layup from Goldfarb set the score at 59-58 with 6:54 to play. Haverford had five chances to take the lead but a strong JHU defense held onto the slimmest of margins before a three-pointer from the Blue Jays started a late run that allowed the hosts to hold on for the Centennial Conference victory. Haverford did have the lead down to three points, 70-67, with five seconds remaining after Goldfarb broke free in the paint again. However, a 1-of-2 effort at the free throw line sealed the victory for Johns Hopkins.
The Fords finished the game with more total baskets from the field, but could not get the friendly rolls on the road from deep as Johns Hopkins hit half of its 28 three-pointers compared just a 5-of-22 outing from the Fords. Haverford held a slight 35-34 advantage on the boards, finishing the year by winning the battle of the boards 18 times in 25 games, while tying in another.
After scoring their 1,000th career points earlier this season, Scibelli (1,291 career points) and Garnes (1,170 career points) finished their careers ranked eighth and 10th, respectively, in school history. Garnes also finished fourth in program history in three-pointers made during a career while Scibelli is sixth all-time in rebounding. Kyle Goldfarb's helpers this season helped him to finish in a tie for the 19th in school history in career assists.
Although the Fords will definitely miss the three members of their senior class who were instrumental in starting Haverford's ascent up the conference standings, the program appears to have a strong foundation in place moving forward, including a six-member junior class that will look to continue to elevate the program to new heights next winter.