2019-20 Men's Basketball Schedule
HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College men's basketball team has announced its 2019-20 schedule under third-year head coach Patrick Doherty. The Fords' slate will feature 13 home dates, including the season opener which is slated for Friday, November 8 against Lebanon Valley. In addition to the always-challenging Centennial Conference schedule, Haverford's seven-game non-conference slate features opponents from six different conferences as the Fords prepare to make a run at the Centennial Conference playoffs.
The season opener against Lebanon Valley will be the first time these teams have met since 2003. The following week, Haverford will take trips to Rosemont (Nov. 13) and Penn State-Harrisburg (Nov. 16). Rosemont was the CSAC Champion last year as these teams will be meeting for the second straight season. The Fords did not play PSU-Harrisburg a year ago, but these sides will be meeting for the fourth time in five years overall. Haverford's final test before Centennial Conference action will be Saturday, November 23 at home against Sarah Lawrence when these teams also meet for the second time in program history (2017).
Other non-conference dates throughout the 2019-20 campaign include home games against Bryn Athyn (Dec. 11) and Delaware Valley (Jan. 3) while the Fords also travel to Immaculata (Jan. 6). Haverford has won its last two meetings against Bryn Athyn as these teams meet for the fourth straight season. The series with Delaware Valley will continue for the second straight season after that matchup was resumed for the first time since 1984. The trip to Immaculata will be the first time since 2011 that the Fords and Mighty Macs hit the court together on the men's side.
Haverford's Centennial Conference opener is scheduled for Tuesday, November 26 against Ursinus before the Fords wrap up the fall semester with road trips to conference foes Franklin & Marshall (Dec. 4), Dickinson (Dec. 7), and Muhlenberg (Dec. 14). The Fords will be jumping right into conference play as both Ursinus and F&M made the conference tournament a season ago.
Five of Haverford's seven CC battles during the month of January will be against returning playoff squads. However, Haverford will have home court advantage during four of those matchups. Restarting the conference slate will be a Thursday, January 8 tip-off with Washington College. WAC made the postseason tournament a year ago, but the Fords have won five straight at home and six of eight overall against the Shoremen. Gettysburg comes to campus on Saturday, January 11 after the Fords swept that season series with the Bullets for the first time in school history a year ago.
The Fords head to rival Swarthmore for the first of two Hood Trophy battles on Wednesday, January 15. Haverford gave the Centennial Conference Champions and eventual national runners-up all they could handle on the road a season ago. Swarthmore makes the return trip to Haverford on Wednesday, February 19 as one of four home dates Haverford will play that month. The Garnet and Fords will be meeting for the 178th and 179th contests all-time this year. That matchup will close a string of three straight home dates before the regular season concludes at Johns Hopkins (Feb. 22). The top five Centennial Conference from the regular season will advance to the Centennial Conference Tournament.
Other notable feats from the 2018-19 season included Haverford sweeping the season series with McDaniel for the second straight season. Haverford travels to McDaniel on January 18 before the Green Terror visit campus on February 15 for Haverford's Senior Day to honor the Fords' six-man class. Haverford also defeated Dickinson from the first time since 2013 with a home victory a season ago. In addition to the road trip in December, the Red Devils will return to Haverford on Saturday, February 1.
Men's basketball won 10 games during the 2018-19 season. Haverford has increased both its overall and Centennial Conference win total during coach Doherty's first two seasons with the Fords. Those 10 victories a season ago marked Haverford's highest total since the 2010-11 season. Six of those wins came in Centennial Conference play for the highest mark since the 2011-12 campaign.