HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College men's basketball team (4-14, 1-10 CC) ended up on the wrong end of a second-half surge, as Ursinus (9-9, 5-6 CC) picked up a 77-66 Centennial Conference victory inside Gooding '86 Arena on Thursday night.
Haverford was hosting its annual Play With Pride night, celebrating Haverford's LGBTQ+ community members and supporting advocacy by and for the LGBTQ+ community. Winter events continue this weekend as Squash and Track & Field will also host pride events.
Off the jump, Ursinus stretched out to a 21-11 lead over the first seven and-a-half minutes of the first half. In the scoring run, the Bears drilled three triples, while Trevor Wall contributed seven points. For the Scarlet and Black, Ali Kaan Bek scored seven of the first 11 points off of three jump shots including one shot from three-point land.
Following a timeout with 12:22 remaining in the opening half, the Fords started to find their mojo, pulling within five points at 30-25, to prompt a Ursinus timeout with 5:02 remaining in half number one. The 14-9 momentum shift for Haverford saw five points each from Gabriel Franklin and Logan Brown.
The timeout from the Bears did not cool off the Fords, as the Scarlet and Black closed out the remaining five minutes and change on a 11-3 run, taking their first lead in the contest with a minute left, heading into the locker room up 36-33 over the visitors. The hot stretch saw Franklin add five more points to the total, which included a trio of free-throws from a shooting foul from behind the three-point line.
At the half, Kaan Bek paced all scorers on the floor with 11 points, knocking down five of eight shots from the field, while Franklin rattled off 10 points, going two of six from the field, and going five of five from the charity stripe. Brown was a force in the paint for Haverford in the first-half, pulling down seven rebounds, and swatting away one shot.
The Fords came out of the locker room on a mission, beginning the second-half with a 8-5 run over the visitors, to go up 44-38 with 15:35 left in the contest. Franklin kept up his offensive prowess, scoring all eight points to begin the final half, while a Nick Nocito three-piece kept Ursinus within a six-point buffer.
The Bears started to answer back following the Haverford swing, going on a 8-0 run to take a 46-44 lead with 13:01 to go in half number two. Jaiden Jakubowski supplied four points for the visitors in the stretch, while Wall and Matthew Field both added two more points to the stat line.
Out of a timeout from the Scarlet and Black with 13:01 on the scoreboard, the Bears continued to pile on the points, pushing out to a 10-2 scoring run in just over three minutes time, taking a commanding 56-46 advantage over the Fords. Wall dropped four points in the short span, which also saw a dagger three-pointer from Luke Nieman.
The Scarlet and Black continued to hover around a double-digit buffer out of a quick discussion with 10:02 left in the final half. Ursinus outpaced the Fords eight to five to warrant another timeout from Haverford, as the Fords themselves trailing 64-51 with just 4:49 remaining in the matchup. Nocito built on four more points of an eight-point Ursinus surge to contribute to the visitor's 13-point advantage.
With just under five minutes to go, a few crucial three-pointers gave Haverford a 15-13 scoring edge, but time was not on the Fords' side, as eight late free-throws helped preserve a double-digit win for Ursinus.
The Bears used a 50 percent shooting percentage, and had four starters end the game in double-digit points, to pull away from the Scarlet and Black. Wall paved the way with 17 points, while Marlin Wise and Jakubowksi contributed as well, putting up 12 points each.
Haverford saw three players hit double-digits in points, with Franklin scoring a season-high 24 points. Kaan Bek also saw a season-high in points, tallying 17 points on the evening. On the passing side, Nicholas Stewart dished out a game-best five assists.
The third Ford in double-figures was Brown who dropped in 15 points, and pulled down eight total rebounds. The first-year forward was a menace on defense, collecting a substantial five blocks in the clash with Ursinus.
The next game for Haverford will occur in just two days, as the Scarlet and Black head to Carlisle, Pa. for a rematch with Dickinson, on Saturday, January 27, at 4 p.m. The contest will follow the women's game between the Red Devils and Fords, with tip-off slated for 2 p.m.