HAVERFORD, Pa. – A late rally spurred by Louis Cipriano three-pointers wasn't enough Thursday night as the Haverford College men's basketball team fell, 77-69, to visiting Muhlenberg College in Centennial Conference action.
Trailing by 19 with 7:50 to play, Haverford (9-8, 6-5 CC) out scored Muhlenberg (10-8, 6-5) down the stretch by a 26-15 count aided by three of Cipriano's seven treys on the night.
The Fords and Mules traded the lead five times through the opening half and were separated by just two points at the midway mark. Muhlenberg tore through the final 10 minutes, however, with a 25-12 advantage to take a 42-27 lead into the break.
The lead hovered around 15 for most of the early going of the second stanza until Matt O'Hara popped one from behind the arc to push the margin to 19.
Ian Goldberg started the rally drilling a three not quite a minute later and from that point on, the Fords played better than the opening minutes of the game.
During the Fords' late run Cam Baker hit for 10 points, Bo Friddell added a three, Joel Michael nailed a jumper and Cipriano added a pair of free throws.
The deficit was just too great with only eight minutes left on the clock, though, and the Fords were forced to take a loss in a what-if kind of game.
Haverford hit for just 38 percent from the floor in the opening half but sizzled in the second, hitting 52 percent of their shots. The problem was, Muhlenberg had been even hotter in the initial 20 minutes hitting 58 percent from the floor and draining 4-of-6 from behind the arc.
The Fords were out rebounded, 39-29, by the Mules but forced the visitors into 13 turnovers which the home team turned into 16 points.
The late first-half run by Muhlenberg — and perhaps running out of time — proved to be the difference in the game.
Cipriano shot his way onto the Fords' performance lists with his seven treys which is the second-most in a game in Haverford history, trailing only John Elefterakis' nine in a Feb. 2005 game at Ursinus.
Both Cipriano, with 23 points, and Baker, with 21, led the Haverford offense while Spencer Liddic led the Mules with 23 points.
The road doesn't get any easier for Haverford as it welcomes No. 22 Franklin & Marshall College to Gooding Arena Saturday afternoon for a 3 p.m. conference tilt.