HAVERFORD, Pa. – Cam Baker's 20 points, all in the second half, helped lead the Haverford College men's basketball team to a 68-64 come-from-behind victory over visiting Johns Hopkins University Tuesday night in the Centennial Conference opener for each.
The Fords (2-2, 1-0 CC) trailed at the half and throughout much of the second stanza but eventually out scored the Blue Jays (1-3, 0-1) by eight over the final 20 minutes to nab the victory.
A 37-33 Blue Jays lead at the intermission built to a 45-37 edge over the initial five minutes after the break but the Fords clawed back to within two behind six straight points.
Hopkins answered, though, and rebuilt its margin to eight as the half hit the 9:40 mark.
However, a pair of Baker free throws started a rally that saw Haverford pull ahead, 55-54, three minutes later on a pair of successful free throws by Lekan O-Nicholson. It was the first Fords lead since 6:42 remained in the opening half.
The lead changed hands seven times over the next four-plus minutes until a Baker jumper from near the foul line with 1:57 left gave the Fords a 65-64 advantage and a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The Fords shot a steady 51 percent from the floor -- 50 percent in the opening half, 52 percent in the second -- while Hopkins started hot, 61 percent over the first 20 minutes, but finished cold hitting just 12-of-31 (39 percent) in the closing 20. The Blue Jays were also 0-for-12 from behind the 3-point arc in their chilly half.
Along with Baker's 20, the Fords picked up 16 points from Sam Permutt, 13 by Ian Goldberg, and 11 from Bo Friddell. Hopkins was led by Mike Henrici's 24 points and nine rebounds, both game-highs.
The conference victory was a meaningful one for the Fords in several respects.
The Blue Jays swept the season series last year and the second loss late in the season kept the Fords out of the conference postseason tournament.
In regard to the current season, the league's schedule was altered pushing five Centennial games for each team into the fall semester meaning a team that goes 2-3 or 1-4 before the holiday break might find themselves in a conference hole too difficult to climb out of.
The Fords jump out of league play in their next outing Monday night at home in Gooding Arena, taking on non-conference foe Catholic University in a 7 p.m. contest.