HAVERFORD, Pa. – A game of spurts for both teams resulted in four lead changes and five ties over the final 20 minutes, but Haverford College's men's basketball team, celebrating Senior Day, came out on the wrong end of the final rush as visiting McDaniel College escaped with a 52-47 Centennial Conference victory Saturday afternoon at Gooding Arena.
The Fords (7-12, 3-11 CC) picked up another double-double from senior Brett Cohen, 15 points and 12 rebounds, while McDaniel (16-5, 11-3) was led by Jimmy Cranwell's 12 points and Phillip Perry and Duane Echols off the glass with seven rebounds apiece.
Early action Saturday saw Haverford break on top, 9-5, with senior Geoff Hartmann's jumper at the 12:43 mark capping the fast start.
The lead changed hands quickly as the Green Terror reeled off a 10-0 run to move in front, 15-9, but the Fords responded with an 11-6 run over the final 10 minutes of the half to enter the locker rooms at the intermission trailing by just a point, 22-21.
Lucas Colombo pushed the home team ahead on the second half's first basket, draining a three -pointer to provide the second stanza with it's first lead change. Again, the advantage was short-lived as McDaniel ran off a 10-3 spurt for a 32-27 edge.
Haverford, again, had an answer, scoring eight of the next nine points to forge ahead by two, 35-33, as the clock wound toward the midway point of the half.
McDaniels' final rush, a 13-2 flurry over seven minutes of action, ended up being the proverbial straw for the camel as it was able to maintain its lead over the final five minutes though the Fords pulled within three points of the Green Terror twice in the closing minutes.
The five Haverford seniors -- Cohen, Hartmann, Sean Bernhard, Louis Cipriano and Jordan Taylor -- were honored for their contributions to the program in a brief pregame program that included the players' families.
All five seniors took the floor as starters and each scored in the contest. Along with Cohen's game-high 15 points, Cipriano added seven and Bernhard, Hartmann and Taylor each finished with two points apiece.
The season continues for Haverford with a trip to Moravian College on Monday night for the schedule's final non-conference game. The Fords follow that outing with a trip to Washington (Md.) College Wednesday night for a conference match-up against the host Shoremen.