POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Haverford College men's basketball team (1-0) kicked off the 2023-24 campaign Friday evening at the Hochberg Family Tip-Off tournament on the campus of Vassar College, prevailing in exhilarating fashion, defeating Purchase (0-1) 63-61 with a buzzer-beating stepback jumper from senior guard Gabriel Franklin.
Franklin finished with a game-best 18 points as the Fords erased a 19-point SUNY Purchase lead with 10:41 remaining in the first half. Haverford held the lead for only 39 seconds in the contest but refused to go down quietly, staying right in the game and weathering some significant runs from the Panthers.
It was Franklin who gave the Fords their first lead of the contest, knocking down a trey in the opening minute as Haverford went ahead 3-2. From that point, the first 10 minutes belonged to the Panthers as Purchase took a 16-6 lead following a three from Chad Duke with 16 minutes to play. Eventually, their lead stretched to 26-10 after a triple from Trevor Mooney, and Haverford was forced to search for answers, suddenly down by double-digits with the Panthers looking unstoppable from beyond the arc.
A Rashid Nikiema three-pointer gave Purchase its largest lead at 19, but the Fords tightened up the defense from that point and crept back into the contest heading into the intermission. Trailing 30-13, a 16-1 run gave Haverford new life, with Clay Killoren converting a layup in the paint to prompt a Purchase timeout, putting a bow on the dominant stretch for the Fords.
Haverford's free-throw shooting was a crucial part of that comeback effort, with 10 of its 20 shots from the charity stripe coming during the run.
Nicholas Stewart opened the second half with a crucial bucket that put the Fords back within just one, but Purchase looked ready to shake off the Fords, taking an eight-point lead with 13:41 left in regulation. Haverford again bounced back to whittle down that lead, with Gaven Marr and Nick Klaiber contributing to help keep things close.
Purchase took a nine-point lead with 10:41 remaining, but another 10-2 run put Haverford right back within one, as the stifling defensive pressure denied perimeter opportunities for the Panthers. Logan Brown converted a crucial bucket with 7:33 to go. Another run from the Panthers put SUNY Purchase back up five with 6:19 to play, but Stewart brought the Fords back within two with a layup at 4:27.
Stewart's bucket set off a long scoreless stretch for both teams, as neither team scored until Brown tied the score at 59-59 with under two minutes to play. Brown added a pair at the free-throw line, and suddenly, Haverford was in the lead for the first time since the opening seconds of the contest.
Duke added two free throws on the other end, as the score was tied at 61-61 with 29 seconds to go. After a timeout, Haverford's initial possession off the restart was thwarted as Brown's layup was denied by a fantastic block down low from Nikiema. The ball was called out of bounds on Purchase, setting up one final play for the Fords.
Brandon Banadda inbounded to Franklin with a crafty pass that went through the legs of the Purchase defender, his fourth assist of the night, and a soaring step-back jumper from the Brooklyn native found nylon as time expired, setting up a wild celebration for the Fords.
Haverford controlled the battle in the paint on the night, with a 26-18 advantage in points scored in the key. Contributions from up and down the lineup helped the Fords win in a total team effort on a night where they were outshot and outrebounded.
Matthew Phillips was the top scorer for the Panthers, knocking down 14 points and adding 12 rebounds in a double-double performance. It was a tale of two halves offensively for Purchase, as they made seven three-pointers in the first half but shot just 2-of-11 from beyond the arc in the second.
The matchup was the first in program history between the Fords and the Panthers. Haverford will now return to action on Saturday as the Hochberg Family Tip-Off Tournament continues. The Fords will match up with Vassar in the tournament's championship game at 4 p.m.