COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. -The Haverford College Men's basketball team (3-3, 1-1 CC) lost a heartbreaker to Ursinus (3-3, 1-1 CC), in a close battle that needed overtime to settle the score. Despite a valiant effort by the Fords, the Bears picked up the win 91-85 on a late Tuesday evening inside Helfferich Hall.
Both teams were engaged in a shootout in the opening minutes of the first half, as Ursinus and Haverford were tied 8-8 in the first 2:49 of the contest.Clay Killoren contributed six of the eight points for the Fords while, Trevor Wall tallied five of the opening eight points for the Bears.
The teams continued the offensive display throughout the half, as Haverford pushed out to a 19-14 lead due in part to a triple from Nicholas Stewart and four points from Gabriel Franklin.
With 13:58 to go in the first stanza, Ursinus went on a 12-2 run, shooting 6-8 from the field, to take a 26-21 lead. The scoring stretch was fueled by five different scorers, as Wall chipped in four points in the rally.
A Nick Nocito trey helped the Bears then continued their momentum, eventually going up 35-23 with 4:06 remaining in the first period. The two squads again traded baskets, scoring ten points each to close out the half, with the home team leading 45-33.
At the halftime break, Nick Klaiber quietly paced the Fords in scoring with 12 points, while Wall led the Bears in points with 13. Killoren and Brandon Banadda each pulled down four rebounds for Haverford and led all players on the floor in the stat category.
Nocito picked up where he left off from the first half, and drilled a three-pointer to start the scoring off in the second stanza to give Ursinus a 15-point lead out of the gate. The first 10 minutes of the second half saw the teams continue to knock down bucket after bucket, with the Bears hovering around a 16-point buffer, leading the game 65-49. Within the span, reigning Centennial Conference Player of the Week Gaven Marr contributed six points, while Ursinus' Mohamed Toure knocked in five points.
Down 65-49, with the game seemingly out of reach, the Fords used a "never say die" moniker and went on a ridiculous 27-9 scoring to tie the game 74-74 with a minute remaining. In the massive comeback, the first-year duo of Klaiber and Marr caught fire, scoring nine points each.
The Scarlet and Black were on fire from behind the arc, connecting on six of nine three pointers. All nine points from Marr in the scoring stretch stemmed from three triples, while Klaiber converted on two three-pointers of his own to lend a helping hand in the comeback. A Marr three pointer brought the game to 74-72. Following a missed layup by the Bears, Franklin connected on a two-pointer to level the game at 74 apiece. A missed Ursinus three-pointer at the buzzer by Nocito forced overtime, with the Fords holding all the momentum.
Wall kicked-off overtime by getting fouled on a three-point shot and subsequently converted all three of his free throws to give the Bears a 77-74 lead. The two heavyweights continued to throw haymakers however, it turned out to be Ursinus vs. Klaiber in the extra period, as "Cardiac Klaiber" as some call him, scored eight points in a row (all mid-range jump shots) to keep the Fords in the game.
With 39 seconds to go, Marr converted two free-throws to pull within two points, as Haverford still trailed 85-84. Nocito matched Marr's free throws going two for two from the line to increase the Bears' lead to 87-84. Following Logan Brown going one for two from the charity stripe, Wall tacked on two more free throws to increase the Ursinus lead 89-85. A missed three-pointer from Franklin and an additional two free throws from Marlon Wise of the Bears, sealed the deal, as Haverford dropped a hard-fought slugfest with the Bears 91-85.
In a game that many will call an "Instant Classic", the Fords saw four players in double-figures. Killoren ended the contest with 12 points, while Franklin and Marr scored 17 points each. Klaiber led all Haverford players in points with 25, as the first-year guard went 9-16 from the field, and connected on five of six free throws from the line in a game-high 39 minutes on the floor.
Wall led all players on the floor in socring with 26 points, while Cole Grubbs put up 18 points, and Nick Nocito tallied 19 points.
The Haverford College Men's Basketball team will return to Gooding '84 Arena in their next contest, as they host Franklin & Marshall on Saturday December 2. Tip-off will be at 3 p.m. and the contest will be game two of a basketball doubleheader that will follow the women's team taking on third-ranked Christopher Newport.