HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College men's basketball team (0-1) fell to the Susquehanna River Hawks (1-0) by a score of 95-73 on Saturday afternoon in the season opener for both teams at Gooding '84 Arena.
Debuting a new fast-paced style, the Scarlet and Black surged to an early 7-2 lead in the first two and a half minutes, sparked by a four-point play from Gaven Marr and a three-pointer by first-year Carter Warren. The River Hawks quickly responded, with Marcus Mitchell and Billy Anderson combining for seven points to even the score at 9-9 with 15:39 remaining in the first half.
The teams traded baskets over the next seven and a half minutes, with contributions from Ali Kaan Bek, Alex George, Adam Strong-Jacobson, Ian Hochman, Harry Johnson, and Derin Ongur keeping the score knotted at 27-27. After a 30-second timeout at the 7:56 mark, the River Hawks went on a 13-5 run, capped by a three-pointer from Cooper Haberern, pushing their lead to 40-32 with 3:10 left in the half.
In a back-and-forth final three minutes, Mike Pirone scored six of the last nine points for Susquehanna, helping the visitors secure a 49-39 lead at halftime. Pirone led all scorers at the break with 14 points, while Marr paced the Fords with 11. George opened the second half with a driving layup, but Susquehanna responded with another 10-2 run, extending their lead to 59-41. Ongur sank a three-pointer to bring the Fords within 15, yet the River Hawks countered with contributions from Luke Fryer and Audric Washington, holding a 65-46 advantage with 14:10 left in the second half.
The Fords showed signs of life from that point, as baskets from George and Marr, along with two free throws from Seth Anderson, trimmed the lead to 67-52 at the 11:53 mark. However, a 7-2 Susquehanna run – highlighted by seven straight points from Haberern – restored the River Hawks' 20-point cushion.
Despite consecutive triples from Luke Phillips and Marr to narrow the deficit to 81-64, the River Hawks finished strong, closing out the game on a 14-9 spurt to seal the 95-73 victory.
The River Hawks' bench provided a significant boost, with Pirone leading all scorers with 18 points and Haberern adding 13 points, including three three-pointers. Washington led all players with 11 rebounds, just two points shy of a double-double.
For the Fords, Marr tallied a team-high 16 points, with Strong-Jacobson (14) and Johnson (10) also reaching double figures. On the boards, Marr, Ongur, and Johnson each pulled down five rebounds.
Haverford will return to action on Wednesday, November 13, when they travel to nearby Rosemont College to take on the Ravens at 6 p.m.