HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College men's basketball team (3-5) fell to visiting Messiah (1-6), 74-58, on Wednesday night at Gooding Arena in a non-conference matchup. The Fords were unable to overcome a slow start and a dominant inside performance by the Falcons, who capitalized on second-chance opportunities and controlled the boards throughout the game.
Ali Kaan Bek led Haverford with 20 points, including a trio of three-pointers, while also adding four assists and three rebounds. Gaven Marr contributed nine points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, and Derin Ongur provided a spark off the bench with 10 points and three steals.
Despite their efforts, the Fords were out-rebounded 48-34 overall, a margin that proved critical as Messiah converted 16 second-chance points to just two for the Fords, a major part of the reason the Falcons were able to come away victorious.
Cole Fisher paced all scorers with 25 points. Fisher shot 7-for-13 from the field and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Caleb Lyles added 15 points and seven rebounds, and Johnny McBride chipped in a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds for Messiah.
Haverford struggled to find consistency in the first half, shooting 32 percent and committing seven turnovers. Messiah took advantage of some early miscues from the hosts, building a 36-23 halftime lead behind 30 points in the paint and a commanding 11-3 edge in offensive rebounds.
The second half saw a more determined Haverford effort, particularly in transition, where the team scored 16 fast-break points. Messiah took a 21-point lead as Fisher added a pair of free throws early in the second half, but the Fords were able to whittle down the advantage to just 12 with 7:25 remaining as Christian Uremovich hit a jumper.
The Fords would not get closer than 12, as a 7-3 Messiah spurt helped to put things out of reach, despite a triple from Kaan Bek down the stretch that keyed a late 5-0 spurt.
Haverford's bench outscored Messiah's 21-16, but the Falcons' ability to protect the ball, committing just seven turnovers, proved to be a major difference maker.
The Fords will now return to action for one final contest before the break for finals and the winter holidays. Haverford heads to the Electric City of Scranton for a matchup against Marywood on Saturday, December 14. The contest is slated to begin at 3 p.m.