HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College men's basketball team (3-6) wrapped up its fall semester schedule with an 84-72 road loss to Marywood University (7-3) in non-conference action at Insalaco Arena. The contest marked the first-ever meeting between the two Keystone State programs.
Haverford was led by an outstanding performance from Gaven Marr, who scored 15 first-half points and was a key factor in the Fords' early lead. Marr finished as the game's top scorer with 28 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including six three-pointers, while also grabbing eight rebounds. Despite Marr's efforts, the Fords struggled with turnovers, committing 17, which Marywood converted into 23 points. First-year guard Derin Ongur added 12 points—all from beyond the arc—while classmate Adam Strong-Jacobson chipped in 13 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting performance.
Marywood held a decisive 39-25 rebounding advantage and leveraged its defensive intensity with 10 steals while committing just nine turnovers. The Pacers dominated the paint with 38 points inside and received strong contributions across the board. Senior forward Brendan Franko led Marywood with 18 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Mason Mendygral added 15 points and three assists. Andrew Quinn provided a spark off the bench, scoring nine points on three three-pointers.
Haverford surged to an early nine-point lead, highlighted by Marr's fast-break three-pointer with 8:01 left in the first half. Marywood answered with a strong finish to the period, as Quinn's late triple gave the Pacers their first lead. A subsequent three-pointer from Quinn and a fast-break layup by Alex Bausman extended Marywood's advantage. Marr responded with a three-pointer and a powerful transition dunk to narrow the deficit to one point at 2:36. After a Marywood three-pointer, Marr hit another triple, trimming the margin to 32-31 in the final minute of the half.
Early in the second half, Ongur's three-pointer at the 17:33 mark pulled the Fords within one, but Marywood countered with a 7-0 run to stretch the lead to eight. Marr's three-pointer briefly cut the deficit before Marywood's Michel Loftin hit from deep to restore an eight-point cushion. Marr struck again from beyond the arc off a Luke Phillips assist, bringing Haverford within three at the 11:51 mark. However, Marywood's balanced offense, led by Trevor Seitz and Franko, rebuilt a nine-point lead by 8:30. A second-chance layup by Shilo Bivins extended the lead to double digits, sparking a decisive 9-0 run that put the game out of reach with just over three minutes remaining.
The Fords made a late push, as Phillips connected on a three-pointer to light up the bench, and Marr and Ian Hochman added fast-break layups to narrow the margin to seven with under a minute to play. However, Marywood sealed the win at the free-throw line, converting 17-of-20 attempts overall in the contest.
Haverford now breaks for finals and the winter holidays before returning to action on New Year's Eve. The Fords will face Delaware Valley in a December 31 matinee matchup, with tip-off scheduled for 2 p.m. in Doylestown, Pa.