ABINGTON, Pa. – The Haverford College men's basketball team (3-10) concluded its non-conference slate with an overtime thriller against Penn State Abington (1-12) on Tuesday evening at the Abington Athletics Building. The Fords fell to the hosts by a final score of 84-79 in a game that featured eight ties and 11 lead changes. Haverford, hampered by 29 turnovers, mounted a valiant effort down the stretch, but the Nittany Lions capitalized on defensive pressure and clutch scoring in the extra period.
Sophomore Ali Kaan Bek led the Fords offensively, hitting four first-half 3-pointers en route to a team-high 19 points. Haverford built a 10-point lead at halftime, but the second half saw Penn State Abington flip the script, forcing 17 turnovers in the final 20 minutes.
Adam Strong-Jacobson opened the scoring with a layup and converted a Nittany Lions turnover into a 3-pointer with 17:29 to play, helping Haverford jump out to a 5-0 lead. He finished the game with a double-double, tallying 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Harry Johnson added 14 points, while Carter Warren contributed eight points off the bench. Haverford dominated the boards, outrebounding the Nittany Lions 60-45, including 21 offensive rebounds that led to 18 second-chance points. Logan Brown had a strong performance on the glass, grabbing 13 rebounds, seven on the offensive end, while adding seven points.
Aiden Brown led Penn State Abington with 18 points and eight rebounds. The Nittany Lions' defense, which recorded 23 steals, turned Haverford's miscues into 30 points off turnovers.
Penn State Abington opened the second half on a 7-0 run, cutting into Haverford's lead. Back-to-back baskets by Brown and Seth Anderson extended Haverford's advantage to eight points at the 17:17 mark, but a 14-2 Abington run midway through the half gave the hosts their first lead with 11:27 remaining.
A three-point play by Johnson sparked a stretch where the senior scored the next seven points for Haverford. The teams traded leads late in regulation before Gaven Marr's layup gave the Fords a four-point cushion with 1:41 to play. However, Abington rallied to tie the game at 71, before Johnson's block on Kolby Miller's game-winning attempt sent the contest into overtime.
Neither team gained significant separation in the extra frame. A three-point play by Aiden Brown gave Abington a two-point lead, and Miller's layup extended it to four. Haverford cut the deficit to two on a jumper by Kaan Bek, but Brown answered on the next possession, putting the Nittany Lions up 81-77. Haverford could not recover despite some late defensive pressure as Abington sealed the game from the free-throw line in the closing moments.
The Fords now turn their attention to the Centennial Conference, opening league play on Saturday, Jan. 11, at Muhlenberg College. Tip-off in Allentown is scheduled for 1 p.m.