COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Haverford College men's basketball team (5-18, 2-9 CC) dropped its second matchup of the season to Ursinus (14-8, 7-3 CC) by a score of 102-89 on Wednesday evening under the lights of Helfferich Hall.
The Bears stunned the Fords early with a 12-1 scoring run, forcing a Haverford timeout just 1:52 into the contest. Ursinus simply couldn't miss early, going 4-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range, as Mohamed Toure and Trevor Wall each connected from deep.
Haverford began to find its footing over the next eight minutes, but an 18-13 stretch for the hosts extended the lead to 28-14 with 10:32 remaining in the half. The Fords scored six of their first 13 points from beyond the arc, as Alex George and Luke Phillips buried crucial three-pointers to keep them within reach. However, Wall continued to heat up for the Bears, adding six more points.
The next three minutes saw a much more even pace between the two sides, but Ursinus narrowly outscored Haverford 9-8 to hold a 36-22 lead with 7:17 left in the opening half. First-year forwards Christian Uremovich and Adam-Strong Jacobson provided seven of those eight points for the Fords in a strong stretch, with Uremovich knocking down his lone three-point attempt of the period.
Hovering around a 15-point cushion for the next few minutes, the Bears' efficient shooting pushed their advantage to 48-31 with 3:21 remaining in the half. Strong-Jacobson continued to chip away for Haverford, adding five more points, but dagger threes from Porter Kelly and Luke Nieman preserved Ursinus' comfortable lead.
The Bears closed the half on an 8-6 run, taking a 56-37 advantage into the break. Wall continued to punish the Fords from deep, drilling two more three-pointers, while a trey from Haverford's Derin Ongur kept the visitors' comeback hopes alive.
At halftime, Wall led all scorers with 17 points, shooting 6-of-11 from the field and 5-of-9 from three. Ursinus shot 50 percent from the field and 41 percent from deep, key factors in building its lead. For Haverford, Strong-Jacobson and Uremovich finished the first half with nine points each, causing major problems for the Bears in the paint.
The second half started much differently, as Haverford opened on a 13-5 run to cut the deficit to single digits, 59-50, with 14:14 remaining. The Fords were connecting with consistency, as the visitors knocked down three of their first four three-point attempts after the break, with Ongur sinking two and Carter Warren connecting on one.
Out of a Ursinus timeout, Haverford kept its foot firmly on the gas, going on a 9-2 surge to trim the Bears' lead to just four, 63-59. The Fords went 3-of-5 from the field, and a three-ball from Harry Johnson forced the hosts to call another timeout.
However, Ursinus responded quickly. Over the next minute and a half, a 14-5 run reestablished a 14-point lead, 78-64, with 8:45 to go. The Bears shot 3-of-3 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range in the stretch, as Toure tacked on seven more points.
Haverford fought back yet again, cutting the lead to 10 with 4:24 remaining, as Ian Hochman drilled two three-pointers to make it 87-77. The Fords kept the pressure on, pulling within seven, 90-83, with 1:58 left, but a series of free throws from Wall and Toure sealed the victory at the line for Ursinus.
Wall eclipsed the 30-point mark to lead all scorers, finishing 9-of-18 from the field and 5-of-12 from deep. Haverford had four players in double figures, with Uremovich tallying a season-high 17 points. Ongur matched a season-high with 12 points, including three triples, while Strong-Jacobson also finished with 12, and Logan Brown added 10.
Haverford will return to action on Saturday, February 10, hosting its annual alumni game in the morning, followed by a 3 p.m. Centennial Conference matchup with Gettysburg. Prior to tip-off, the Fords will honor seniors Harry Johnson, Zach Perry, and Luke Phillips in a pregame ceremony.