HAVERFORD, Pa. – On the final home Saturday of the regular season, the Haverford men's basketball team (5-18, 2-9 CC) honored seniors Harry Johnson, Zach Perry, and Luke Phillips before tip-off against Gettysburg. Despite a strong effort from its bench, Haverford was unable to overcome the Bullets' rebounding advantage and second-chance points, falling 71-61 at Gooding '84 Arena.
The Fords' reserve shifts provided a major boost, contributing 44 points on the evening. Adam Strong-Jacobson led the way with 11 points, while Luke Phillips, Christian Uremovich, and Logan Brown added seven apiece. Ali Kaan Bek facilitated the offense with five assists.
For Gettysburg, Jordan Stafford (19 points, 9 rebounds) and Carl Schaller (20 points, 5 assists) proved to be difference-makers, combining for more than half of the Gettysburg offensive output on the afternoon. Haverford battled on both ends but struggled to contain Gettysburg's presence in the paint. The Bullets (18-5, 9-2 CC) dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Fords 50-35 and converting 14 second-chance points from 20 offensive boards.
Haverford kept pace early, trailing just 14-12 after a Derin Ongur layup. Phillips' basket at the 8:20 mark again brought the Fords within two, and Strong-Jacobson followed with a score to make it 23-21 with 7:39 left in the first half. However, Gettysburg responded with a 12-0 run, stretching its lead to 35-21 with 3:58 remaining. Haverford fought back to cut the deficit to single digits, heading into halftime down 38-29.
The Fords surged in the second half, trimming the deficit to just five midway through the period. Ian Hochman's three-pointer with 8:18 left electrified the Gooding Arena crowd, packed with family, friends, and alumni. However, Gettysburg regained control, pushing the lead back to 10 on Schaller's jumper with 5:34 to play. Haverford kept battling, as Hochman drilled another three to cut the margin to only seven with just over three minutes remaining. Schaller's free throws in the final minute put the game out of reach with the visitors up 10, effectively sealing the win for Gettysburg.
Haverford shot 38.7 percent (24-of-62) from the field and connected on 5-of-17 from three-point range, including a pair of timely triples from Hochman. However, the Fords struggled to get to the free-throw line, attempting just eight shots there compared to Gettysburg's 26, of which the Bullets made 14.
The Fords will look to bounce back on Wednesday in their regular season home finale against Washington College. The contest, the second game of a doubleheader with the women's team facing WAC at 6 p.m., is set to tip off at 8 p.m.