HAVERFORD, Pa. — The Haverford College men's basketball team (2–1) suffered its first defeat of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling 79–66 to Misericordia (2–1) under the lights of Gooding '84 Arena. The Fords trailed by just five at halftime, but the Cougars used a 43-point second half and efficient free-throw shooting to pull away. Haverford forced 10 steals and scored 32 points in the paint, but Misericordia countered with eight three-pointers and 25 made free throws to secure the victory.
Haverford opened the game with a layup from Christian Uremovich, but Misericordia responded with a 10–2 run powered by consecutive baskets from Nate Townsend and a transition layup by Arvel Chandler. The Fords answered with a 6–0 burst sparked by four straight points from Emmanuel Cheung Hernandez to tie the game at 7–7. The teams traded baskets through the middle portion of the half, but three-pointers from Chandler and Townsend helped the Cougars build a 25–21 lead. Carter Warren's triple at the 2:10 mark cut the deficit to 32–31, but Misericordia closed the frame with a 4–0 run, including a fastbreak finish by Timothy Avrine, to take a 36–31 edge into halftime.
Misericordia's advantage at the break stemmed from a higher shot volume—35 attempts to Haverford's 26—and five made threes in the opening half. The Fords stayed within striking distance with a 7-for-10 performance at the foul line and 12 points in the paint but were hindered by nine turnovers.
The Cougars seized control early in the second half with a 7–0 run capped by a transition three from Chandler that extended their lead to 43–31. Uremovich fueled Haverford's pushback, scoring nine of the Fords' first 13 points of the period to trim the deficit to 48–41 with 13:09 remaining. Each time the Fords cut the margin to single digits, Misericordia responded—most notably with a 5–0 stretch highlighted by another Chandler three to push the lead to 53–43. Haverford continued to attack inside, with Niko Rizos adding a tip-in to make it 56–47, but the Cougars' dominance at the free-throw line proved decisive. Misericordia went 20-for-26 from the line in the second half alone.
A late surge from Uremovich, including a fastbreak dunk at the 2:03 mark, brought Haverford within 70–59, but the Cougars closed the game on a 9–7 run with Townsend and Matt Prociak converting at the stripe to seal the 79–66 final.
Misericordia outscored Haverford 43–35 in the second half, capitalizing on nine Ford turnovers and 20 second-half free throws. Haverford generated 20 points in the paint in the period but was hampered by 16 fouls, allowing the visitors to maintain control throughout the closing minutes.
Uremovich led the Fords with a season-high 24 points on an efficient 10-of-12 shooting performance, adding five rebounds. Cheung Hernandez scored a season-high 12 points and tallied three steals, while Warren pulled down six rebounds. Adam Strong-Jacobson contributed eight points and recorded two blocks.
Chandler led Misericordia with 24 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the field, including four three-pointers, and finishing 6-for-6 at the line. Prociak posted 11 points and eight rebounds while going 7-for-8 from the charity stripe. Townsend added 13 points with two threes and a 5-for-6 performance at the line, and Darryl Wright provided defensive energy with two steals and four assists.
Haverford next returns to action on Wednesday, Nov. 19, traveling to Immaculata for a 8 p.m. matchup.
