ASTON, Pa. – The Haverford College men's basketball team (4–3) dropped its third game of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling 73–59 at Neumann (8–3). Despite holding a narrow 34–33 halftime lead and receiving 45 points from its bench, the Fords were outscored 40–25 in the second half as the Knights used timely scoring runs and a decisive advantage at the free-throw line, where they finished 20-for-28, to pull away.
Haverford opened the afternoon with early momentum as Raja Coleman knocked down a three just 18 seconds into the game, assisted by Seth Anderson. Neumann quickly responded with a layup from Donte Dupriest and a three from Aarick Salata to take its first lead. The first half unfolded as a back-and-forth battle, with the Fords generating offensive rhythm behind Anderson's steady facilitating, highlighted by multiple assists and a steal that led to a three from Adam Strong-Jacobson at the 12:12 mark. The closing minute of the half featured a dramatic exchange, as Alex George scored on a layup with 39 seconds left before Neumann's Izaiah Johnson Young-El converted a fast-break layup at the horn. Haverford, however, held onto a narrow 34–33 advantage at the break.
The Fords' first-half lead was powered by 24 bench points and a dominant 28–18 edge on the boards. Despite nine turnovers, Haverford stayed in front by converting seven threes and generating efficient scoring from its second unit. Neumann kept the game tight through opportunistic play, converting six points off turnovers and adding eight fast-break points.
The second half opened with momentum shifting quickly toward the Knights. DJ Earl buried a three on the first possession to give Neumann the lead, though Christian Uremovich briefly answered with a layup to even the score at 36–36. From there, the Knights began to separate. Julian Phillips cashed in at the free-throw line, and Dupriest continued to find success inside, fueling a steady offensive push. The turning point came at the 7:29 mark, when Neumann unleashed an 8–0 run, four of those points from Phillips, that extended the lead to 65–54. Haverford attempted to respond with interior scoring through Strong-Jacobson and perimeter looks from Tyler Nolan, but the Fords were unable to overcome a cold shooting performance from distance, finishing just 1-for-19 from three in the second half. Neumann's late control, punctuated by another Earl three, helped secure the 14-point victory.
Uremovich led Haverford with 14 points on an efficient 7-for-9 shooting afternoon while adding six rebounds. Strong-Jacobson provided 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting and pulled down eight rebounds. Anderson collected a team-high eight rebounds and dished out three assists. Niko Rizos added six rebounds and four points, while Coleman contributed six points, all from beyond the arc.
Neumann was led by a dominant performance from Dupriest, who scored 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds while shooting 9-for-15 from the floor. Earl added 18 points, hitting four threes and recording three steals. Phillips supplied 16 points, including a 9-for-10 effort at the free-throw line. Salata provided valuable support with three assists and two steals.
Haverford returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 10, traveling to Reading, Pennsylvania, to face Penn State Berks at 7:30 p.m. The matchup will follow the women's game between the Fords and Penn State Berks, scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
