COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. — The Haverford College men's basketball team (6-8, 0-2 CC) fell to Ursinus (9-4, 2-0 CC), 94-65, on Wednesday evening at Helfferich Hall. The Bears controlled the paint throughout the contest, scoring 54 points inside. Haverford's bench contributed 29 points, but Ursinus built a commanding 53-point first half and maintained control from start to finish.
Haverford opened the game with an early spark, as Gaven Marr knocked down a three-pointer just 19 seconds into the contest off an assist from Raja Coleman. Ursinus responded quickly, taking a 9-5 lead following a fast-break layup by Mohamed Toure at the 17:36 mark. The Bears continued to build momentum with an 11-4 run, capped by a Jamie Murphy layup at 12:05, forcing a Haverford timeout. Out of the break, the teams traded baskets, highlighted by an and-one three-point play from Marr at 8:13, but Ursinus maintained a 29-17 advantage. The Bears kept their foot on the gas over the final 7:30 of the half, outscoring the Scarlet and Black 24-13 while shooting 9-of-14 from the field and connecting on three of five attempts from beyond the arc.
Ursinus capitalized on nine Haverford turnovers in the first half to take a 53-30 lead into the locker room. The Bears scored 36 points in the paint and added 20 fast-break points, asserting their interior presence. Haverford struggled offensively in the opening half, shooting 11-of-38 from the field and 2-of-14 from three-point range. Ursinus' defensive effort was also evident, as the Bears recorded six blocks and eight steals.
The Bears opened the second half with a layup from Field, assisted by Nick Nocito, who followed with a steal on the ensuing possession. Trailing 58-37 at the 17:35 mark, the Fords showed signs of life behind Emmanuel Cheung Hernandez, who sparked an 11-4 run to cut the deficit to 14 points with 12:14 remaining. Ursinus responded emphatically, however, unleashing a decisive 14-3 run while shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the field. Jasper Buck knocked down two three-pointers during the stretch, pushing the Bears' lead to 74-51 with 9:20 left. Ursinus outscored Haverford 20-14 over the final stretch to close out the 94-65 victory. Despite a brief surge from the Fords midway through the second half, the Bears' efficiency proved too much to overcome.
The Bears shot 50 percent from the field in the second half, including four three-pointers, while Haverford finished the half at 33 percent shooting. The Fords generated offense off eight steals but were outpaced in fast-break points, as Ursinus held an 11-5 advantage.
Cheung Hernandez led the Scarlet and Black with a career-high 15 points and recorded his first career double-double with 10 rebounds, adding two steals. Adam Strong-Jacobson finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks, while Marr added 12 points on three made three-pointers. Coleman paced the offense with five assists.
Toure led all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting, added 11 rebounds, and recorded two blocks for Ursinus. Nocito contributed 12 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Tomas Belaiter scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting and added two steals, while Buck was perfect from beyond the arc, knocking down all four of his three-point attempts to finish with 12 points.
The Fords return to action on Saturday, Jan. 17, traveling to Carlisle, Pa. to face Dickinson. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
