SWARTHMORE, Pa. – The Haverford College men's basketball team (2-0) overcame an eight-point halftime deficit to defeat Rutgers-Camden (0-2) by a 69-64 score Saturday evening at Tarble Pavilion, closing out the Haverford/Swarthmore Tip-Off with its second consecutive victory to open the 2026–27 season. The Fords trailed by as many as 12 points in the opening half before using a strong second-half performance to complete the comeback, with a go-ahead three-pointer from Tyler Nolan in the final two minutes helping secure the victory.
Nolan led all scorers with a career-high 23 points, connecting on four three-pointers while adding four rebounds and four steals. Adam Strong-Jacobson contributed 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while Christian Uremovich, Gaven Marr, and Carter Warren each chipped in eight points.
Rutgers-Camden established an early advantage, opening the contest with a three-pointer from Jalen Holmes before extending its lead to 7-1 in the first three minutes. Nolan connected from beyond the arc off an assist from Niko Rizos to bring Haverford within three, but the Raptors continued to find success offensively, using a 9-0 stretch to build a 16-4 advantage with 12:06 remaining in the opening half.
The Fords began to chip away at the deficit, with Strong-Jacobson finishing inside before Uremovich delivered consecutive baskets to bring Haverford within 18-10. Nolan followed with a putback, and Uremovich converted a fast-break layup off a Warren assist to cut the Rutgers-Camden advantage to 18-15 with 7:47 remaining.
After the Raptors briefly pushed their lead back to six, Haverford continued its comeback effort. Warren knocked down a jumper before Nolan converted a pair of free throws to bring the Fords within 23-21. An Alex George steal then helped set up another Warren basket, evening the score at 23 with 4:32 remaining in the half.
Rutgers-Camden responded with a late surge, as Makai Crawford connected from beyond the arc and Anthony Henderson II added a basket to help the Raptors regain control. Marr answered with a three-pointer for Haverford, but Rutgers-Camden closed the half with consecutive baskets and a pair of Caleb Edwards free throws to extend its advantage to 36-26. Nolan knocked down a jumper in the final seconds, sending the Fords into the locker room trailing 36-28.
Haverford came out of the break with renewed momentum, quickly cutting into the deficit. Strong-Jacobson opened the second-half scoring with a layup off a Uremovich assist before Nolan connected from three-point range to bring the Scarlet and Black within 36-33. Marr followed with a basket to make it a two-point game, and Warren delivered a three-pointer with 15:27 remaining to give Haverford its first lead since the opening moments at 38-37.
The Raptors answered with five consecutive points to move back in front, 42-38, but Nolan continued to provide an offensive spark. The sophomore knocked down another three-pointer off a Warren assist before finishing inside to restore Haverford's advantage at 43-42 with 12:44 remaining. Nolan followed with a pair of free throws, giving the Fords a three-point cushion.
Neither side could create much separation as the game entered its final 10 minutes. Rutgers-Camden briefly regained the lead on a Holmes layup, but Strong-Jacobson answered with a putback to put Haverford ahead 50-49. The teams traded baskets on the next several possessions, with the Raptors eventually taking a 56-52 advantage following a Crawford three-point play with 6:55 remaining.
Haverford responded from beyond the arc, as Marr connected on a three-pointer off a Strong-Jacobson assist to cut the deficit to one. After Rutgers-Camden answered with another basket, Raja Coleman knocked down a three-pointer off a Marr assist to even the score at 58 with 5:30 remaining.
The Raptors moved back ahead by two on a pair of Holmes free throws, but Strong-Jacobson converted four consecutive attempts from the charity stripe to keep the Fords within striking distance. His final two free throws tied the contest at 62 with 2:38 remaining, setting up a decisive finish.
After Henderson II restored Rutgers-Camden's lead with a jumper, Nolan delivered the biggest shot of the evening. With 1:49 remaining, the sophomore connected on his fourth three-pointer of the game off a Coleman assist, giving Haverford a 65-62 advantage.
The Fords came up with several important defensive stops down the stretch, including a Nolan steal with 50 seconds remaining. Warren converted a free throw to extend the lead to four before Strong-Jacobson knocked down two more attempts from the line to make it 68-62 with 30 seconds left.
Holmes finished a fast-break layup to bring Rutgers-Camden within four with seven seconds remaining, but Nolan added a free throw with five seconds left. A final three-point attempt from Jacob Jones missed, allowing Haverford to secure the 69-64 victory.
Haverford shot 50 percent from the field in the second half after connecting on just 40.7 percent of its attempts before the break. The Fords also found their rhythm from beyond the arc, making six of 13 second-half three-pointers after hitting just two in the opening period. Haverford outscored Rutgers-Camden 41-28 over the final 20 minutes.
Strong-Jacobson finished 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, while Uremovich was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and added six rebounds, two assists and a block. Marr contributed four assists to go along with his eight points, while Warren added two assists. Coleman finished with four points and four rebounds, and Rizos contributed three rebounds and two assists.
Holmes paced Rutgers-Camden with 22 points and seven rebounds, while Crawford added 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. Henderson II contributed nine points off the bench, and Edwards finished with eight.
The Fords held a 36-29 advantage on the glass, including 14 offensive rebounds that helped produce 17 second-chance points. Haverford also outscored the Raptors 10-4 in fast-break points while holding Rutgers-Camden to 36.7 percent shooting in the second half.
Haverford now turns its attention to the Widener Tip-Off for Autism Awareness, beginning Friday, Nov. 13, against host Widener in Chester, Pa. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. The Fords will then face either (RV) RPI or Rutgers-Newark on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 2 or 4 p.m., depending on Friday's results.
