CHESTERTOWN, Md. - The Haverford College men's basketball team (8-16, 2-10 CC) erased a two-point halftime deficit and stormed past Washington College (10-14, 0-12 CC) for a 73-65 Centennial Conference victory Wednesday night inside Penny J. Fall Gymnasium. Trailing 37-35 at the break, the Scarlet and Black flipped the script over the final 20 minutes, outscoring the Shoremen 38-28 behind efficient shooting, defensive rebounding, and timely baskets.
Haverford received a major boost from its bench, which poured in 34 points, while the defense forced 10 turnovers and turned those miscues into valuable scoring opportunities.
Gaven Marr led the Fords with 14 points, secured six rebounds, and recorded two steals. Tyler Nolan added 12 points and three steals, while Emmanuel Cheung Hernandez contributed 11 points, five rebounds, and two steals. Carter Warren finished with nine points, hitting three 3-pointers.
Jaedon Harris paced Washington College with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, while adding five assists and two steals. Jon Nalty was efficient from the free-throw line, converting 7 of 8 attempts on his way to 17 points. David Carr Jr. contributed defensively with three steals and four rebounds. Ty Woodland added six points, four rebounds, and two steals, and Jacob Becker chipped in with two steals and six rebounds.
The game began with Haverford's Adam Strong-Jacobson scoring a jumper off an assist from Carter Warren, followed by a fast-break three-pointer from Warren to give the Scarlet and Black an early 5-0 lead. Washington College responded as Ty Woodland assisted Jaedon Harris for a layup, and Nalty added a jumper to close the gap to 7-4. The teams traded blows throughout the period; after Harris hit a three-pointer to bring the Shoremen within one, Haverford's bench depth emerged as Raja Coleman and Emmanuel Cheung Hernandez entered the scoring column. A David Carr Jr. 3-pointer at the 8:36 mark gave Washington College a 20-17 lead, but Tyler Nolan answered with a three-pointer to bring the Fords within two, 22-20.
Following a 30-26 Haverford lead fueled by threes from Marr and Coleman and a Hernandez layup, Harris and Nalty led a Shoremen charge to reclaim the lead. In the final seconds of the half, Nalty drilled a three-pointer off an assist from Harris to send Washington College into the locker room with a 37-35 advantage. Both teams committed nine turnovers in the opening frame, but Haverford's bench provided 15 points to keep the game tight.
The second half began with Washington College extending their lead to 41-35 behind a Davis Bland layup and free throws. The Fords surged back when Warren hit a crucial three-pointer at 17:13 to cut the lead to 43-39. Haverford's defense then tightened, as Marr converted a fast-break layup and a jumper to tie the game at 45-45. A massive turning point came around the 12-minute mark when Marr assisted Warren for another three-pointer, giving the Scarlet and Black a 48-45 lead they would not relinquish. Haverford's bench continued to dominate, with Hernandez and Seth Anderson scoring in the paint to push the lead to 54-47. Despite Nalty's free-throw efficiency keeping the Shoremen within striking distance, Nolan delivered the dagger with a triple at the 3:29 mark to extend the margin to 67-58. Coleman followed with another trey to push the lead to 12 points with under three minutes remaining. Although Bland hit a late three-pointer for Washington College, Haverford's consistent free-throw shooting from Nolan sealed a 73-65 victory. The Scarlet and Black outscored the Shoremen 38-28 in the second half, shooting 50 percent from the field and collecting 19 defensive rebounds to secure the win.
In the final contest of the year, Haverford will host Hood Trophy rival Swarthmore under the lights of Gooding '84 Arena. The game will serve as the annual Alumni Day, with the Alumni Game occurring earlier Saturday morning. The matchup with the Garnet is slated to tip off at 3 p.m., following the Haverford College vs. Swarthmore women's game at 1 p.m.
