WESTMINSTER, Md. - The Haverford College men's basketball team (7-12, 5-7 CC) defeated McDaniel (8-10, 4-8 CC) on Saturday afternoon by a 64-52 final score. The Fords took care of business behind efficient scoring from Harry Johnson and Josh Love. Johnson shot 6-of-8 from the field for 14 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Love shot 5-of-7 while going 2-of-2 from three-point range. Ryan Trotter led all scorers on the afternoon with 16.

There was nothing flashy from the Fords in Maryland but the visitors made every possession count, especially in the first half. Brandon Banadda got the start at guard after lighting things up earlier in the week at Washington College and he produced early. Johnson opened the scoring for the Fords with a floating layup that was soon followed by a driving layup from Nate Torres. 

Banadda then pulled up from mid-range and knocked down his first shot of the game in the opening three minutes. Haverford began to pull away  after Charlie Mamilin made a jumper at the 15:40 mark. Johnson later converted a layup from Trotter and then just a few minutes later, the Fords  notched the first made three from Nick Stewart. Stewart's three made the score 14-12 in favor of the visitors. 

Things continued to roll for the Fords as Banadda knocked down a three after Love was able to find him with a kick out to the corner. After an appearance and quick pair of free throws from Clay Killoren, the Fords led 20-14. Trotter, who led all scorers, got his first basket at the 8:56 mark. He made two more shots in a minute to make it six straight points for Haverford. The Fords' first double-digit lead came after Johnson got a layup to fall with 6:45 remaining in the half. It would only get better from there, with Haverford ending the half with a pair of threes from Love and Stewart en route to a 38-24 lead at halftime. 

Haverford was practically getting everything they wanted in the first half, shooting 57.7 percent, one of their best shooting performances for a half this season. The visitors also knocked down four of their eight attempts from deep. With one half to play, it looked like it would be all Fords in this matchup, with Haverford earning back-to-back wins in Maryland. 

The Fords cooled off in the second half, allowing McDaniel to get right back into the game. The Green Terror opened up the half on an 11-3 run as the lead was quickly cut to eight. McDaniel used the free-throw line to slow the game down as they drove aggressively to the basket on practically every possession. Seven of the first nine points for the Green Terror were from the line. McDaniel later went on another scoring run, this time a 9-0 spurt. In a flash, the hosts were only trailing by one point with under ten minutes to play. 

Love kept the Fords afloat as he carried most of the load to start the second half. The senior scored eight of the first 13 points for the Fords in the second stanza. His basket with under eight minutes left extended Haverford's lead back to six. With McDaniel getting desperate, buckets came quick and fast. With under five to play, the Green Terror rattled off six straight points to get back within one. However, McDaniel's last bucket came with 3:24 left in the game. The Fords held the hosts scoreless for the final three minutes, ending the game on an 11-0 run to wrestle control of the road victory.

For the second straight game, the Fords recorded 20-plus points from the bench en route to a victory. Stewart and Banadda both finished with six points and contributed in other areas that don't show up on the box score. As it stands, Haverford is tied with Franklin & Marshall for the sixth and final playoff spot in the conference, although the Diplomats hold the tiebreaker by virtue of the head-to-head matchups. 

Men's Basketball will return home on Wednesday, February 1 to take on Ursinus as they look to grab a crucial win as the playoff chase enters the final few weeks of the regular season. The contest is slated for 6 p.m. and will be Mental Awareness Night inside Gooding '84 Arena. The women's game will follow as they take on Bryn Mawr at 8 p.m.