HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College men's basketball team (8-1, 4-0 CC) continued its historic start to the season Saturday at Gooding Arena, turning away a strong challenge from Muhlenberg (8-2, 2-2 CC), a team receiving votes in the latest D3Hoops.com poll, for an enthralling 68-62 victory. The win was the program's first over a team receiving votes or ranked in a national poll since a January 24, 2009 win over then-No. 22 Gettysburg.
Haverford, out to a 4-0 start in conference play for the first time in program history, is one of two programs in the Centennial to remain unblemished in conference play, joining No. 1 Swarthmore in that designation. Jesse Turkson paced all scorers with 24 points, adding 11 rebounds for his third double-double effort of the season. Joe Wujciak (16 points) and Jack Cork (12 points) also tallied in double figures for Haverford.
Haverford began the contest on a 7-3 run, with Jackson Ryan converting a three-point play to give Haverford an early four-point cushion. The Fords eventually extended that advantage to six at 13-7, with Jonathan Lang finishing a layup at the hoop with just over 11 to play in the first half. Muhlenberg had an answer, taking a 23-20 lead with a 9-0 run that was punctuated by a Dan Gaines three-pointer. The Mules stretched the advantage to 28-22 following a Dallas Hoffman jumper that came with just over four to play, but a Cork layup helped put the bow on a 6-1 run that got the Fords back within one at 29-28 entering the final ticks of the first period.
With a halftime cushion of just two at 30-28, Muhlenberg was overwhelmed by a strong Fords attack out of the locker rooms. Haverford unleashed an 11-2 run, as the visitors called for timeout following a Wujciak jumper that gave the Fords a 39-32 lead. Turkson connected on a jumper in the paint for a 43-36 lead with under 13 to play, and later drilled a three-pointer for an eight point advantage with 11:05 showing on the game clock. The lead was 10 with 5:30 remaining, as Ryan connected from downtown for a 59-49 lead. All was not settled, as a renewed aggressiveness from Muhlenberg helped jumpstart a 9-0 run that cut that lead to just one with under two minutes to play.
Cork and Wujciak made crucial shots in the final moments, going toe-to-toe with Muhlenberg as the visitors seemingly answered each Haverford salvo. Drew Hoffman knocked down a pair from the charity stripe, cutting the Haverford lead to just one at 63-62 with 40 seconds remaining. The Mules sent Wujciak to the free throw line despite trailing by one, and the senior calmly knocked down both his shots to extend the Haverford lead back out to three at 65-62. Following a three-point miss by the Mules, Joe Hartman knocked down one of two from the charity stripe as Haverford went ahead by four at 66-62. A Muhlenberg turnover helped seal the win for the Fords, with Hartman coming up with his third steal of the contest and again connecting on a pair from the free throw line on the ensuing possession to reflect the 68-62 final.
The Fords turned on the jets in the second half, outscoring Muhlenberg 40-32 over the final 20 minutes while holding the Mules to just 1-13 (7.7%) shooting from beyond the arc over the final 20 minutes. Haverford held a 47-42 advantage on the glass, including an enforcing 22-17 edge in the second period. Gnias paced three Mules in double figures, adding 15 points.
Men's Basketball will look to bring its early season momentum into the new year, as the team will now break for finals and the winter holidays. The Fords will next be in action on Friday, January 3, facing off with Delaware Valley at 4 p.m. inside Gooding '84 Arena. Delaware Valley will be making its first trip to Haverford since the 1972-73 season.