Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Freshman forward Tanner Kirkpatrick (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) scored a game- and season-high 20 points while junior guard Sean Gordon (Broomall, Pa./Malvern Prep) missed a triple-double by a rebound and assist as the Gettysburg College men's basketball team closed out the home portion of its schedule with a 70-64 victory over Haverford College Saturday afternoon in Bream Gymnasium.

With the win, Gettysburg (10-11, 9-7 CC) stayed alive in its quest for a Centennial Conference playoff berth. With two regular season games remaining, the Bullets now trail Johns Hopkins University and Muhlenberg College by one game for the fifth and final playoff spot.

The game marked the final regular-season home appearance for senior center Connor Poston (Ambler, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham), who was honored in a brief ceremony prior to the game before finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Gordon posted 10 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high nine assists while junior guard Joe Emerusabe (Derwood, Md./Magruder) added 11 points, including a big 3-pointer and pair of free throws in the final two-and-a-half minutes.

Brett Cohen paced Haverford (8-14, 4-12 CC) with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

After trailing by as much as 10 in the second half, the Fords cut the gap to two with 2:39 remaining after a Lucas Colombo jumper. But Emerusabe answered with a 3-ball, then knocked down two foul shots with 27 seconds left to give the Bullets a seven-point lead (68-61).

Colombo kept Haverford in it with a 3-pointer 12 seconds later, but it would be the Fords' last points of the day. Kirkpatrick and Gordon iced the victory, with each splitting a trip to the line in the final 15 seconds.

It was a close game early on, as there were five ties and three lead changes in the opening half. Haveford tied its biggest lead of the game when a Cohen lay-up made it 28-23 with 3:28 to go in the period, but Gettysburg answered with a 10-0 run, capped by a fastbreak lay-up from Emerusabe, to assume the lead for good.

The Fords scored the last four points of the first half and the Bullets led 33-32 at the intermission.

Gettysburg opened the second half on a 12-4 run, with Kirkpatrick scoring eight points along the way, to push its lead to nine (45-36) with 14:08 remaining. Kirkpatrick's third and final 3-pointer of the day gave the Orange and Blue their largest advantage of the game at 51-41 with 10:35 to go, and it was still an eight-point game with 6:14 left before Haverford used a 10-2 run to get back into it.

The Bullets close out the final week of the regular season on the road, visiting Franklin & Marshall College on Wednesday at 8 p.m. before traveling to McDaniel College on Saturday at 4 p.m.