The Muhlenberg women’s basketball team came out of the gates on fire, using its run-and-gun, pressure-defense system to perfection, but hit a roadblock and could not return to its original form in enough time to make it to the conference playoffs. After winning seven of their first eight

Senior Aril Bryant finished her career with 185 assists, tying her for 10th on the Mules’ all-time list.

games, the Mules seemed to be destined for another winning and record-breaking campaign. More records would fall, but wins were much harder to come by as the Mules ended up 11-14, 7-11 in the Centennial Conference.

Among the early-season victories was a Scotty Wood Tournament championship and a 133-80 win over Haverford in which the Mules broke the Division III records for most points in a half (78) and three-pointers made in a game (21). Muhlenberg’s 133 points in the game tied for the fourth-most in Division III history.

Upon returning in early January from a 23-day layoff, the Mules struggled to retain their momentum from the first half of the season and lost two straight and nine of 10. Searching for an answer to the team’s struggles, Muhlenberg even went back to a more traditional style of play. While the change in scheme did lead to late-season wins against Washington, Gettysburg and Bryn Mawr,

Doyle made a three-pointer in 54 straight games, the second-longest streak in Division III history.

the Mules still finished two games out of the final playoff spot.

Not lost in the unpredictably difficult season were some great individual achievements. The best three-point shooter in team history, senior Gwen Doyle ended her career with the team records for most three-pointers in a career (186) and season (64).

Junior Kristen Piscadlo established herself as one of the top players in the conference and received All-Centennial Conference honorable mention. She led the Mules in points (11.8), assists (4.28), and steals (2.2) per game and became only the second player in team history to post back-to-back 100 assist seasons.

Junior Lacie Smith emerged as a force inside, averaging 9.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest. She was most effective during the season’s final month, averaging 15.1 points over the last eight games of the season, including a career-high 24 points in the Mules’ season finale against Ursinus.

With the continuing maturation of players like Piscadlo and Smith to go along with six other players that will make up an experienced eight-member senior class, the Mules may find themselves running and gunning back to the top of the CC next season. The group of seniors will rival the six outstanding seniors from the 2003 team that led Muhlenberg to the semifinals of the CC playoffs. Next year’s seniors will have that goal in mind, but also something that the Mules have not accomplished since 1998: a Centennial Conference championship.