The first song on Muhlenberg’s 2005-06 warmup tape was “Don’t Forget About Us.”

The Mules made sure that wouldn’t be possible, putting together the best season in their history. They won the Centennial Conference championship for the first time since 1998, advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finished the year ranked 20th in Division III.

With a record of 26-3, the team not only broke the team and Conference records for wins in a season, but it also came within one of the College

Piscadlo was 18th in Division III in assists per game. In addition to finishing fourth on the CC career assist list, she also ended up among Muhlenberg’s all-time leaders in scoring (12th), three-pointers (second) and steals (third).

record for wins by any team (held by 1992 volleyball). The squad also joined 1944-45 men’s basketball as the only Mule teams to have two 10-game winning streaks in the same season.

But it wasn’t just that they won, it was how they won. Determined not to repeat the disappointing finish of the previous year, in which it lost 13 of its last 17 games to end up 11-14, the team developed a mental toughness that enabled it to win close game after close game.

From the first game of the Scotty Wood Tournament to the first game of the NCAA Tournament, Muhlenberg was at its best with the game on the line. The Mules were 14-1 in games decided by fewer than 10 points, winning their last five games by a total of 18 points.

And these weren’t your older sister’s Mules. Two years after

Smith was named Scotty Wood Tournament MVP and averaged 8.3 points and 7.1 rebounds as a senior.

leading all of college women’s basketball in scoring, Muhlenberg rebuilt itself around defense and rebounding, ranking among the Division III leaders in scoring defense (a school-record-low 52.1 points per game), field-goal percentage defense (.330) and rebound margin (plus-5.3). In the previous four seasons, the Mules had won one game in which they scored in the 50s; they won 11 such games in 2005-06.

The team was led by seven seniors who graduated as the winningest class in program history with a four-year record of 73-33. Point guard Kristen Piscadlo was the floor general and set school records for assists in a career (424), season (164) and game (12). Forward Stephanie Coluccini became the fourth player in team history to accumulate 500 points, 500 rebounds, 100 assists and 100 steals. Forward Lacie Smith also passed the 500-point and 500-rebound marks.

The other four seniors epitomized the unselfish attitude of the championship team by accepting supporting roles. Tiffany Kirk was second

ABOUT FACE Only two teams in Division III history improved their record more than Muhlenberg did in 2005-06: school year w-l previous improvement Penn State-Behrend 1992 22-4 8-17 13.5 Cal Lutheran 1995 23-3 8-15 13.5 Muhlenberg 2006 26-3 11-14 13 Johnson & Wales 2006 15-11 1-23 13 Lehman 2005 18-8 5-21 13 Kings Point 2004 14-12 1-25 13

on the team in three-pointers, Michelle Hirst and Sam Tager were the backup center and point guard, respectively, and Valerie Robuck played everywhere from shooting guard to center.

Although the team was dominated by seniors, its top two scorers were younger. Junior center Meghan Courtney had a breakout season, leading the Mules and ranking in the top 10 in the CC in scoring (14.4 points per game), rebounding (8.6 rebounds per game), blocked shots (1.39 per game) and field-goal percentage (.447). And then there was preternaturally poised freshman Lauren Boyle, who averaged 10.7 points and seemed to hit a big basket or make a clutch free throw in every close game.

Picked sixth in the preseason poll, Muhlenberg went 16-2 in CC regular-season play, sweeping two-time defending champion McDaniel and defending regular-season champion Dickinson. The Mules lost at Johns Hopkins early in the year, but held the Blue Jays to 36 points at home in the rematch.

Muhlenberg won the CC regular-season title by one game over Hopkins to earn the right to host the conference playoffs. In the semifinals, the

Coluccini scored her season high of 15 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in the CC championship game.

Mules survived a last-second attempt to edge McDaniel, 56-55, in overtime. Their three wins against the Green Terror were by a total of five points. In the championship game, Muhlenberg scored the final six points, five by Boyle, for a 55-50 victory over Johns Hopkins that capped an undefeated (15-0) home season.

Sent to Mary Washington for the NCAA Tournament, the Mules found themselves down eight points to Wesleyan (Conn.) with 6:56 remaining in their first-round game. As they had done all season, they made all the right plays down the stretch, closing the game on a 21-6 run for a 57-50 win. In the second round, Muhlenberg led Mary Washington – the last undefeated team in Division III – by six points at halftime, but the Eagles soared in the second half for a 68-48 win.

Even though the season was over, the honors kept coming. Piscadlo and Courtney, previously named to the All-CC first team, both earned all-region recognition. Ron Rohn was named Mid-Atlantic Region coach of the year after managing the 13-game turnaround – one of the best in Division III history.

Unforgettable, in every way.