Muhlenberg basketball players Lindsay Tis and Jimmy O’Brien have been named to the 2004 Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Scholar-Athlete Team.

Both were honored today at the second Lehigh Valley College Basketball Media Organization luncheon of the season. The Scholar-Athlete Team consists of one player who excels in the classroom and on the court from each of the seven schools in the Organization.

Tis is a senior co-captain of the 10-1 Mule women’s team that leads the NCAA in scoring. The forward ranks seventh in the Centennial Conference with 2.5 steals per game and averages 5.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in Muhlenberg’s balanced attack. Tis posted nine points, eight rebounds and four steals in Saturday’s win at Gettysburg.

An outstanding student as a business administration major, Tis learned quickly what it takes to succeed on the court and in the classroom.

“Freshman year I was on J.V. and varsity, so I had a lot of practice to go along with class,” Tis said. “I learned a lot about time management.”

“Lindsay is just a joy to be around each day,” said Muhlenberg Head Coach Ron Rohn. “She’s one of the finest people I’ve known on or off the basketball court.”

O’Brien is a captain on a team with no seniors. He has done his part to lead by example on the hardwood and in the classroom. O’Brien is tied for third in the CC in three-point field-goal percentage (.476). He ranks second on the Mules in scoring (11.7 points per game) rebounding (5.8) assists (22), steals (nine), three-pointers (10) and field-goal percentage (.519). The sophomore guard scored 14 points, including the game-winning basket in the final second of overtime, and grabbed 15 rebounds at Washington Saturday.

For Head Coach Dave Madeira, O’Brien, who has excelled academically in his three semesters as a Mule but has not yet picked a major, is just as valuable off the court.

“Jimmy’s just the type of guy we point our freshman toward,” said Madeira. “We tell them, ‘Do what Jimmy does in the classroom. Do what Jimmy does in the offseason. Do what Jimmy does socially.’”

About his hard work in the classroom, O’Brien said, “I take a lot of pride in basketball and put a lot of effort into it, but what’s going to get me far in life is academic success.”

The Muhlenberg men’s basketball team dropped a hard-fought game to 22nd-ranked Franklin & Marshall, 82-77, at Memorial Hall.

After leading early, the Mules (4-7, 2-3) fell behind, but stayed close throughout and fought back, cutting the Diplomat lead to three points twice in the final 11 seconds.

Sophomore forward Jimmy O’Brien led the Mules with a career-high 26 points on 10-19 shooting. O’Brien made three of his six three-point attempts, but was outdone by guard Ryan Bonda. The junior set a school record for three-point field-goal percentage with at least five attempts, knocking in all five of his shots from behind the arc on the way to a season-high 17 points.

The Mules came out strong at the game’s outset. They made four of their first six shots and jumped out to a 9-2 lead, forcing the Diplomats (10-2, 5-0) to call a timeout. F&M missed nine of its first 10 attempts.

The Mules outrebounded the larger Dips, 38-33, thanks in large part to Jeff Stewart. The freshman center set a new career high with his 16 boards. He also put in 19 points, 13 in the second half, and blocked four shots.

Chase Licata dished out six assists for the Mules, and fellow junior Donté Borden passed out four helpers and grabbed six rebounds. O’Brien was the third Mule to score more than 25 points in a game this season, joining freshmen Stewart and Tom Scott.

Muhlenberg made six of its seven three-point tries after the break and 10 of 15 in the game. F&M was nearly as accurate, knocking down seven of nine in the second half and 11 of 20 in the game. Only the Dips’ hot shooting held off the ’Berg run. Franklin & Marshall shot 66.7 percent from the field in the second half.

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