The seven seniors on the Muhlenberg women’s basketball team have enjoyed many memorable moments on the Memorial Hall floor, and now they will get a chance to make some more.

In a game that was not decided until after the final buzzer, the 17th-ranked Mules (23-2, 16-2) edged Ursinus, 60-58, to clinch the top

Michelle Hirst, one of five seniors who started on Senior Day, is part of a class that has a career record of 70-32 and needs two more victories to become the winningest class in program history.

seed and homecourt advantage for the Centennial Conference playoffs.

Muhlenberg, which is 13-0 at home this year, will host the winner of Wednesday’s Gettysburg-McDaniel game in one semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 25. The other semifinal will match Johns Hopkins against Dickinson. The two winners meet for the championship the next day. Game times will be announced on Monday.

Although the Mules led by as many as nine points early in the second half, they were never able to shake a feisty Bear squad that found out it had been eliminated from playoff contention before the game started. Muhlenberg was up five at the three-minute mark, but a three-point basket and a conventional three-point play after a steal gave Ursinus (13-11, 10-8) a 58-57 lead with 2:21 to play.

Junior Meghan Courtney missed a jumper from the foul line with 1:40 left, but the ball was batted out of bounds off the Bears. On the inbounds play, Courtney took the pass from senior Kristen Piscadlo and kissed a shot jumper off the glass to put the Mules ahead.

As it had in Thursday’s three-point win against McDaniel, the Muhlenberg defense came up with a big stand, forcing a traveling call

ROTHWELL WINS IN FINAL TRACK TUNEUP Junior Steve Rothwell of the Muhlenberg indoor track and field team won the 800 meters at the Princeton Invitational, the Mules’ final tuneup for next weekend’s Centennial Conference Championships. Rothwell ran away with the second heat, clocking in faster than anyone in the “fast” heat. His time of 1:55.78 missed the NCAA provisional standard by .78 and was one of four ECAC-qualifying marks posted by Muhlenberg. Click here for Muhlenberg highlights. Click here for complete women’s results. Click here for complete men’s results.

along the sideline. But the Bears stole the ball right back and got an open look for a baseline jumper that would have given them the lead.

The shot missed, and Piscadlo snared the rebound 31 seconds left. Amazingly, Ursinus had not been whistled for any team fouls in the second half up to that point. By the time they got around to committing the seven fouls needed to send the Mules to the line, only 10 seconds remained.

Piscadlo made the front end of the one-and-one, but missed the second. Senior Lacie Smith grabbed the rebound and was fouled, but she missed the front end and this time the ball was deflected out of bounds to the Bears.

Ursinus junior Mary Kate Daley, who led all scorers with 21 points, drove in for a potential game-tying layup and was fouled as the final buzzer sounded. Needing to make both free throws to send the teams into overtime for the second time this year, she missed the first.

Muhlenberg, which is outscoring its opponents by an average of 12.5 points per game this year, has made heartstopping finishes the norm of late, winning its last three home games by a combined nine points.

Courtney and freshman Lauren Boyle led the Mules with 12 points apiece. Courtney’s 364 points this season are the ninth-most in team history.

Click here for box score.