The Muhlenberg women’s basketball team knows how to start the year off right. In their first game of 2007, the Mules defeated Haverford, 76-62, in a Centennial Conference matchup that saw the Mules improve to 10-0 on the season and 5-0 in conference play. Muhlenberg remains one of just eight undefeated teams in Division III.

The game stayed close for much of the first half. With 13:16 to go before the half,

With one hand in her face and another on her arm (she drew a foul), Boyle hit this jump shot with 15:32 left in the first to give the Mules a 10-5 lead.

Haverford (2-8, 1-4) hit two free throws to tie the game at 12, and neither team scored again for three minutes until Haverford made a jump shot to go in front, 14-12. With 2:56 remaining, the Fords still held the lead, 25-22, but the Mules knew just what to do.

“Haverford always brings their game,” said senior Meghan Courtney, “but we're good at adjusting our game to our opponents.”

And adjust they did.

The Mules scored the final 12 points of the half — a run that started and ended with Courtney layups — to send them into the locker room with the lead, 34-25. Courtney scored six of her game-high 26 points in that stretch. She also finished the game with nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot.

In the second half, Courtney hit two free throws with 14:06 remaining to put the Mules up, 47-36, and they held a double-digit lead the rest of the way. When the final buzzer sounded, Muhlenberg had earned the victory, 76-62.

Although the Mules rode Courtney’s wave for much of the game, she wasn’t the only one who showed up to play. The entire Muhlenberg roster saw the floor, and of the 16 players who entered the game, 12 of them scored and 13 pulled down at least one rebound. Sophomore Lauren Boyle recorded 16 points and five boards, while senior Emily Wright and junior Abra Like combined for 15 points and seven assists.

“It was the first game back, so it was an important game for us to win to keep up our streak,” said sophomore Kaitlin Strumph, who scored her two points on layup, despite getting fouled.

Did the Mules make “keep winning” their new year’s resolution? No, insists Courtney. “We just want to take it one game at a time,” she said. “And we hope to still be playing in the spring for the national championship.”

Click here for box score.