The holiday season can be stressful enough; we don’t need games like this.

One day after the Muhlenberg women’s basketball team went to overtime

Freshmen Ryan Foster (above) and Obi Nwizugbo (right) combined for 16 points. Foster scored 10 points in only nine minutes in his first extended varsity action, and Nwizugbo had six points, five rebounds and two blocks.

against Susquehanna, the Mule men took The College of New Jersey to triple overtime, falling 109-105 in the last home event of 2006.

The epic tied the longest game in program history, which clearly was not a good strategy. Muhlenberg also played triple-overtime games in 1982-83 (vs. Gettysburg), 1965-66 (Ursinus) and 1947-48 (La Salle), losing those three as well.

This also was the fifth game in team history in which both teams hit the century mark, but the first of those games at Memorial Hall. The last such occurence was in 2002-03, when the Mules won at Widener, 108-101, in double overtime.

Overtime did not seem to be in the picture after Muhlenberg (4-4) went on a 15-2 run early in the second half to open up a 57-40 lead with 14:23 remaining. The Lions (6-4), however, outscored the Mules by a 35-18 margin the rest of regulation.

Muhlenberg broke a 73-all tie with six seconds to play in the second half when senior Justin Fields scored off a pick-and-roll with classmate Tom Scott, but TCNJ drove the length of the court for a layup to tie the score again.

In the first overtime, the Lions made three consecutive three-pointers, the last of which gave them an 89-86 lead with 38 ticks left. Senior Jimmie Riggins missed two free throws with 10.1 on the clock, but senior Brandon Mefford snagged the rebound and kicked the ball back to senior Chris Huber. He was fouled while attempting a three-pointer and calmly sank all three foul shots with 6.7 showing, sending the teams to a second overtime.

Scott’s three-pointer gave Muhlenberg a 96-92 lead with 1:51 left in the second overtime, but the Lions tied the game with four free throws sandwiched around a Mule turnover.

The teams were tied at 102 heading into the final minute of the third overtime. TCNJ made a three-point play to go ahead for good, then added three free throws after Muhlenberg misses to extend its lead to 108-102. Huber’s off-balance three-pointer swished in with 2.9 ticks left to bring the Mules to within three, but the Lions made a free throw to sew up the win.

Huber finished with 26 points and made six of Muhlenberg’s school-record 15 three-pointers. Riggins notched his second career double-double with career highs of 20 points and 14 rebounds. Scott had 18 points and a career-high eight assists (with no turnovers), and Fields recorded 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Mefford set a career best with nine assists.

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