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Women’s basketball eases past mcdaniel

Tough Loss for Men’s Basketball; Kein Scores Big Wrestling Win Men’s Basketball The Muhlenberg men’s basketball team suffered another painful home loss to one of the top teams in the Centennial Conference, falling 65-63 to McDaniel. The Mules dropped their home games to CC leaders Franklin & Marshall, McDaniel and Gettysburg by a total of five points. In a game that was close throughout, the Green Terror (14-5, 9-3) led by as many as nine points in the second half and by four heading into the final minute of play, but a three-pointer by junior Ryan Foster brought the Mules to within one with 6.3 seconds left. McDaniel made a free throw with 4.1 ticks on the clock. Foster rebounded the second free throw, but the Mules could not get off a potential tying shot. The loss dropped Muhlenberg into a five-way tie for fourth place in the CC. Freshman Spencer Liddic posted game highs of 22 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double. Click here for box score. Click here for complete stats. Wrestling A big win by senior Rob Kein highlighted the day for the Muhlenberg wrestling team, which dropped a pair of Centennial Conference matches to 12th-ranked Merchant Marine (32-13) and Stevens (33-15). In the Merchant Marine match, Kein scored a 5-1 decision against a wrestler currently ranked sixth in Division III at 149. Kein, who has been ranked as high as eighth this season, dropped a 6-4 decision to the same opponent last year. Kein went on to record a pin against Stevens. Senior Matt Horn also won both of his bouts. Click here for box scores.

When McDaniel and Muhlenberg play in women’s basketball, the game always comes down to the wire. So you knew, even after the Mules opened up a 23-13 lead midway through the first half, that this was going to have a great ending.

Sure enough, the Green Terror cut the gap to five, and even though

Cook is averaging more than 15 points and shooting almost 59 percent from the field in the last four games.

Muhlenberg pushed its lead back up to 11 by halftime, you knew there would be plenty of tense moments in the second half.

Then the Mules opened the second half with a 17-1 blitz, and suddenly you weren’t quite sure what you knew.

Muhlenberg kept its undefeated Centennial Conference record intact with a 77-55 win against its rival, a win that was almost shocking in its thoroughness. The two teams, who have combined to win the CC regular-season and/or tournament title every year since the CC went to one division in 2004, have played six one-point games and four overtime games since 2002, with the first meeting this year falling into both categories.

Although McDaniel has posted some big margins against Muhlenberg, the reverse has been rarer. The Mules won by 18 in Westminster last year, but their last five series wins at home had been by a total of 16 points.

McDaniel (10-8, 8-5) came into the game as one of five teams tied for second place in the CC with four losses. The Mules (16-3, 13-0) can clinch a tie for the regular-season title, as well as tie the CC record for best start ever, by winning their next league game (at home against Bryn Mawr on Thursday).

Muhlenberg shot 50 percent in the first half, with three players combining for all but two of its 38 first-half points. Freshman Alexandra Chili and sophomore Sheila Cook scored 13 apiece in the first 20 minutes, and senior Lauren Boyle added 10.

Three other players got their names in the scoring column in the second-half spurt, which ended with the Mules ahead 55-28 and 15:25 still to play. McDaniel did not get the spread under 20 until the last minute of the game.

Chili finished with 24 points, while Cook added 17 and Boyle totaled 12 points to go along with 5 assists (including the 250th of her career).

Senior Erin McSherry pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to surpass 500 rebounds for her career.
Click here for box score.
Click here for complete stats.