The Muhlenberg men's basketball team continued its 2019 surge, remaining undefeated in the new year with a 56-45 home win against Franklin & Marshall.
Three-pointers and defense paved the way for the Mules (8-6, 5-2), who have their best Centennial Conference record through seven games since 2010. They made 11 three-pointers, including eight in the first 12 minutes of the second half to build a double-digit lead.
On the other end, Muhlenberg held the Diplomats (9-5, 3-4) to 31-percent shooting. The Mules entered the game fifth in Division III in three-point field-goal percentage defense and lowered their mark by allowing only four makes in 26 tries from long distance.Â
The 45 points were the fewest scored by Franklin & Marshall against Muhlenberg in 73 years, since an 87-34 game in the 1945-46 season.
Freshman
Dan Gaines led the offense with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting, with his lone miss coming late in the second half. He also recorded 6 assists and 6 rebounds.
Freshman Nate Henty Brown (11 points, 8 rebounds) and junior
Matt Gnias (10 points) also scored in double figures.
Neither team led by more than five points in the first half until freshman
Nicholas Chudy beat the buzzer with a three from the corner to give the Mules a 28-21 lead at the break. Muhlenberg shot 54.5 percent from the field in the first half.
The Diplomats scored the first basket of the second half, but a three-pointer by freshman
Dallas Hoffman (pictured above) began the decisive surge. Muhlenberg outscored F&M 22-11 to open up a 19-point lead at the midway point of the second half. Of the 22 points, 18 came on three-pointers, with Gaines, Gnias and Henty Brown drilling two apiece.
The Mules did not score a point in the final 8:02 but held F&M to five points over that stretch to win going away.
Muhlenberg has won eight of its last 15 home games against Franklin & Marshall, a perennial playoff contender.
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