The Muhlenberg men's basketball team sprinted out to a 15-3 lead and never lost it, holding off a late Moravian charge to win its season opener, 85-79.

Senior Brandon LaRose led four Mule players in double figures with 15 points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds. Junior JeanLee Baez scored 14 points on perfect 5-of-5 shooting, with senior Jon Schreer adding 13 points and junior Owen McLeod 12.

Sophomore Erik Werheim chipped in with nine points, two on a fast-break dunk in the first half, while junior Kevin Miller had six points and a career-high four assists in his first career start. 

Two layups and a free throw by Baez, a three by Miller and three free throws by Werheim accounted for all the points in an 11-0 run that turned a 2-2 tie into a 13-2 Muhlenberg lead. The Mules extended their bulge to as many as 14 points in the first half and went into halftime ahead by six, 41-35, after a putback by junior Sam McClellan in the final 30 seconds.

The Greyhounds closed to within two at 47-45 five minutes into the second half but were outscored by the Mules 21-6 over the next five minutes to fall behind by 17. Sophomore Brendan Hughes hit a three-pointer during the run, which also included a three-point play by Schreer (pictured above) and 10 free throws. Muhlenberg took advantage of its many opportunities from the foul line, tying the school record of 38 made free throws that was set, interestingly enough, against Moravian during the 1958-59 season.

Moravian had one final run left and drew to within two, at 81-79, with a minute left. On the next possession, LaRose pulled up inside the arc and swished a jumper. After the Greyhounds missed a three, McLeod hit two free throws to ice the game.

Senior John Hunter blocked three shots in the game to move into sixth place on the Mules' all-time list with 117 in his career.

The win gave Muhlenberg a 6-3-1 lead in the 2016-17 Matte Award standings as the annual all-sports competition goes into winter hibernation. The next scheduled Matte contest is a baseball game on March 15.