For the second straight game, the Muhlenberg men's basketball team rode a big first half to a Centennial Conference win, completing a 3-0 week with a 79-51 victory at Washington.

The Mules (11-7, 6-6), who moved to within a game of fifth place in the CC, led 52-28 at halftime on the strength of 59.4-percent shooting from the field. The 52 points were the most for Muhlenberg in the first half since it scored 53 in the first half against Immaculata in the 2011 Scotty Wood Tournament. The last time the Mules scored 50 points in the first half of a CC game was nine years ago against McDaniel.

The Mules weren't as prolific on offense in the second half but didn't need to be. In fact, they could have gone scoreless in the second half, as the defense kept Washington from reaching Muhlenberg's first-half output. The Shoremen (6-13, 2-10) shot just 25.9 percent in the final 20 minutes and 30.2 percent for the game. The 28-point margin of victory was the best for the Mules this season.

In the last two games, Muhlenberg has outscored its opponents 84-43 in the first half.

Sophomore Erik Werheim scored a career-high 17 points, punctuating the win with a pair of back-to-back dunks in the second half. Junior Nick Rindock flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 14 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and senior Jon Schreer scored all 14 of his points in the first half.

Junior JeanLee Baez also put up good all-around numbers, with eight points, six rebounds and four assists in 14 minutes.

Muhlenberg jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first two minutes on a layup by Rindock, a three-pointer by junior Kevin Miller (pictured above) and a fast-break layup by Werheim following a Rindock steal. The defense forced the Shoremen into six turnovers on their first seven possessions.

The Mules were up 11-5 before going on a 24-5 run that gave them a 25-point lead with nine minutes to go in the half. Washington made only one field goal during the five-minute stretch, while the Mules scored on nine straight possessions. Schreer netted nine of his points during the spurt, hitting two three-pointers and sinking all three free throws after getting fouled behind the arc.

Muhlenberg's advantage never dipped below 20 points in the second half and reached its high of 36 on Werheim's dunk off an alley-oop pass from Rindock with 5:32 remaining. The Mules cleared their bench soon after, and sophomore Wes Szajna provided one final highlight by scoring his first career points on a three from the corner.

Once a dreaded destination, Chestertown is becoming more and more to the Mules' liking. After winning at Washington only four times in the first 19 years of the CC, never by more than six points, Muhlenberg has returned home with a win on four of its last five trips to the Maryland shore.