The Muhlenberg men's basketball team started 2017 with a 62-56 win over Washington College for its third straight Centennial Conference victory.
 
The Mules (7-3, 3-2) relied on a strong second half to come back from a halftime deficit and closed the game out by making 10 straight free throws. The Mules shot 61.1 percent from the field and sank 16 of 18 free throws in the second half to propel them to victory.
 
Three Mules scored in double figures, led by junior forward JeanLee Baez with 13 points. Baez was a  perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and made three of his four free throws. Senior guard Jon Schreer contributed 10 points, making the 155th three-pointer of his career to put him in a tie for third on the Muhlenberg all-time three-pointers list.
 
Junior guard Nigel Long set a career high with 10 points, making both three-point attempts and all four of his free throws.
 
Trailing 31-25 early in the second half, Muhlenberg scored the next six points tying the game on a layup from senior guard Brandon LaRose. The two teams traded the lead before freshman guard Matt Gnias found Baez in the paint for a layup to put Muhlenberg up 36-35.
 
A three-point play from Schreer (pictured above) and a jumper from sophomore forward Erik Werheim gave the Mules a double-digit advantage at 48-38. The Mules upped the lead to as many as 14 before the Shoremen (5-7, 1-4 CC) fought back to trim the lead down to as little as four after hitting a three with 17 seconds left.
 
Long collected the following inbounds pass and was fouled, sinking both ensuing free throws while the defense made one last stop to ice the game.
 
Junior guard Nick Rindock gathered eight rebounds to lead the Mules on the glass. LaRose made seven of his eight free throws to go with the layup to total nine points along with five rebounds. Sophmore guard Owen McLeod recorded four steals to go with seven points.
 
Muhlenberg won the turnover battle, forcing 18 Washington mistakes to 13 of its own.
 
The Mules have now won 23 of 24 meetings against the Shoremen in Allentown since the two teams began Centennial Conference play in 1994.