The Muhlenberg men's basketball team got off to a hot start before fading down the stretch in a 95-74 loss to Moravian.
 
The Mules (0-1) started their season and Kevin Hopkins' head coaching career by scoring nine points in the first minute. Junior Brendan Hughes, making his first career start, hit a three-pointer from the corner off a feed from sophomore Matt Gnias on Muhlenberg's first possession. Freshman Michael Morreale followed with consecutive three-pointers on his first two collegiate shots to make it 9-0.
 
The Greyhounds (1-0) climbed back into the game and took their first lead five minutes later. Muhlenberg kept pace with Moravian as the teams passed the midway point in the half, with senior Nick Rindock making a tough layup and an ensuing free throw to keep Muhlenberg within striking distance.
 
The Mules played tough and continued to hang with the Greyhounds, as senior Nigel Long drove for a layup to make it 24-22 with 6:35 in the half. Muhlenberg, however, could not make any further ground as the Greyhounds then made their run that eventually pushed the game out of reach.
 
Rindock led the Mules with 12 points to go with four rebounds. Morreale (pictured above) finished with 11 points and grabbed a team-high six boards in his debut, and Gnias chipped in 10 points, five assists and four rebounds. Senior Owen McLeod added 10 points in 18 minutes off the bench.

Long set a career-high with five rebounds to go with seven points. Sophomore Ryan Gaynor also totaled a career-best seven points.
 
Four more Muhlenberg freshmen made their collegiate debuts along with Morreale. Spencer Duke contributed two points, two rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 12 minutes. Lewis Ford, Blake Hlatky and William Huang each played in the final two minutes as well. Huang grabbed the first two rebounds of his career, and Hlatky scored on a layup for Muhlenberg's final points of the game.

With Muhlenberg women's basketball winning before the men's game, the Matte Award standings sit at 7-3 in Muhlenberg's favor.