The Muhlenberg women's basketball team combined big scoring runs with stout defense to cruise to a 77-36 road victory over Swarthmore.
 
The 41-point victory represents the second consecutive win by 40 points or more for the Mules (5-0, 2-0 CC), whom earlier in the day earned a top 25 ranking in the D3hoops.com poll. Muhlenberg has now won by 40-plus points in back-to-back CC games twice in program history, also accomplishing the feat with victories over Washington College and Swarthmore last season.
 
Twelve different Mules scored in the team's fifth straight win to start the season, led by senior Chelsea Gary who finished with 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting. She also finished with seven rebounds and two blocks, which moved her into fifth on Muhlenberg's all-time blocks list (113).
 
Seniors Brandi Vallely and Christina Manning also scored in double figures, as Vallely filled the stat sheet with 11 points, nine assists, three rebounds and four steals. Her four swipes moved her into eighth in school history in steals (185). Manning made five of seven shots to finish with 10 points.
 
Sophomore Emily O'Mahoney added eight points in 10 minutes off the bench.
 
The Garnet (1-4, 0-2 CC) scored the first basket of the game, but Muhlenberg roared back with 11 straight points capped off by a Manning layup. The Mules took their first double-digit lead of the game when Valley found Gary for a jumper, making it 17-6, and a put back layup from Dilly off a missed three-pointer put them up 22-8 after one period.
 
The Mules continued to stretch their advantage in the second period, going on a 12-4 run over the final three minutes of the period to go into halftime up 42-20. Gary scored eight of Muhlenberg's points during its run to end the period, and she also contributed the first three points of the second half as well.
 
Muhlenberg's defense locked down on Swarthmore in the third period. The Mules did not allow a basket through the first 5:55 of the period and outscored the Garnet 19-2 over the ten minute stretch. With many of their reserves in for the final period, the Mules reached the 40-point lead mark on its first basket of the fourth quarter and grew it to as many as 44 on a free throw from sophomore Madison Kirchofer.
 
Junior Carley Hamilton led the Mules with nine rebounds, and sophomore Caroline Hogg pulled down six boards. Junior Meghan Falk (pictured above) made the last of Muhlenberg's five three-pointers.
 
Muhlenberg held Swarthmore to a 25.9-percent shooting clip, including 20.0 percent from deep (2-of-10). The Mules outrebounded the Garnet 49-38 and forced 26 turnovers as well.
 
The 5-0 start for the Mules is the best since the team won 10 straight games to open the 2015-16 season, a year in which the Mules advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.