The Muhlenberg men's basketball team fought back from a deficit the second half but could ultimately finish the rally in an 80-63 loss to Franklin & Marshall.
 
Trailing by 26 early in the second half, the Mules (11-9, 6-8 CC) whittled at the margin and outscored the Diplomats (15-6, 9-5 CC) in the latter half. The Diplomats however held off a Muhlenberg comeback with three late triples helping bump their advantage back up to 20 with just over a minute left.
 
Four Mules scored in double figures, with junior Owen McLeod leading the charge with 14 points. Junior JeanLee Baez scored 13 points to go with a team-high eight rebounds and three assists. Senior Jon Schreer added 11 points while junior Nick Rindock chipped in 10 points.
 
Muhlenberg started its rally with Rindock laying it in off a Baez feed inside, making it 61-37 with 15:18 left. The Mules held the Diplomats without a field goal for the next five minutes while going on an 8-1 run, with Baez (pictured above) scoring five of the eight points.
 
McLeod nailed a three-pointer after a Franklin & Marshall layup to make it 64-48 with 10 minutes left. The defense again held the Diplomats scoreless except for one free throw over the next four and a half minutes. A tough layup from senior Brandon LaRose and two Baez free throws in that span trimmed the deficit down to 13.
 
The Mules could not make it closer than 13 however as the Diplomats scored the next five points  and answered a Rindock three-pointer with two triples of their own.
 
Muhlenberg shot a season-best 52.9 percent from three-point range, making six of its nine triples in the second half. McLeod and Schreer each made three triples, which for Schreer put him at 175 three-pointers in his career.