Despite coming back from an early 14-point deficit to take the lead, the Muhlenberg women's basketball team fell to Gettysburg, 67-62, for its first loss of the season.

The setback stopped the Mules' season-opening record-tying winning streak at 13 games. Like this year's team, the 2001-02 squad could not get past unlucky No. 13.

Senior Rachel Plotke led 12th-ranked Muhlenberg with 18 points, while senior Brandi Vallely added 12 points and seven assists. Senior Chelsea Gary finished with nine points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots.

The Bullets (11-2, 7-1) jumped out early in the rematch of the 2017 Centennial Conference championship game, scoring the first nine points and opening up an 18-4 lead with under two minutes to play in the first quarter. The Mules (13-1, 8-1) battled back, wrapping an 8-0 run around the quarter break to close to within six.

Vallely went to the bench after picking up her third foul with 7:04 left in the half, and with sophomore Ashley Polera running the point, Muhlenberg continued its comeback, allowing only two field goals the rest of the half. 

A three-pointer by sophomore Emilie Benton, who scored a season-high nine points, tied the game at 27 with 2:27 on the clock, and Plotke's open three from the corner off a pass from Polera gave the Mules their first lead, 30-27, with 41 seconds to go.

Muhlenberg extended its lead to 40-31 midway through the third quarter, but Gettysburg closed with a 9-0 run to tie the game again. 

The back-and-forth fourth quarter featured six more ties, the final at 56-all with 3:25 to go. The Bullets scored the next basket and held the Mules off the rest of the way.

Junior Carley Hamilton contributed six points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

The result was not a complete surprise. Eight times since 2010 the Mules and Bullets have met with one team nationally ranked, and the unranked team has won seven of those games.