The Muhlenberg men's basketball team hung tough against the unanimous top-ranked team in Division III, but Swarthmore had an answer for every run and came away with an 85-74 win.

Sophomore Dan Gaines led the Mules (9-3, 2-3) with 19 points, while reigning Centennial Conference player of the week Dallas Hoffman added 18 and senior Matt Gnias scored 12.

The Garnet (12-0, 5-0), one of four remaining undefeated teams in Division III, made seven of its first eight shots to open up an early 17-7 lead. Muhlenberg closed to within four late in the half when sophomore Nate Henty Brown drove in for a layup, but Swarthmore went into the locker room with a nine-point advantage.

Two baskets in the first minute of the second half extended the margin to 13, but again the Mules cut it to four, at 51-47, when junior Spencer Duke made a pair of free throws at the 12:46 mark. The Garnet quickly scored the next eight points to re-establish a double-digit lead.

Back-to-back baskets by junior Michael Morreale, one a fast-break layup and the other a three-pointer, made it a four-point game yet again (63-59) with 7:17 to play. Swarthmore responded with an 11-2 run to put the game out of reach.

Gnias (pictured above) added 6 assists with only one turnover to his 12-point effort. Hoffman and freshman Justin Allen each blocked a pair of shots.