Hot shooting in the first half and strong defense in the second lifted the Muhlenberg women's basketball team to its third straight win, 55-48 against Swarthmore.

Freshman Sara Peretti led the Mules (5-7, 3-4) with 18 points and also recorded a career-high 4 blocked shots.

Muhlenberg shot 58.6 percent from the field, including 69.2 percent in the second quarter, to open up a 38-32 halftime lead. 

The Garnet (7-5, 4-3), which came in with a five-game winning streak, led 30-25 following a three-point play with 5:34 left in the first half, but the Mules made six of their next seven shots in closing out the half on a 13-2 run.

Sophomore Amanda Gorski made a pair of tough layups in the run, and sophomore Mikaela McGarvey closed it with a three-pointer.

The Mules, who entered the game seventh in Division III in field-goal percentage defense, held the Garnet to 16 points and 22.2-percent shooting in the second half. Muhlenberg also had a 30-16 rebounding advantage in the second half.

After Swarthmore closed to within one two minutes into the half, the Mules did not allow another field goal in the third quarter. They ended the period with a nine-point lead and were up by as many as 13 points in the fourth en route to their 11th straight win against the Garnet.

Senior Madison Kirchofer (pictured above) finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds, and classmate Emily O'Mahoney also netted 8 points. Sophomore Margaux Eripret contributed 6 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals.

Muhlenberg's interior defense held Swarthmore's top scorer, who was shooting over 60 percent from the field, to 6-of-14 shooting.