The Muhlenberg men's basketball team came back from 10 points down in the second half to win at Ursinus, 84-79.
The Mules (17-7, 10-7) were already locked into the fourth seed for the Centennial Conference playoffs, so the win did not impact their postseason outlook - except for the team they will host in Tuesday's first-round game. Ursinus (12-12, 7-10) entered the game in sole possession of fifth place in the CC but dropped into tie with Washington, an overtime winner at McDaniel. Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall are just a game back, and there could be a four-way tie for the final playoff spot after Saturday's regular-season finales.
Newly crowned
Lehigh Valley Player of the Year Dan Gaines flirted with a triple-double, leading Muhlenberg with game highs of 20 points and 9 assists and adding 8 rebounds. Junior
Spencer Duke netted 12 of his 16 points in the second half, while senior
Matt Gnias (12 points) and sophomore
Dallas Hoffman (10) also scored in double figures.
The Mules led by as many as eight points in the first half, but the Bears came back to lead by four at the break. It was 52-42 five minutes into the second half before Muhlenberg made its run.
Duke scored three baskets and assisted on another, and Hoffman made a pair of threes in a 16-2 run that gave the Mules a 58-54 lead midway through the half. They never gave up the advantage, but never led by more than six points in the tense final 10 minutes.
A three-pointer by sophomore
Nate Henty Brown with 1:51 to play made it 77-71. Ursinus scored the next five points, but four straight free throws by Gnias
(pictured above) kept Muhlenberg on top.
The last chance for the Bears came trailing by two with five seconds left. They intentionally missed the second of two free throws, but Hoffman grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made the first and missed the second, and Gaines came away with the offensive rebound, adding two free throws to seal the win.
Henty Brown pulled down 11 rebounds for the Mules, who swept Ursinus in a season series for the first time in five years.
