The Muhlenberg women's basketball team shot a blistering 65.5 percent in the second half to pull away and defeat Moravian, 79-60.

A 19-point victory for the Mules (4-4) against their Lehigh Valley rivals was uncharacteristic in a series that had seen the last nine games all decided by fewer than 10 points. It was the largest margin of victory for Muhlenberg against the Greyhounds in 43 years, since a 51-31 win in 1979.

Junior Sara Peretti led the Mules with 19 points, adding 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Seniors Margaux Eripret (18 points, 8 rebounds) and Mikaela McGarvey (8 points, career-high 10 rebounds) also flirted with double-doubles. 

Senior Tara Szawaluk added 17 points on the strength of 5-of-6 shooting from three-point range.

For most of the first half, it looked like the game would be typically tight. There were nine lead changes in the first 20 minutes, which ended with the Greyhounds (2-6) ahead by one points, 29-28.

Muhlenberg scored the first seven points of the second half to open up a six-point lead, and the teams traded baskets through the period, combining to shoot nearly 60 percent. Moravian took its final lead at 51-50 with 2:50 left in the third quarter. Senior Amanda Gorski made a jumper on the next possession, and Szawaluk hit a three a minute later to send the Mules into the fourth quarter with a 55-51 advantage.

The Mules continued to light it up in the final period, shooting 72.7 percent from the field (they actually missed more free throws than field goals in the quarter), but the Greyhounds did not. Muhlenberg allowed only three field goals in the last 10 minutes, all coming in the final three minutes.

A three-pointer by McGarvey kicked off an 18-1 run that turned the game into a runaway. Peretti made baskets on three straight possessions during the surge, which Szawaluk punctuated with a three-pointer.

Muhlenberg outscored Moravian 51-31 in the second half, including 24-9 in the fourth quarter, and finished with a 45-29 rebounding advantage en route to completing a season sweep of local rivals Moravian and DeSales.

Gorski (pictured above) finished with a season-high 8 points, going 4-for-5 from the field.