Playing with a patchwork lineup, the Muhlenberg men's basketball team pulled out an inspiring 87-74 overtime win against Washington College.

The starting five of the Mules (5-7, 2-3) came in with a total of 15 career starts, with 11 of them belonging to one player. Nevertheless, Muhlenberg led for almost the entire game, only to have the Shoremen (3-10, 0-6) tie the score late in regulation. Undaunted, the Mules outscored Washington 17-4 in the extra period to earn their second straight win.

Two days after pouring in a career-high 25 points, freshman Jayson Williams-Johnson topped himself, scoring 33 to become the first Muhlenberg freshman in 10 years with a 30-point game. Senior Nate Henty Brown notched his second straight double-double, with 10 points and 12 rebounds, while junior Tommy McGuire (career-high 14 points, 9 rebounds) and senior Nicholas Chudy (8 points, 8 rebounds) came close.

But the real star was Matt Kempter, who came in with a career total of five points in 14 minutes played in four games. The junior scored 13 points, with eight of them coming in overtime.

A breakway dunk by Williams-Johnson highlighted the early going. The Shoremen led 11-6 at one point, but Willams-Johnson scored eight straight points in a 12-0 run that gave the Mules the lead.

The margin grew to as much as 13 points late in the half, but the already thin Mules suffered another blow in the final 30 seconds when freshman starter Luke Gordos went down with an injury. Gordos, who did not return, finished with 9 points, 6 assists and 5 steals, all in the first half.

After building a 17-point lead early in the second half, the Mules started to run out of steam. A 10-0 Washington run cut the margin from 15 points to five with 5:30 to go.

Chudy made one of two free throws with 29.4 seconds to play, giving Muhlenberg a 70-67 lead, but the Shoremen made a three with 9.5 ticks on the clock to tie the score. The Mules took two threes with a shot to win in the remaining time, but neither went in, and the teams headed to overtime.

After the teams traded points, Henty Brown was fouled on the offensive boards and made a pair of free throws to put Muhlenberg ahead for good, at 74-72. Chudy hustled after a loose ball at the other end to win possession for the Mules, then fed Kempter for a three-pointer.

Following another defensive stop, Kempter (pictured above) drained another three with the shot clock winding down, extending the lead to 80-72, and the Shoremen never threatened again.

The defense held Washington without a field goal for the final 4:45 of the five-minute extra period.

Williams-Johnson scored 19 of his 33 points in the first half and finished 10-of-16 from the field and 11-of-12 from the line. He is the second Muhlenberg player this year with a 30-point game.