The wait was worth it for the Muhlenberg women's basketball team, which defeated Ursinus, 64-53, in its home opener.

The Mules (3-2, 2-1), who opened a season with four straight road trips for the first time in their history, led almost the entire way in knocking off an Ursinus team that swept the season series last year.

Graduate student Margaux Eripret led four Muhlenberg players in double figures with 17 points, reaching double figures for the 10th straight game. She also pulled down 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season, one short of her total from all last year.

Sophomore Ava Connolly scored 14 points, while freshmen Avery McNulty (12 points) and Katie McGrath (10) hit double figures in their Memorial Hall debuts.

The Mules got off to a slow start and trailed 4-2 midway through the first quarter before back-to-back threes by McGrath and sophomore Emily Vaughan gave them the lead for good. McNulty added a three of her own, plus a jumper, to give Muhlenberg a 13-10 lead after one.

The Bears (3-3, 1-2) never got any closer. Muhlenberg held a six-point lead at the halftime break and extended it to double digits for the first time on baskets by junior Caroline Horst and Eripret to open the third quarter.The Mules held Ursinus without a field goal for the first seven-and-a-half minutes of the second half, and by that point they had a 14-point lead, at 36-22.

Eripret's first three-pointer since the 2019-20 season gave Muhlenberg a 16-point lead, at 47-31, with 7:20 left in the fourth. Ursinus got as close as seven in the closing minutes but never seriously threatened.

McNulty blocked three shots to go along with her 12 points. Horst (pictured above) also blocked a shot and added 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.