The Muhlenberg men's basketball team overcame a 15-point deficit and held off a late charge to defeat Ursinus, 83-77, in its final home game of the year.

The Mules (9-15, 6-11) got tremendous performances from sophomore Giovanni Rubino, who scored a career-high 23 points, junior Justin Allen, who tied a career high with 20 points, and junior Tommy McGuire, who recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.

Needing a win to enhance their chances of earning a Centennial Conference playoff berth, the Bears (12-11, 9-8) made their first five three-pointers in sprinting out to a 25-10 lead. 

It was 29-15 with 8:34 to play in the half before Muhlenberg went on a 12-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back threes from senior Noah Watson, to cut the gap to two.

The Mules tied the score at 32-all when sophomore Brandon Goldberg hit a pair of free throws with 3:43 left in the half, then took the lead for good when Goldberg fed Allen (pictured above) for a layup that turned into a three-point play.

Rubino scored seven straight points in the final 2:02 to send Muhlenberg into the break with a six-point lead, 42-36. Rubino finished with 16 points in the first 20 minutes on 7-of-8 shooting from the field.

McGuire hit two three-pointers in the first two minutes of the second half to grow the lead to double digits. It swelled as large as 18, 67-49, with 11:08 to play before the Bears started their comeback.

A 17-3 run got Ursinus to within four with 7:02 left. The Mules held the line there for the next three minutes, but the Bears eventually cut the deficit to two and took a three-pointer with a chance to take the lead. It missed, and Muhlenberg made stops on the next three Ursinus possessions.

The Mules led 81-74 when McGuire dove on a loose ball and called timeout with 31.9 seconds left. He then hit two free throws to seal the win. 

Allen, who also scored 20 against McDaniel as a freshman, became the sixth different Mule player to record a 20-point game this season. Watson finished with 13 points.