The Muhlenberg women's basketball team combined a balanced scoring attack and tenacious defense to defeat Swarthmore, 75-71.

The Mules (8-10, 4-9), who won their second game in three nights against a team that made the Centennial Conference playoffs in 2020, forced 26 turnovers and had six players score between 8 and 12 points in the offensive shootout - the first game in the CC this season in which both teams scored 70 points.

Sophomore Abigail Scheidel led the offense with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, while senior Margaux Eripret finished with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for her seventh career double-double.

Freshman Emily Vaughan and junior Sara Peretti added 9 points apiece, and senior Amanda Gorski netted 8. Freshman Ava Connolly, who came in with 14 points scored all season, scored a career-high 8.

Swarthmore (9-8, 5-7) led 19-12 midway through a fast-paced first quarter before the Mules scored the next eight points to take the lead. After a Garnet jumper, senior Tara Szawaluk drilled a three just before the buzzer to put Muhlenberg ahead, 23-21.

The teams went back and forth through the first half of the second quarter, with Swarthmore taking its final lead at 32-31 before a layup in transition by sophomore Caroline Horst put Muhlenberg ahead to stay.

The Mules held the Garnet without a field goal for the final 2:49 of the half, taking a nine-point lead into the break.

Swarthmore closed to within two in the third quarter, but back to-back threes by Connolly (pictured above) gave Muhlenberg some breathing room.

Eripret's basket to open the fourth quarter extended the lead to a seemingly comfortable 15 points. The Garnet made one more run, cutting the gap to four at the 2:39 mark. On the next possession, Vaughan drove the lane for a left-handed layup that proved to seal the win.