The Muhlenberg women's basketball team exploded for 53 second-half points to surge past Franklin & Marshall, 78-69, in its first game of 2023.

Playing at home for the first time in 34 days, the Mules (5-5, 4-1) trailed 32-25 but outscored the Diplomats by a 53-37 margin in the second half to remain in a virtual tie for the first in the Centennial Conference.

It was the first time in 19 years that Muhlenberg scored that many points in the second half to win a game they trailed at the half: Late in the 2003-04 season, the Mules scored 54 second-half points to rally past McDaniel, 86-77. 

The 53 points were the most scored by Muhlenberg in a half since the 2017 Scotty Wood Tournament (56 vs. Notre Dame), the most in a half in a CC game since 2016-17 (60 vs. Bryn Mawr) and the most in the second half since 2012-13 (55 vs. Bryn Mawr). And they came from a Mule squad that hadn't scored more than 52 points in dropping its last three games.

Graduate student Margaux Eripret netted 18 of her game-high 25 points in the second half, also pulling down 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Sophomore Emily Unger finished with 11 points (all in the second half), and sophomore Jenna Stockfeder netted a career-high 11 (10 in the second half).

Muhlenberg entered the final period trailing by a point after a third quarter that featured six lead changes. F&M (4-7, 1-5) took its final lead at 55-54 on a pair of free throws with 8:26 left, but the Mules went on a 16-4 run over the next 6-plus minutes to turn the game completely around.

Unger gave Muhlenberg the lead for good with a three from the wing, and Eripret's putback two possessions later made it 59-55. After a Diplomat basket cut the margin to two, the Mules made their next five shots - three in a row by Eripret, one by Stockfeder and a three-pointer by freshman Katie McGrath (pictured above) - while holding F&M to a pair of free throws, extending their lead to double digits for the first time.

After making just nine of 41 shots in the first half (.220), the Mules shot at a .529 clip in the second.

Sophomore Ava Connolly finished with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists without a turnover. Sophomore Megan Winters tied her career high with 7 rebounds.