The Muhlenberg men's basketball team could not hold on to a one-point halftime lead and fell to Montclair State, 84-74, in the first round of the Al Senavitis Memorial Tournament at DeSales.

After losing one of their starters to injury just before tipoff, the Mules (3-6) played valiantly in defeat against a Red Hawk squad that pressed fullcourt for the entire game. Muhlenberg erased an eight-point deficit in the first half and nearly climbed out of a 10-point hole in the second half.

Senior Brandon Goldberg had one of the best games of his career, recording his first career double-double with a career-high 20 points and 10 rebounds. He also dished out 4 assists and blocked 3 shots. 

Junior Jayson Williams-Johnson tied his season high with 19 points, while senior Giovanni Rubino finished with 16. 

Muhlenberg trailed 20-12 nine minutes into the game before going on a 7-0 run bookended by threes from sophomore Drew Greene and junior Charlie Gillikin. A layup by freshman Michael Feroci off a nifty pass from Goldberg (pictured above) gave the Mules the lead at 30-29 with less than four minutes to play in the half. 

A putback by Goldberg and a runner by Williams-Johnson in the final minute sent the Mules into the break with a 40-39 advantage. 

Fueled by its pressure defense, Montclair (9-3) used a 10-0 run early in the second half to take the lead for good. It was 63-53 before Muhlenberg got back into the game with a 9-0 run that included two steals by Greene that led directly to points.

This time the Mules could not make it all the way back, though. It was still a four-point game with 4:24 remaining, but the Red Hawks scored the next seven points to pull away.