For the third straight season, Muhlenberg graduate students Dan Gaines and Margaux Eripret were named to the Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Team of the Year.

The two players were honored along with teammates Tommy McGuire and Abigail Scheidel, who were selected to the Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Scholar-Athlete Team, at the annual awards luncheon. Pictured above, left to right, are Gaines, McGuire, Eripret and Scheidel.

Gaines is averaging 17.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-leading 2.9 assists per game for the Muhlenberg men's team. He also leads the Mules with 55 three-pointers. Gaines is third in the Centennial Conference in scoring and is likely to earn All-CC honors for the fourth time. On Muhlenberg's all-time lists, he ranks ninth in points (1,432), fifth in three-pointers (144) and third in assists (351).

Gaines has helped Muhlenberg earn a home game in the CC playoffs. The Mules (16-8), picked sixth in the CC preseason poll, will be either the third or fourth seed for the CC playoffs and will host a first-round game on Tuesday, February 21.

Eripret leads the women's team in scoring (12.7 ppg), rebounding (7.8 rpg), blocked shots (31) and steals (31) and has nine double-doubles. She has scored in double figures in 18 of the Mules' 24 games and ranks in the top 10 in the CC in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and free throws. Eripret has scored 928 career points, good for 14th on Muhlenberg's all-time list, and is one of only five players in program history with more than 800 points, 500 rebounds and 60 blocks.

The Mule women (12-12) clinched a CC playoff berth with a double-overtime win at Ursinus last night and will travel to Haverford for a first-round game on Tuesday.