GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Gettysburg reduced a 20-point deficit down to three, but Muhlenberg College held on down the stretch to top the Bullets 73-68 in a key Centennial Conference men's basketball match-up Saturday afternoon in Bream Gymnasium.

Freshman forward Cody Kiefer (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg) scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Bullets (9-12, 7-7 CC), who with four games remaining now trail Muhlenberg by two games for the fifth and final conference playoff spot. Freshman forward Tanner Kirkpatrick (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) shot 5-for-10 from 3-point range and tied a season-high with 19 points for Gettysburg while sophomore forward Kevin Gladstone (Haverford, Pa./Havertown), making his first start of the season, notched eight points and a career-high nine rebounds.

Jon Schreer went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc and finished with 18 points to lead Muhlenberg (14-7, 9-5 CC), which played without Centennial Conference scoring leader Malique Killing.

The Mules outscored the Bullets 41-24 in the opening half, and their lead hit 20 after Schreer canned his fourth and final trey 36 seconds into the second period. But that's when Gettysburg began its comeback and a 13-2 run, fueled by nine points from Kiefer, made it 46-37 with 15:29 to go.

It was an 11-point game (58-47) after a Brandon LaRose lay-up with 9:42 left before the Bullets ran off eight unanswered points. Kirkpatrick kicked off the surge with a 3-ball before both sides went cold, with neither team scoring for nearly two minutes. Kiefer then went 2-for-2 at the foul line with 7:09 left before Gladstone knocked down a triple, making it 58-55 with 5:39 showing.

Austin Curry answered with a jumper for Muhlenberg, and though the Mules would not make another field goal, they were able to fend off the Bullet rally by shooting 13-for-18 at the foul line inside the final 2:15.

Curry went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe with 1:45 left to make it 63-55 before Gladstone hit a pair at the line. The Bullets then came up with a steal in the backcourt off a press, and Kiefer dropped in a lay-up to pull his team to within 63-59 with 1:25 to go. But that's as close as the Orange and Blue would get before Kirkpatrick banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Kiefer opened the game with a lay-up 21 seconds into the contest, but the Mules scored the next five points to take the lead for good. A 12-0 Muhlenberg run put the visitors on top 32-18 with 5:40 remaining in the opening period, and the Mules scored the final seven points of the half to assume their 17-point advantage.

Alec Stavetski added 16 points and five assists for Muhlenberg while Curry finished with 11 points. Kevin Hargrove posted a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Mules.

Junior guard Sean Gordon (Broomall, Pa./Malvern Prep) contributed eight points, six rebounds, and four assists for the Bullets while sophomore guard Sango Amolo (Falls Church, Va./McLean) dished out five assists.