MUHLENBERG, Pa. – Centennial Conference front runner Muhlenberg went on a 12-2 scoring run, in the final six minutes, to knock off Franklin & Marshall, 66-58, Thursday night in a Centennial Conference (CC) contest. The Mules remain in the drivers seat in the conference at 6-1 CC, 10-2 overall while the Diplomats fell to 5-3, 7-6.
Muhlenberg held an eight-point, 26-18, lead in the first 13 minutes of the game before F&M answered with an 8-0 run. Alexa Barbush sank a free throw and hit a layup before Alison Bauer's trey and Beth Holt's layup tied the game at 26-26 with 5:04 left in the first. The Mules responded to a take a 37-32 lead into halftime.
The Mules built their lead to 41-34 at the 18:41 mark that sparked an F&M 9-2 run that tied the game at 43-43 with 14:54 left. Holt scored seven points in the run while Megan Pauley added two. Kristina McCarthy's layup at 14:19 gave the Diplomats their first lead of the game 45-43.
The lead changed four times in a four-minute span late the second before F&M took its largest lead of the game, 52-48, after Pauley drained a three. Collen Bott's free throw at 6:16 gave F&M its last lead of the game 56-54. The Mules closed the game with a 12-2 run in the final 6:01 of the game.
Holt paced the Diplomats with 17 points with Pauley adding 15 points and eight rebounds. Alison Menna also grabbed eight boards while Barbush finished with eight points and eight assists.
Alexandra Chili led all scorers with 19 for Muhlenberg with Alexandra Berlin and Kathleen Naddaff netting 16 and 13. Leeann Lanza pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds for the Mules.
Franklin & Marshall returns to action Saturday at Bryn Mawr in a Centennial Conference game at 2 p.m.
MUHLENBERG 66, FRANKLIN & MARSHALL 58
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL (7-6 (5-3 CC))
Beth Holt 7-19 0-0 17; Megan Pauley 6-16 2-4 15; Kristina McCarthy 4-4 0-0
8; Alexa Barbush 2-13 3-4 7; Elizabeth Snyder 2-4 0-0 4; Allison Bauer 1-4
1-2 4; Emma Lisle 1-4 0-0 2; Colleen Bott 0-1 1-4 1; Alison Menna 0-0 0-0 0;
Amy Chabitnoy 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-65 7-14 58.
MUHLENBERG (10-2 (6-1 CC))
Alexandra Chili 7-15 2-2 19; Alexandra Berlin 5-11 4-4 16; Kathleen Naddaff
6-8 1-2 13; Alita Zabrecky 3-7 0-0 7; Leeann Lanza 2-8 0-0 4; Sheila Cook
1-6 1-4 3; Kelly McKeon 1-9 0-2 2; Erin Laney 1-5 0-0 2; Kate Clawson 0-0
0-0 0; Julie Kelly 0-2 0-0 0; Katy Rossino 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-71 8-14 66.
Franklin & Marshall........... 32 26 - 58
Muhlenberg.................... 37 29 - 66
3-point goals--Franklin & Marshall 5-20 (Beth Holt 3-10; Megan Pauley 1-5;
Allison Bauer 1-2; Elizabeth Snyder 0-1; Alexa Barbush 0-2), Muhlenberg 6-16
(Alexandra Chili 3-6; Alexandra Berlin 2-5; Alita Zabrecky 1-3; Kelly McKeon
0-2).
Fouled out--Franklin & Marshall-None, Muhlenberg-None.
Rebounds--Franklin & Marshall 38 (Alexa Barbush 8; Megan Pauley 8),
Muhlenberg 52 (Leeann Lanza 12). Assists--Franklin & Marshall 15 (Alexa
Barbush 8), Muhlenberg 15 (Kelly McKeon 5).
Total fouls--Franklin & Marshall18, Muhlenberg 16.
Technical fouls--Franklin & Marshall-None,Muhlenberg-None. A-214