Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Jim Natale (Washington Crossing, PA/Council Rock) led three players in double figures with 16 points as Gettysburg downed Muhlenberg 63-54 in Centennial Conference (CC) men's basketball action on Wednesday.

 Curtis McNeil (Alexandria, VA/St. Stephen's & St. Agnes) scored seven of his 13 points in the first 2:23 of the second half to key a 14-3 run that helped the Bullets (6-6, 3-0 CC) erase a 32-29 halftime deficit en route to the win.

 Mark Lesko led all scorers with 17 points for the Mules (5-6, 0-2 CC), who shot only 35.1 percent from the floor on the evening, including a 7-for-25 (28.0 percent) showing in the second half.

 McNeil managed only four points in 17 first-half minutes, but roared out of the locker room to key the Gettysburg turnaround.

 He scored his first field goal of the game only 20 seconds into the half, then put the Bullets ahead to stay at 33-32 with a fastbreak layup at the 18:23 mark.

 Following three Mule misses on their next possession, McNeil knocked down his only 3-pointer of the night for a 36-32 lead with 17:37 left.

 Lesko answered with a trey of his own on Muhlenberg's next trip down the floor, but Greg Schreiber (Mechanicsburg, PA/East Pennsboro) scored five straight points and Terence Callahan (Bay Shore, NY/St. Anthony's) capped the run with a layup to give the Bullets a 43-35 advantage with 14:54 remaining.

 Gettysburg pushed the lead to 47-37 before the Mules rallied with a 15-7 run to pull within 54-52 following two Lesko free throws with 3:04 to go.

Mike Monroe (Alexandria, VA/Bishop Ireton) gave the Bullets breathing room on the home squad's next trip down the floor, converting a backdoor layup off a Schreiber pass to make it 56-52.

Natale's bank 12-footer pushed the lead to 58-52 following a Muhlenberg miss and the Bullets converted five straight free throws in the final 1:14 to seal the victory.

Gettysburg opened the game on a tear, jumping out to a 17-6 lead with only 4:35 gone in the first half.

A scoreless drought of over five minutes, however, allowed the Mules to creep back in the game.  The visitors took their first lead of the night at 30-29 on a pair of free throws by Lesko with 1:11 left in the first half, setting the stage for McNeil's second-half heroics.

Callahan finished with 11 points and five rebounds on the night.  Schreiber dished out a team-best four assists and added seven rebounds.

Anderson was second on the Mule scoring list with eight points.

Gettysburg, which is 3-0 in CC play for the first time, returns to action on Saturday, January 13 at Franklin & Marshall College.  Game time is 8 p.m.

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