Box Score
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Toomey Anderson
and Michael Barletta scored a team-high 16 points
apiece as Muhlenberg let a 19-point first-half lead slip away
before rallying to defeat Gettysburg 70-62 in Centennial Conference
(CC) men's basketball action on Wednesday.
Despite an uncharacteristic 4-for-12 shooting performance
from all-conference center Mark Lesko, the Mules (9-3, 2-1
CC) closed the game on a 9-2 run to hand the Bullets (10-4,
2-1 CC) their 11th consecutive regular-season loss at Memorial
Hall.
Curtis McNeil (Alexandria, VA/St. Stephen's & St. Agnes)
scored a team-high 15 points for Gettysburg, which shot 52
percent from the floor but turned the ball over 17 times and
managed only four field goals in the final 8:50.
Terence Callahan (Bay Shore, NY/St. Anthony's) added
14 points before fouling out in the game's final minute while
John Schnebly (Hagerstown, MD/South Hagerstown)
also hit double digits with 10.
After watching their guests erase an early 19-point deficit
and take a 52-47 lead midway through the second half, the
Mules put together the game's decisive rally. Lesko converted
three free throws and Anthony Strachan scored on a baseline
drive to knot the game at 52.
After ties at 54, 56 and 58, Lesko put Muhlenberg ahead to
stay with an inside layup and Strachan hit 1 of 2 free throws
for a 61-58 lead with 2:14 left. McNeil pulled the Bullets
within one with a double-pump layup, but Bill Cwieka
was fouled on a driving layup and converted the 3-point play
to make it 64-60.
Jim Natale's (Washington Crossing, PA/Council Rock)
twisting layup cut the lead to two, but Gettysburg
failed to score the rest of the way and the Mules went 6-for-6
from the free-throw line in the final 57 seconds to seal the
win.
Muhlenberg came out on fire from the opening tip, scoring
the game's first 10 points and sprinting to a 23-4 lead with
only 6:18 gone in the game. Barletta poured in nine points
during the stretch while Anderson added eight, including a
pull-up 3-pointer in transition that capped the run and forced
a Bullet timeout with 13:42 remaining in the half.
After stepping up the defense, Gettysburg answered with a
17-5 run over the next 7 minutes, 3 seconds to climb back
into the game. McNeil started the comeback with a backdoor
layup off the timeout and Kevin Boyle (Pennsburg, PA/Lansdale
Catholic) converted a 3-point play with 8:07 remaining
to cut the lead to single digits at 28-19.
McNeil's tough driving layup pulled the Bullets within five
at 33-28, but the Mules responded with three buckets in the
final 1:44 to take a 39-31 lead into the locker room.
Gettysburg started strong in the second half,
holding Muhlenberg without a point for the opening 4:54 while
building a five-point lead with 8:50 left.
Lesko, leading the Centennial Conference in both scoring and
field-goal percentage entering the evening, was held to six
points on 2-of-7 shooting in the first half. The senior finished
with 14 points and added 12 rebounds to help the Mules post
a 37-18 advantage on the glass. Strachan added 12 in the winning
effort.
The Bullets return to action on Saturday at home against CC
West division rival Franklin & Marshall. Game time is 2 p.m.
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