Box Score GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Four Gettysburg starters scored in double figures and the Bullets used a balanced attack to beat Muhlenberg College 78-65 in Centennial Conference (CC) men's basketball action Saturday afternoon in Bream Gym.
With the victory, Gettysburg (5-1, 3-0 CC) won its fifth game in a row – the team's longest winning streak since a five-gamer in January of 2011. The Bullets, who entered the day in a four-way tie for the conference lead, will own at least a share of first place in the league standings before returning to Centennial Conference play on Jan. 7 at Swarthmore College.
Gettysburg enjoyed season-best shooting performances from the field (54.7 percent) and from 3-point range (44.0 percent, 11-for-25).
Junior guard
Pete Christ (Pittstown, N.J./Delaware Valley Regional) and senior center
Kevin Gladstone (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) scored a game-high 18 points apiece for Gettysburg, with Christ shooting 6-for-10 from 3-point range and Gladstone knocking down 8-of-10 shots. Junior forward
Cody Kiefer (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg) contributed 17 points and six rebounds while sophomore guard
Matt England (Warrington, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) notched 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
Brandon LaRose and Jon Schreer led Muhlenberg (3-4, 1-2 CC) with 15 points apiece.
The Bullets trailed for a total of just 34 seconds, and the Mules led 5-3 1:36 into the game after a Schreer 3-pointer. But that's when the Bullets ran off a 15-2 run to assume a 22-9 lead with 11:02 left in the stanza. Stewart and England keyed the run with back-to-back 3-pointers.
Muhlenberg pulled to within seven (22-15) with 7:53 on the clock following a 6-0 spurt, but Gettysburg responded with a 17-2 outburst. The Bullets nailed a trio of 3-pointers during the run, which was capped by a steal and fastbreak dunk from Kiefer that made it 39-17 with 2:59 remaining.
It was a 42-21 game after Christ knocked down a triple with 2:04 on the clock. But the Mules closed the half on an 8-0 run to pull to within 49-29 at the break.
Kiefer led the Bullets in the opening period with 13 points and five rebounds. Gettysburg shot 55.2 percent in the opening half, including 50.0 percent (7-for-14) from beyond the arc.
Muhlenberg continued to climb back into it in the second half, and an 8-0 Mule run made it a 49-41 game with 15:02 left. LaRose hit a 3-pointer just over two minutes later to pull the visitors to within seven (51-44), and a pair of Schreer foul shots made it 53-46 with 9:57 to go. However, that's as close as the Mules would get.
The Bullets pulled away with a late 13-4 run that was capped by Christ's final trey of the night, making it 73-56 with 4:24 remaining.
Gettysburg returns to action on Wednesday, when it visits Messiah College at 8 p.m. in a non-conference match-up.
