Mules use 20-6 stretch to establish self in 74-66 win over McDaniel

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Alexandra Chili netted a game-high 29 points to lead 14th-ranked Muhlenberg to a 74-66 victory over McDaniel in Centennial Conference (CC) women's basketball action on Saturday.

Cara Thompson (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) paced the Green Terror (2-9, 2-6 CC) with her second 20-point outing of the season, netting 21 points. Whitney Snoops (Millersville, Md./Archbishop Spalding) and Rachael Rybak (Reisterstown, Md./Franklin) added 10 points apiece.

Alexandra Berlin chipped in 10 points for the Mules (9-1, 5-1 CC), who bounced back after their first loss of the season and are now a half-game out of first place with Ursinus' overtime win over Johns Hopkins.

Muhlenberg's Kelly McKeon hit a jumper 19 seconds into the game to give her team a 2-0 lead and the Mules led wire-to-wire but it was a 20-6 run over the second half of the first stanza that put the hosts in control.

Rybak pulled McDaniel within 13-12 after trailing by as many as five in the first 9:20 of the game but six straight Chili points extended the advantage to eight just 40 seconds later.

Clinging to a 21-18 lead, Berlin canned a 3-pointer with 7:55 showing to spark the game-clinching run over the next 6 minutes, 13 seconds.

Two Rybak free throws closed the deficit to 41-27 at the intermission baskets from Chili and Erin Laney gave the hosts their largest lead of the game at 18 with 17:49 to play.

A 13-2 run – keyed by seven points from Thompson – trimmed the gap to 47-40 with 12:57 on the clock.

A Snoops jumper made it a six-point game 6:56 later but the Green Terror could get no closer than that 56-50 deficit.

Kim Acton (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) recorded eight points, eight rebounds and five assists for McDaniel.

The Green Terror returns to action at home against Swarthmore on Tuesday. Game time is 6 p.m.

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