WESTMINSTER, Md. – Muhlenberg built an eight-point lead in the third quarter en route to a 58-54 victory over McDaniel in Centennial Conference (CC) women's basketball action on Saturday.

Lindsey Nichols (Wilmington, Del./St. Mark's) led the Green Terror (15-4, 10-2 CC) with 23 points, including hitting six 3-pointers, and seven rebounds.

Christina Santone paced three players in double figures for the 16th-ranked Mules (15-1, 9-1 CC), who earned the season split with McDaniel and took over sole possession of first place with the victory. Santone netted 18 points while Rachel Plotke and Brandi Vallely tallied 16 points each. Vallely added nine rebounds and seven assists.

McDaniel jumped out to an 18-8 lead over the game's first 7:44 behind 12 points from Nichols.

Two Vallely free throws with 1:59 remaining sparked a 9-0 run that closed the deficit to one before Brittney Davis (Laurel, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) rainbowed in a deep 3-poiner just before the quarter expired to push the lead back to four.

Muhlenberg then scored the first eight points of the second period to extend the run to 17-3 and build a 25-21 lead with 7:54 showing.

Nichols broke the drought, hitting a 3-pointer with 6:21 on the clock but Santone putback her own miss to push the lead back to three.

A Libby Dougherty (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) three-point play drew the hosts even at the midway point of the period but baskets from Vallely and Plotke quickly made it a four-point game again.

A Sarah Bach (Manchester, Md./Manchester Valley) second-chance jumper closed the deficit to 35-34 at the intermission but the Mules scored the first four points of the second half to open up a five-point lead just 1:06 into the quarter.

Layups from Vallely and Plotke gave the visitors their largest lead at 45-37 with 3:27 to play in the period.

McDaniel got to within three four times in the final period, including a Karli Zeps (Reisterstown, Md./Seton Keough) layup with 29.8 seconds to play to make it a 57-54 game.

A miscue on the ensuing inbounds pass gave the ball back to the Green Terror but a turnover and one free throw from Vallely set the final margin.

Zeps finished with 10 points while Bach led the way on the glass with eight boards.

McDaniel returns to action at Dickinson on Tuesday. Game time is 6 p.m.

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