ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Moravian College men's basketball team fell to rival Muhlenberg College, 71-52, Sunday afternoon in the Matte Award Game.
Sophomore guard Malique Killing got the Mules on the board first with a three-pointer. Junior guard Austin Curry followed that up with a layup for the 5-0 lead, three minutes in. Senior guard Garrett Johnson came back with a three-pointer to make the score 5-3. After a bucket from Muhlenberg, senior guard D.J. Strayhorn hit a three to make the score 7-6, Mules.
Four points from Killing and a three from Curry pushed Muhlenberg's lead to 14-6, seven minutes into the contest. Moravian came back with a three from Strayhorn and a layup from sophomore guard Izel Dickerson to bring the Hounds within three points at 14-11. Both teams exchanged buckets until back-to-back jumpers from junior center Blake English and Johnson brought Moravian within two points of the lead at 19-17 with 8:38 left in the half.
A layup from Killing and three free throws from freshman guard Alec Stavetski pushed Muhlenberg's lead to 24-17 with 7:21 to play. Johnson ended the Mules run with a three-pointer of his own. Both teams then went six minutes without a basket, when Curry drilled a three to put the Mules up 27-20 with 1:32 to play. Muhlenberg would take a 29-22 lead into the locker room.
The Greyhounds shot 26-percent from the field while the Mules shot 36-percent from the field in the first half. Moravian held the edge in rebounds at 22-21 while committing one less turnover. Johnson led the Hounds in the first half with ten points and four boards while Curry lead the Mules with 11 points.
Killing would get the first points of the second half for the Mules off a layup. After trading scores, senior forward Aaron Thieme hit a three from the corner to make the score 39-29, Mules with 15:53 left in the game.
Muhlenberg pushed its lead to 49-33 after points from Stavetski, senior guard Matt O'Hara and junior forward Brandon Bovino. The Greyhounds then went on 10-0 run with layups from Strayhorn and freshman forward Matt Bosch, and three's from Johnson and junior guard Kenny Gula to make the score 49-43, Mules with eight minutes remaining in the contest. That would be as close as the Greyhounds got as Muhlenberg went onto win 71-52.
Johnson led the way with 12 points and five rebounds while Strayhorn had 12 points and three steals. Junior center Cameron Cullen grabbed ten rebounds to go with his four points while Thieme had six points and five rebounds.
The Mules were led by Killing, who had 23 points. Curry finished with 14 points and five rebounds while Stavetski had 13 points and four boards.
Moravian shot 31-percent from the field while Muhlenberg shot 45-percent from the field for the game. The Mules held the rebounding advantage at 44-38 while the Greyhounds committed two less turnovers.
Moravian returns to the court on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 as they take on Kean University in the opening game of the 35th Annual Greyhound Classic. The game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
