Men’s basketball wins Scotty Wood, now 4-2

On the weekend of Nov. 18, the Muhlenberg Mules capped off one of the most impressive sets of games in program history when they defeated Merchant Marine and then Wilkes to capture the 2016 Scotty Wood Tournament Championship. After falling short in the tournament last season, Muhlenberg was determined to defend their home court this time around. Not only did they win the entire tournament, but they won quite easily. They beat Merchant Marine by 22 and Wilkes by 10 points. After such dominating performances, the team certainly was in a celebratory mood. But they have high expectations for the remainder of the season as well.

When I talked to shooting guard Brendan Hughes ‘19, he understood the importance of his team’s victory in the campus famous tournament. “Winning the Scotty Wood Tournament was a huge deal, especially because we didn’t win it last year! So our goal this year was to start out the year on a high note by winning Scotty Wood,” said Hughes. The sophomore did not score in either game of the tournament, but his mere presence on the roster this season has unquestionably provided the Mules with a great leader. Now that he is no longer a freshman, he is acting as a mentor to the two new freshmen on the team, which in turn has eased their transition to the college game.

I also discussed the tournament win with center Erik Werheim ‘19, who is quickly making a case to be one the team’s most improved players by the end of the season. Werheim said, “It felt great to win the tournament and start our season 3-0, especially after coming up short in the tournament last year. We are looking to keep it rolling and make a run in the playoffs this year.” His 11-point, 7-rebound effort in 21 minutes on the court in the clincher versus Wilkes enabled the Mules to be the ones holding the Championship trophy at the end of the day. Despite playing inconsistently last season, Wertheim’s potential is really showing this season. In the team’s game against Swarthmore on Dec. 1, an 81-49 lopsided loss, he recorded perhaps the best statistical line of his career in the cardinal and grey. In 16 minutes, Werheim contributed 14 points, 4 rebounds, and a phenomenal 5 steals. While the Mules never really were competitive in this game, it was nonetheless a good day for Werheim as he continues to prove himself. If he continues to play at this level, he might even push his way into the starting lineup.

In their latest contest, the Mules pulled off a very impressive victory, narrowly edging John Hopkins by a score of 67-65. Despite being down by 4 entering halftime, Muhlenberg relied on Werheim to guide them to victory. In continuation of his already dominant season, Werheim tallied 16 points and 3 steals in 36 minutes. The team has only played a few games thus far in the young season, but Werheim is playing like a seasoned veteran. Not only is he proving to be Muhlenberg’s best underclassman, but perhaps he will ultimately end up being their best overall player as well. His emergence as a top option in the paint has been one of the main highlights of the team’s season.

Another player of note in this game was Jon Schreer ‘18, who put up 11 points on 4-9 shooting, including 3-7 from behind the arc. Schreer has consistently proven to be the team’s best three-point shooter. Muhlenberg has not traditionally been a team that puts up many three-point attempts, but when they do, Schreer is typically the one to lead the charge.

The individual performances of Hughes and Werheim proves these student athletes have been incredibly instrumental in establishing a winning attitude for the entire Muhlenberg team. What both Hughes and Werheim stressed was that winning is their number one goal for this season. Specifically, they hope to end the season with a record over the .500 mark, something the team was unable to accomplish last season. It’s been a tough start to the regular season following the Scotty Wood success, but the Mules are confident that they will improve upon last season’s results. There are still many games yet to be played. This year’s team is ready for the challenge ahead with the next game Dec. 10 against DeSales.