Women's basketball competes for third consecutive Championship

The Muhlenberg women’s basketball team finished their 2016-2017 season on quite the hot streak, as they roll into the Centennial Conference Playoffs as the number two seed. Out of the last eleven games the Mules have gone 10-1, winning eight of those games by at least ten points.

This past week in the final regular season action, the women smoked conference opponent Bryn Mawr 98-40. The Mules put up 32 points in the first and fourth quarters and also held Bryn Mawr to under ten points in the first and second quarters. No starter played more than ten minutes, which was important to give some of the reserves some time in case they should be called upon to preform in the playoffs. This is an aspect of the team that head coach Ron Rohn points to as a major reason for the success his team has experienced this season, saying, “We have a balanced attack inside and outside, with as many as ten players who can step forward on a given day and score in double figures,” said Rohn. Three players, Rachel Plotke ’18, Meghan Falk ’19, and Emily O’Mahoney ’20, led the Mules in scoring with twelve points apiece. All but one player scored points in the rout.

The regular season ended with another convincing win for the women over the McDaniel Green Terror. 78-50 was the final of the last game, and just like the Bryn Mawr game, the Mules held the Green Terror to under ten points in the first and second quarters. Fourteen Mules scored points in this game, and every player saw time. This win was significant for ‘Berg, as they were able to beat every team in the Centennial Conference at least once this season.

Overall, the Mules finished their regular season with an 18-7 record, 15-5 in conference. They were also crowned champions of the Scotty Wood Tournament, and look to continue their success in the playoffs.

This year’s Centennial Conference playoffs will be held at Haverford, where the top five teams from the regular season standings will battle for the championship trophy. Muhlenberg will play the number three seed, Dickinson, who the Mules split with this season. The first matchup between the two was a triple overtime thriller that resulted in a loss, but the hard-fought matchup could have gone either way. The later matchup of the set favored Muhlenberg with a 73-63 final score. Because of the close games against Dickinson, Sara Dilly ’19, thinks that this matchup is one that the Mules are looking forward to. “I think we’d love to avenge our triple overtime loss to Dickinson for a second time,” said Dilly.

If the Mules were to advance past the Red Devils they would then play one of three teams. Gettysburg and Johns Hopkins are the number four and number five teams, respectively. They will face off in a play-in game and the winner will advance to face the number one seed, Haverford, in the other semifinal game.

“It would be nice to see Haverford later in the tournament to redeem ourselves since we lost a close game to them during our last matchup,” said guard Plotke.

No matter what, opportunities for revenge exist for the Mules in any matchup they will have in the playoffs, as they split the season set with all of the conference tournament qualifiers.

For Muhlenberg, making the playoffs is only a single step along the journey to the ultimate end goal. The Mules are two-time defending champions of the Centennial Conference, and Rohn knows that a potential three-peat puts a target on his team’s back. “I think everyone is gunning for us,” said Rohn. “We are taking the approach of concentrating on what we do, and trying to play our best to win the tournament.”

Even though Muhlenberg is viewed as number one in the Centennial Conference, they are not intimidated by the great challenge that lies ahead. “Everyone is really excited for postseason play,” said Plotke, “our confidence is high and we’re ready to dominate in the tournament.” Confidence is key for a team, and the hot streak the Mules have finished their season on only adds to the positive attitudes the team has.

The team also knows that this late in the season, the team is primed to go. “This far into the season, the most important thing is execution. We know our plays and run them well, but cutting through at the right moment and setting a solid screen and being precise in everything we do,” said Dilly.

Rohn agrees, “Defensively, we have been solid and consistent all season long. Offensively we have taken care of the ball very well.” He points to the turnover to assist ratio, which he says is the best in school history. Offensive rebounds have been a major key for this year’s squad as well. Rohn also points out how the shooting of this year’s Mules team seems to be contagious. “If we shoot the ball reasonably well in the tournament, we’ll be tough to beat."

At this point in the season the Mules are comfortable where they stand. There is not only experience as far as minutes on the floor for the team, but also the experience of winning championships.

“Our starting five all played major roles in the championship game last year, and were a part of the team that won the title two years ago. So I think we have a certain comfort level of having been there before,” mentions Rohn.

Dilly even described this season as “typical,” but knows that just showing up won’t result in an automatic victory. “Any one team in the CC [Centennial Conference] can win any day, and it’s just a matter of who showed up to play that day,” she added.

You can watch the Muhlenberg vs. Dickinson game on Friday, Feb. 24 on the Muhlenberg athletics website (muhlenbergathletics.com), as well as the other playoff games.

Photo courtesy of Muhlenberg Athletics