Garnet, Mules Shoot Up NCAA Record
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- Garnet senior forward Raul Ordonez led the Swarthmore men's basketball team with 15 points and eight boards but a second-half surge enabled the Muhlenberg Mules to edge past the Garnet, 73-65, Monday night at Tarble Pavilion. The teams set a new NCAA Division III record by combining to make 38-of-39 from the free-throw line.
Muhlenberg (9-7, 5-5 CC) was a perfect 26-for-26 from the free-throw line, setting a new Conference record for free-throws made without a miss. The previous mark was 21-for-21 set by Ursinus against Lebanon Valley on November 30, 2003. Swarthmore hit 12-of-13 from the stripe, and combined with the Mules, snapped a 28-year-old record set by Muskingum and Ohio Wesleyan (37-of-39).
This is the second time in two years Swarthmore and its opponent have set a shooting record. The Garnet and the Shoremen of Washington College combined to hit a Division III-record 63.2% (24-for-38) from three-point land on February 20, 2008.
Ryan Foster led the Mules with 25 points, 17 in the second half, while freshman forward Spencer Liddic added 19 points and eight rebounds.
Guard Ryan Carmichael (Portland, Maine / Portland) added 12 points for Swarthmore (1-15 overall, 0-10 CC) while sophomore Sam Lacy (Jericho, Vt. / Mount Mansfield) and junior Matt Allen (Seattle, Wash. / Lakeside) contributed 11 points apiece.
A quick 5-2 Garnet run after half was capped by a jumper from Carmichael and Swarthmore went up six points, 37-31.
A pair of Peter Barnes free throws got the Mules within a pair, but Garnet freshman Marc Rogalski (Franklin Lakes, N.J. / Bergen Catholic) slipped through two defenders for a lay-up and a 41-37 lead at 14:04.
The Mules defense generated a 10-0 run midway through the half, with Liddic’s lay-in at 10:09 putting the visitors on top, 47-41.
With the Mules up four at 6:44, Allen penetrated into the lane and dumped a pass to Ordonez for a lay-in. A minute later, Allen swished a pair at the charity stripe and Swarthmore was within two points, 51-49.
After a timeout, Muhlenberg extended their lead to five, 54-49, after an old-fashioned three-point play by Foster.
Carmichael hit two free throws at 4:56 and the Mules led 56-53 before Evan Tozer snak a deep triple to beat the expiring shot clock. Two made free throws by Muhlenberg guard Brian Frankoski extended the visitors’ lead to eight, 61-53, with under four minutes remaining. The Mules canned 10 consecutive free throws, maintaining an advantage while a late barrage of Garnet threes rained down.
The Mules held a slight 36-32 advantage on the boards but were able to force 14 Swarthmore turnovers in the second half.
Muhlenberg withstood a nip-and-tuck affair at the start; Tozer (12 points on the night) dropped in a three-pointer from the corner at the ten-minute mark to give the Mules a 17-10 lead.
Ordonez (Miami, Fla. / Belen Jesuit) brought his play-making abilities to life, draining a triple of his own and then found Carmichael in the paint for a lay-up. Swarthmore trailed 17-15 with 9:01 on the first-half clock.
Ordonez gave Swarthmore a 23-21 lead with another three-pointer from the top of the key with under four minutes left in the half. A deep corner jumper by Allen put the Garnet ahead by four, 25-21.
The Mules clawed back behind first-year post Spencer Liddic, who scored five straight points to put the Mules back in front, 26-25.
The action see-sawed at the end of the half. Rogalski stripped Barnes on one end of the floor and then buried a triple on the other to put Swarthmore up 28-26. Darrell Roth answered for Muhlenberg with a corner trey at 1:29 but Rogalski chased down an offensive rebound and scored the put-back for a 32-29 lead that held up into the intermission.
Lacy led the Garnet with nine first-half points while Liddic also paced the Mules with nine points.
Swarthmore continues its current four-game home stand on Wednesday night. The Garnet will play the second half of a Centennial basketball doubleheader against long-time rival Haverford. The women tip at 6:00 p.m., followed by the men’s contest at approximately 8:00 p.m.
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