Keystone Today

First-year Nate Ellis scored the last six points of the game for DeSales including a step-back jumper with five seconds left giving the DeSales University men's basketball team a 68-67 win over local rival Muhlenberg College in non-conference action on Monday evening.

The Basics

• Final Score: DeSales - 68, Muhlenberg - 67
• Records: DeSales (8-2 overall); Muhlenberg (6-2 overall)
• DeSales' wins its sixth straight.
• It is DSU's second straight win over the Mules and moves its all-time record against its local rival to 23-27.
• Muhlenberg was receiving votes in the latest D3hoops.com National Top 25 poll.

How it Happened

• Muhlenberg was in control of this one early opening up a 11-2 lead and continued to lead by nine (16-7) just under six and a half minutes into the game.
• The DeSales bench got the Bulldogs back into it using an 11-2 run to tie the score at 18 led by six points from senior Will Bowen.
• The Mules recalimed a five point lead a few minutes later but DSU finished the half on a 16-6 spurt to take a five point advantage (34-29) into the locker room.
• DeSales was in control for nearly the entire second-half carrying at least a three-point lead to the nine minute mark when Muhlenberg scored four straight to get within one (56-55).
• It was still a one-point game at the 4:38 mark when Charlie Gillikin hit a desperation 3 at the shot clock buzzer to give the Mules a 64-62 advantage.
• After several empty possessions by both teams, Ellis tied the game with a step back jumper tying the game at 64.
• On the ensuing possession, Gillikin did it again as the Bulldogs had a terrific defensive possession but Gillikin bailed the Mules out with another desperation 3 from about 6 feet behind the arc as the buzzer sounded giving MC a 67-64 lead.
• After a timeout, Ellis was fouled on a short jumper and made both free throws to get the Bulldogs within one.
• DeSales got a stop on the other end and again called timeout with 12.7 seconds left.
• Out of the timeout, Ellis got the ball and went to work shaking a Mule defender and hitting another step-back jumper from about the foul line and a long range three from Muhlenberg was off the mark as time expired on the game.

Original source can be found here.