The Muhlenberg women's basketball team overcame an early 12-0 deficit to defeat DeSales, 70-62, for its fifth straight win.

The win was the third in the last four meetings for the Mules against their Lehigh Valley rivals, who were just two spots outside the top 25 in this week's Women's Basketball Coaches Association poll.

Muhlenberg committed 15 more turnovers than the Bulldogs (3-2) but had a tremendous 52-28 advantage on the boards, rebounding more of its own missed shots than DeSales did. The Mules (5-1) also held the Bulldogs to 31.9-percent shooting.

The Mules turned the ball over on their first five possessions and trailed 10-0 before they ever took a shot. But they settled down and ended the first quarter on a 16-4 run, fueled by three three-pointers by senior Emily Unger, to draw even.

Muhlenberg held DeSales without a point for the final 3:28 of the half, scoring the final four points on a layup by junior Mia Fitzgerald and a putback by freshman Veronica Dawson to take a 31-29 lead into the locker room.

The Mules started to pull away in the third quarter and led by as many as 11 before DeSales engineered its own comeback, eventually tying the game at 60-all on a free throw with 2:43 remaining.

Senior Ava Connolly hit a three on the next possession, however, and Muhlenberg combined three defensive stops (without allowing an offensive rebound) with 6-for-6 shooting at the line from Dawson and Connolly to put the game away.

Dawson finished with a career-high 18 points and 13 rebounds for her second double-double. Unger (pictured above) scored 14 points and pulled down 8 rebounds, one short of her career high. 

Junior Katie McGrath contributed 13 points and 6 assists, Connolly scored 11, and sophomore Lyndsey Costigan recorded 10 rebounds.