Both Muhlenberg basketball teams were back on campus by Dec. 31 and Jan. 2 getting ready for the second half of each of their seasons. However, because of the rise in COVID-19 cases around the country due to the new omicron variant, both teams have faced postponements of games throughout the past month.
The men’s team had their first three games of the spring semester postponed and moved to later dates. Forward Tommy McGuire ‘23 talked about how he and his teammates were able to stay ready and prepared, despite not knowing when they were going to be able to play again. McGuire said, “We knew a lot of other teams were in the same situation as we were so it was just a matter of us hoping we would have the chance to play again soon. Then when we were able to play, we knew we had to flip the switch to give ourselves the best chance to win.”
Not only did the men’s team lose some players for a few games due to quarantine restrictions, but they also lost two-time preseason All-American, Dan Gaines ‘22, for the rest of the season after suffering a wrist injury in the Mules’ first game of 2022. Gaines recently became the fourth-fastest player in Muhlenberg men’s basketball history to reach the 1,000 career point mark. When talking about losing Gaines for the season, McGuire added: “A lot of production has been gone without Dan but guys have stepped up and managed to figure out ways to fill those holes. Despite the fact that a lot of us do not have playing experience at the collegiate level, we have managed to come together and I’ve been proud of the strides we have made.”
Currently, they sit at a record of 7-12 overall (4-8 in conference play) and eighth in the Centennial Conference, the men’s team have not had the season they hoped for, as they were the third seed in the Centennial Conference preseason poll. However, they still have a shot to sneak into the playoffs if they end the season on a strong note. “Certainly, once the playoffs come everyone has a chance. Obviously being a higher seed was our goal to start the year but we have to focus on giving ourselves the best chance each game,” McGuire said when talking about making the playoffs. Even if it’s the fifth seed, it’s clear the season will be viewed as a success if they are able to make the postseason after such a slow first half. With six games left in the regular season, the Mules are going to have to do their part and win the majority of these games if they want to be able to slip into the playoffs.
Similar to the men’s team, the Muhlenberg women’s basketball team have also had to deal with COVID-19 and injuries affecting their second half of the season. The women’s team have also had three games postponed so far this spring semester due to COVID-19. Starting forward Margaux Eripret ‘22 spoke about COVID-19 affecting the team’s season, saying, “It definitely hasn’t been easy, we’ve even had games that were canceled less than two hours before it was supposed to start. It’s frustrating, but we’re lucky that the games are postponed and not canceled, so we just try to keep competing with each other in practice and staying sharp for when game days do come around. With COVID, and especially for us seniors, it makes you think about how important it is to make the most of the games we are getting to play before we blink and it’s over.”
And just like the men’s team who lost one of their best players, the women’s team has as well. Starting forward Sara Peretti ‘23 has not been able to play this spring due to an ankle injury. Eripret commented on playing without Perretti and how it’s given the underclassmen who weren’t playing much previously, a larger opportunity. “It’s a challenge to lose such an important and experienced player, but we’ve had a lot of close and competitive games that just unfortunately didn’t result in wins. It’s given our underclassmen a chance for real experience early in their careers. It’s not easy to make the transition from a high school to college basketball player, but they’ve worked really hard to jump into the roles that opened up for them. It’s going to be really helpful for the second half of our season and for the rest of their years here.”
Sitting four seats out of a playoff spot, the women’s team would essentially need a full-court shot alongside extra help of certain centennial conference contests to go the Mules way.
By date of publication, both teams would have the Dickinson College Red Devils on Feb. 2 at Memorial Hall.
The women’s team will host Swarthmore College on Feb. 4. The men will then defend Memorial Hall the next day, Feb. 5, against the McDaniel College Green Terror.
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