ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A stiffling Muhlenberg defense held the Haverford College women's basketball team to just 23 percent shooting from the field as it fell short in its attempt to defeat the No. 14 Mules, 62-35, in a Centennial Conference matchup at Memorial Hall on Wednesday night.

The Fords (14-8, 9-6 CC) entered the game winning six of their last seven, capped by an overtime victory against Gettysburg on Saturday. In that span, they scored at least 50 points in all but one of those contests. Unfortunately, they couldn't continue the hot shooting on the road against the Mules, who are tied for first place in the conference.

A jumper by Samantha Wetzel tied the game at two early in the first quarter, but Haverford quickly fell behind for good. After a three-pointer by Muhlenberg's Rachel Plotke, the Fords were facing a double-digit deficit halfway into the second quarter. For most of the first half, they kept the game within striking distance and were able to trim the host's lead by closing the half on a 7-3 run led by Wetzel's six second quarter points.

Muhlenberg (19-2, 13-2 CC) led 23-17 at halftime but came out of the break red hot, overlapping the third and fourth quarters with a 25-3 run. The Mules controlled the glass, winning rebounds 32-14 in the second half. Haverford especially felt the pressure of the Mules' lockdown defense in the second half and finished the game just 3-of-23 from beyond the arc in their attempt to rally.

Wetzel finished with a team-high 10 points on 5-of-12 shooting. The sophomore center also grabbed 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Sierra Berkel chipped in seven points and gathered seven rebounds.

The Fords' first chance to bounce back will be against McDaniel College at home on Saturday at 1 p.m. Prior to the home finale, the Fords will honor Olivia Walsh - the lone senior on Haverford's roster this season.