The Muhlenberg men's basketball team could not hold on to a six-point halftime lead and fell to Oswego State, 79-65, in the first round of Rochester's Chuck Resler Tournament.

The Mules shot 54.5 percent from the field in the first half, overcoming an early nine-point deficit to take a 44-38 lead into the locker room against a Lakers squad that went 26-3 last year and is receiving votes in the D3hoops.com preseason poll.

In the second half, however, Oswego turned up the defense. Muhlenberg shot just 24.2 percent and scored only 21 points in the second half.

Senior Giovanni Rubino made his first six field goals and led the Mules with 19 points, moving into the top 20 on the program's all-time scoring list with 1,173 career points. Senior Charlie Gillikin (pictured above) hit four three-pointers for all 12 of his points.

Sophomore Gavin D'Iorio made his first career start and made a pair of threes for a career-high 6 points. Sophomore Peter Stanton-Shepherd finished with 8 points and 7 rebounds (one short of his career high), and sophomore Elias Sherman-Murphy saw the most extensive playing time of his career, recording 4 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.