The two Muhlenberg basketball players who had the ball in their hands the most were recognized among the best in the area.

Junior Ava Connolly and senior Giovanni Rubino were named to the Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Team of the Year.

A two-year starter at point guard, Connolly led Mule women's team in scoring (12.2 points per game), three-pointers (48), three-point percentage (.375) and free-throw percentage (.836), and she also ranked second on the team in assists (54) and fourth in steals (25). She is ninth in the Centennial Conference in scoring and fourth in three-pointers per game. Connolly was Muhlenberg's leading scorer in 11 games, including a career-best 27-point effort in a win vs. Washington College.

The Mules won their final two games to end the season with a 14-11 record, their most wins since the 2018-19 season.

Rubino is the second-leading scorer in the Centennial Conference, averaging 17.1 points per game. He leads the CC with an .883 free-throw percentage, and with a career mark of .867 from the line is on pace to shatter the school record of .831. A first-team All-CC and second-team all-region selection last year, Rubino also second on the Mules in assists (56). He has three career 30-point games, including one this season, and needed only 66 career games to score his 1000th point.

With one game remaining in the regular season, the Mule men's team is in the hunt for the final CC playoff berth and is assured of playing at least one postseason game.