DOYLESTOWN (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University men's basketball team battled back from an eight-point halftime deficit, but could not quite complete the comeback in the final seconds as it suffered its first loss of the 2019-20 campaign by a score of 74-72 in a non-conference contest at Muhlenberg College.

The Aggies (1-1) led 9-3 early in the game after back-to-back 3-pointers from the team captains, Mike Cianciulli and Damian Washington. The lead grew to as many as seven, 20-13, at the half way point of the first half, but the Mules went on a 10-3 run over the next four minutes to tie the game at 23-23.

Muhlenberg (3-0) took its first lead of the game at 26-25 with just under five minutes to play in the first half. The Mules outscored the Aggies, 17-10, the rest of the stanza to take a 43-35 lead at the break.

Each team shot over 40-percent from the field in the first half but DelVal hit four treys while Muhlenberg was 0-for-6.

Out of the break, Cianciulli and Jordan Tucker combined for 12 points through the first five minutes to cut the deficit to six, 55-49. The Mules scored the game's next four points to reclaim its 10-point lead.

From there, the Aggies went on a 14-5 run to pull within one, 64-63 with six minutes left in regulation. DelVal held the Mules without a basket for a span of four minutes and Devin Hill capped the spurt with a pair of treys.

The Aggies run wasn't done as Cianciulli put the team back on top with a 3-ball off a set out-of-bounds play that put DelVal ahead, 66-64, with 4:45 to play. On the next possession, Muhlenberg knotted the game with a deuce from Matt Gnias and the score reset with 4:24 left in regulation.

The Aggies turned the ball over and the Mules converted to regain the lead, but Hill countered with another trey to put DelVal back on top, 69-68, with under four to go.

The score remained the same until less than a minute left in regulation when Michael Morreale finally connected from beyond-the-arc for the Mules to give them a 71-69 lead with 51 ticks left.

On DelVal's next possession, Washington was fouled with 27.3 seconds remaining and he hit both free throws to tie the game at 71-71.

Muhlenberg got the ball to Morreale in the corner and the junior connected on his second trey of the game to put the Mules up, 74-71, with just 7.1 seconds left.

The Aggies called timeout, but had to inbound from under their own basket. Muhlenberg elected to foul Cianciulli and send him to the line for a one-in-one. The senior hit the first, and intentionally missed the second, hoping for an offensive rebound, but it was the Mules that got to the loose ball to secure the three-point home victory.  

Cianciulli led DelVal with 22 points including a 5-for-8 effort from deep. He added three assists and four boards. Tucker shot 9-for-15 from the field and recorded a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds. Washington finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, and Hill finished with 13 points and three assists. The Aggies shot 41.7-percent (25-for-60) from the field and 10-for-25 (40%) from three.

Muhlenberg was led by 19 points from Gnias and 18 from Dan Gaines while six others also cracked the score sheet. Justin Allen grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and added nine points. The Mules shot less than 40-percent from the field and made only 4-of-27 (14.8%) of its 3-pointers.

DelVal will look to bounce-back at home next Wednesday as it welcomes in Lebanon Valley College for a 7 p.m. tip.