Box Score SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – A prolific second quarter stirred by the hot shooting of Nina Branchizio and Julia Setaro helped push the TCNJ women's basketball team past Muhlenberg, 55-51, in its first game at the Puerto Rico Clasico in San Juan.
 
Setaro scored a game-high 18 points and Branchizio added 12, each making four 3-pointers, as the Lions (7-4) overcame a slow start and hung on to snap a brief two-game skid. Izzy Leazier added 10 points and six rebounds.
 
Trailing by nine early in the second quarter (and by as many as 10 in the first), the Lions used their long-range prowess to unlock a stubborn Mules defense. Setaro nailed a left-wing triple on a kick-out from Sydney Blum, and Branchizio connected on NBA-range 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to trim the Muhlenberg lead to 21-18.
 
Emily Toy's steal set up a fast-break feed from Branchizio to Nikki Alexatos and, after a Mule free throw, TCNJ pulled even at 22-all on a put-back by Katie Fricker just beyond the midway point of the frame. Branchizio swished a deep right-wing trey to give the Lions the lead, and Myah Hourigan-Hutton's three-point play on a tough drive capped a 17-3 spurt and staked the blue and gold to a 29-24 advantage at the 2:19 mark. After making four 3-pointers in the period, TCNJ pulled into halftime with a slight 31-29 edge.
 
The Lions were 9-of-14 overall in the second quarter, and 4-for-7 from long range.
 
The momentum carried over into the second half, which the Lions started on a run of five consecutive points. Setaro scored on a pretty reverse lay-up and Leazier banked in a bucket on a feed from Branchizio to push the lead out to 36-29 and force an early Muhlenberg timeout. Setaro's third 3-pointer of the afternoon, off a screen, kept the margin at seven (41-34) before the Mules closed to within 42-38 at the end of the third quarter.
 
Setaro continued her playmaking ways into the final frame, banging home a long bomb from straight on and using a series of cuts to get free for a layup courtesy of a pinpoint pass from Isabella Cafaro.
 
After Muhlenberg closed to within three, Fricker knocked down a massive 3-pointer from the right wing on a drive-and-kick by Leazier to restore a six-point cushion at 50-44 with 3:49 to play.
 
Hanging on to a 50-46 lead in the final minute, Leazier calmly sank two free throws with 53.3 seconds to play. After Muhlenberg missed a pair at the other end, Leazier grabbed the rebound and was fouled, this making one of two to extend the margin to 53-46 with 41.5 ticks on the clock.
 
The Mules got back to a four-point deficit at 53-49, but the automatic Setaro received the ensuing inbounds pass, took the foul, and made both at the line to ice the contest with 14.2 seconds to go.
 
Setaro is now a perfect 38-for-38 at the line and has made 48 in a row dating back to last season.
 
Fricker made all three of her shots from the field to finish with seven big points, while Toy had three steals on the day.
 
The Lions are back at it bright and early with a 9 a.m. Eastern tip against Susquehanna on Wednesday.