BETHLEHEM, Pa.--The Hood College men's basketball team (3-7) dropped its sixth straight decision, 77-68, to Muhlenberg College (5-2) Saturday in the opening round of the 31st Annual Greyhound Starters Classic hosted by Moravian College.

Muhlenberg led from the opening tip and for most of the first half until four straight Blazer three-pointers, two by J'Air Brady and one each by Tim Abercrombie and Brenden Straughn, gave Hood a 23-15 lead with 7:35 to go in the half. But shortly after the Blazers assumed their largest lead of the half, 27-17, on a Jeff Willison putback, the Mules rallied to tie the score at 29-29, capped by a Ryan Foster triple with 1:44 to go in the stanza. Muhlenberg closed the half on an Evan Tozer layup and took a slim 34-33 edge into intermission.

Muhlenberg once again held the upperhand for the first 11:31 of the second half until Garrett Williams hit from distance at the 8:29 mark to put Hood up 51-50. However, on their next possession, the Mules got a pair of free throws from Brian Frankoski to give Muhlenberg a lead it would not surrender. Though Hood would tie the score twice more down the stretch, the Mules connected on 7-of-8 from the stripe in the final minute to ice the victory.

Brady paced the Blazers with 17 points, including 3-of-3 from downtown. Straughn finished with a career-high 16 points and dished five assists while Willison finished with 13 points and a team-high six boards.

Foster led four Mules in double figures with a game-high 22 points to present head coach Dave Madeira with his 300th career coaching victory.

The Blazers will face Misericordia in the consolation game at 1 p.m. Sunday.