Bus rides home have been pretty enjoyable for the Muhlenberg men’s and women’s basketball teams. Of course when both teams win as much as they have this season, just about everything feels better.

Thanks to two of the best starts in program history, the Mules find themselves in some pretty select company when it comes to wins and losses. At the beginning of the week, Muhlenberg was one of just three programs in Division III (out of roughly 400) to have both teams combine for two or fewer losses.

The women's team cheers in the background following the men's game-winning shot at Moravian.

And even though the men’s squad (9-3) fell last night, it is still off to its best start since 2002. Muhlenberg is one of just 10 programs in the country that has suffered no more than three combined losses.

The hot starts have created an infectious culture of winning, which according to senior Kathleen Naddaff has helped both squads feed off of each other’s success.

“We hang out a lot, so we always love to see the men’s team win,” she said. “We cheer them on, and seeing them win makes us want to go out and win even more. It’s really cool to see Muhlenberg basketball, as a whole, ranking up there with some of the best in the country.”

A key to the success has been their prolific offenses. Entering the week, Muhlenberg was one of just six schools in the NCAA, regardless of division (roughly 1,000 schools), to have both teams averaging more than 80 points per game.

The women (11-0), who rank second in Division III in scoring through Sunday’s games, have used their high-scoring ways to rank third in the country in scoring margin (24.1 points per game). The men, meanwhile, check in at No. 40 (12.1 points per game).

Aside from being friends off the court, the two teams are some of each other’s biggest fans.

During doubleheaders, the men’s squad is there supporting the women’s team. And when the men take the floor, the women’s team is in the stands cheering them on.

According to Liddic, seeing the women win helps get the winning juices flowing for the men’s team.

“It’s always great to see them get a big win,” Liddic said. “That kind of pumps us up and makes us want to go out and get one too. We hang out a lot both on game days and outside of basketball, and I think we definitely feed off of each other.”

One very noticeable difference this season has been the liveliness of the post-game bus rides.

When the teams split on the road, one squad is in the mood to celebrate while the other is dealing with a loss. But when the Mules sweep a doubleheader, like they did at McDaniel on Saturday, the trips home seem to pass by much more quickly and are a lot more fun.

That joyous feeling is one that both teams hope to experience a lot more as the conference season heats up. And if the two teams keep playing at a high level, Naddaff said there’s no reason why it can’t continue beyond the regular season.

“We like to joke around and have fun on the bus,” she said. “And when we both win, you can definitely tell it’s a little louder and everybody’s happy. We’re both off to pretty good starts, and hopefully we can keep it up and get both teams into the postseason.”

For the first week of 2012, we not only have athletes of the week, but also plays of the week.

Female Athlete of the Week – Kate Clawson, Basketball

Clawson scored 30 points on 68.8 percent shooting from the field and pulled down 10 rebounds in a pair of wins for the Mules. She tied for the team lead with nine points against Dickinson, then poured in a career-high 21 – including Muhlenberg’s last seven of the game – at McDaniel.

Female Play of the Week – Alexandra Chili’s pass

Late in the first half against McDaniel, Chili threw a behind-the-back pass in stride to Alita Zabrecky for a fastbreak layup that drew oohs and aahs from the crowd. Click here to watch video of the play.

Male Athlete of the Week – Spencer Liddic, Basketball

Liddic had game highs of 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead Muhlenberg to a 71-70 win at McDaniel in its first game of 2012. Liddic was 10-of-14 from the field and scored 16 points in the second half, including eight in the last 5:30 as the Mules overcame a 10-point deficit. His jumper kicked off a game-ending 10-1 run in the last two minutes, and his rebound of a missed free throw started the possession that ended with the winning points.

Male Play of the Week – Matt O’Hara’s pass

With the Mules scrambling to catch up in the final minute, O’Hara gathered a tipped offensive rebound, took a quick shot, then hustled after the rebound and touched a pass to Malique Killing in the corner. Killing drained a three to make the score 70-69 with 28 seconds left. Click here to watch video of the play.