MANKATO, Minn. – After trailing by as many as 12 points in the first quarter, the Carleton College women's basketball team fought its way back to tie the score in the final period, only to see host Bethany Lutheran College secure a 73-67 victory. Senior guard Katie Chavez (Westminster, Colo./Holy Family) notched her first career double-double after totaling career bests of 28 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five assists.
 
"It was a great battle; they just executed a bit better down the stretch," said Carleton head coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen. "Lots to build on. We'll learn from this and look forward to getting back on the court on Saturday."
 
With both teams shooting below 40 percent overall for the game, the difference proved to be the Vikings' (2-0) advantage from long range as the hosts made 14-of-39 three-pointers in the game, including a school record-tying 7-of-15 showing by Abby Olson. Meanwhile, Carleton (1-1) settled for a 5-for-28 performance (18 percent) from beyond the arc.
 
Samantha Cooke (Sr./St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy) contributed 14 points to the Carleton effort, while Aiana Whitfield (Fy./Richfield, Minn./Benilde St.-Margaret's) utilized her athleticism in scoring 13 points off the bench to go along with five rebounds, four steals, and two assists. Jill Yanai (So./Glendale, Calif./Glendale) gathered nine rebounds, added eight points, and collected three steals for the Knights.
 
Bethany Lutheran raced out to a 9-0 lead and made five 3-pointers to open up its largest lead of the evening at 21-9 with 2:10 still to play in the first quarter.
 
Chavez hit a 3-pointer of her own to bring Carleton within 35-33 with 1:24 remaining in the first half. Bethany Lutheran led 40-35 at halftime after closing the period with a triple by Laura Ellinghuysen, one of five Vikings to convert from long range in the half.
 
The third quarter featured multiple momentum shifts. The Knights pulled to within 40-39 barely 30 seconds into the third quarter, only to see the Vikings hit three more times from beyond the arc during the subsequent 11-1 spurt. Now trailing by double figures, Carleton answered with a mini 7-0 run. The home team managed a 55-50 lead heading into the final period, but the game was still anyone's for the taking.
 
In an intense fourth quarter, Carleton tied the game twice, the second time on a Yanai steal and layup that made the score 57-57 with 7:28 left in the game. Bethany Lutheran responded with three more 3-pointers and opened the margin out to 66-59.
 
A deep three-pointer by Chavez with 0:28 left on the clock brought the visitors within 69-67, but the Vikings converted four free throws in the final seconds to seal the victory. Carleton turned the ball over four times in the period, each with the Knights facing a deficit of four or fewer points.
 
Olson finished with 26 points, while Hanna Geistfeld posted a double-double by scoring 16 points and collecting 13 rebounds. Kenlie Pytleski finished with 12 points and nine boards.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE KNIGHTS: Carleton returns home to host Crown College on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7:00 p.m. Live video and live stats will be available via athletics.carleton.edu.