NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College women's basketball team kicked off its 2019-20 season with a 69-46 victory over visiting Martin Luther College in the season-opener for both squads. Jill Yanai (So./Glendale, Calif./Glendale) led the way, scoring a career-best 19 points to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, and five steals..
 
Carleton (1-0) collected 22 steals in the contest, the third-highest total in program history and the most by the Knights since 1994. The home team turned Martin Luther (0-1) over 31 times overall and converted those extra possessions in the 28 points.
 
Tammy Metcalf-Filzen, the winningest coach in program history, made her re-debut and marked her first game back at Carleton since retiring after the 2009-10 season.
 
"A really good team win to get us started," said Metcalf-Filzen. "We just need to keep improving and building on this and seeing what we can do."
 
Martin Luther (0-1) scored the first 5 points of the game, but Carleton closed the opening quarter with a 20-2 run and led the rest of the way. The visitors used a 17-4 run of their own to pull within 35-30 at the break.
 
Carleton extended the margin to an eight-point advantage entering the fourth quarter and finished the evening by out-scoring Martin Luther 21-6  in the fourth, eliminating any drama down the stretch.
 
Jill Yanai (So./Glendale, Calif./Glendale) paced Carleton with a career-high 19 points to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, and five steals. After a one-year hiatus, Katie Chavez (Sr./Westminster, Colo./Holy Family) returned to the roster and contributed 12 points, six assists, and five steals. Samantha Cooke (Sr./St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy)
 was the third Knight in double figures, finishing with 14 points five rebounds and two blocks.
 
Emily Witkowski and Erika Gosch tallied 13 points apiece for Martin Luther.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE KNIGHTS: Carleton goes on the road to challenge UMAC preseason favorite Bethany Lutheran College this Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 7:00 pm.