MANKATO, Minn. – Five players finished in double figures—including a career-best 35-point, 14-rebound performance for senior Kent Hanson (St. Paul, Minn./St. Paul Academy)—as the Carleton College men's basketball secured a thrilling 97-91 victory at Bethany Lutheran College on Monday evening.
 
"It was quite a track meet tonight," said Carleton head coach Guy Kalland. "We played very well for the majority of the game, but as one would expect from a quality team, Bethany Lutheran rallied and took the lead with a few minutes to go. But our guys hung in three and came away with the win. I can't recall the last time we had all five starters in double figures, which was very satisfying to see. It was a great team effort across the board."
 
The 97 points for Carleton (3-4 overall this season) was the most by the Knights since their 101-76 victory over Macalester on Dec. 9, 2017. The 188 combined points tallied by Knights and Bethany Lutheran (5-5 overall this season) is the highest figure for a Carleton men's game since Kalland's squad notched a 100-91 overtime triumph over Oakland City College on Nov. 22, 2000. Monday's scoring spree tied for the 19th-most points ever scored in a game involving the Knights and the 15th highest figure in a non-overtime contest.
 
This was Hanson's fifth career game with at least 30 points. The 35-point effort is tied for the 14th-highest total in recorded team history and marks the most points scored by a Knight since Zach Johnson turned in a 36-point performance against St. Olaf College on Feb. 2, 2009. This time around, Hanson was a career-best 7-of-10 from beyond the arc, equaling the fifth-highest single-game 3-point total in program history and the most by a Knight since Tom Sawatzke's seven triples at Macalester College on Feb. 9, 2013.
 
Hanson's scoring binge moved him past Laurie Slocum (1,300 career points) and into 10th place on the Knights' all-time scoring list with 1,306 points (SEE CHART BELOW).
 
This was the sixth time in program annals that Carleton prevailed despite yielding 91 or more points in the game, and the first time the Knights won such a game in regulation since topping Bethel College 111-104 on Feb. 12, 1996.
 
Carleton shot 58 percent overall as a team, including 59 percent (13-of-22) from behind the 3-point line, marking the ninth-best long-range shooting performance in recorded team history. This was the most made 3-pointers by a Carleton squad since hitting 13 against Macalester on Jan. 17, 2011.
 
Hanson had plenty of help as rookie guard Isaac Tessier (White Bear Lake, Minn./White Bear Lake) notched 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 2-of-3 from long range, while classmate Jeremy Beckler (Lino Lakes, Minn./White Bear Lake) contributed 15 points, thanks in part to hitting 3-of-4 triples. Henry Bensen (Sr./Roseville, Minn./Roseville) and Alex Battist (So./Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) both chipped in 13 points, with the former adding seven assists, five rebounds, and four steals to his stat line.
 
Carleton led by as many as 14 points on multiple occasions and still possessed an 80-67 advantage after Beckler drained a 3-pointer with 7:51 left in the game. Bethany Lutheran responded with a 18-2 run to take an 85-82 lead with 2:28 still to play.
 
Hanson's seventh 3-pointer of the game knotted the score at 85-85, and Beckler blocked a Jared Milinkovich layup attempt with Bensen converting an old-fashioned 3-point play on Carleton's next possession to put the Knights ahead for good.
 
A Milinkovich bucket was answered by Beck Page's (Fy./Longmont, Colo./Longmont) first 3-pointer of the contest at the 1:24 mark.
 
When Milinkovich scored again to slice the deficit, Hanson completed his own traditional 3-point play to bring the score to 94-89. Bensen and Hanson combined to ice the game with three free throws and a steal in the closing 38 seconds. All told, Carleton closed the game on a 15-6 run.
 
Milinkovich totaled 23 points to pace five Vikings in double figures. Cire Mayfield notched a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists.
 
Carleton's stellar shooting performance was able to overcome the Vikings' statistical advantages in points off turnovers (24-10), bench points (26-3), and points in the paint (44-32).
 
UP NEXT FOR THE KNIGHTS: Carleton head to Orlando, Fla. for contests against Hope College (Wed., Dec. 18) and Finlandia University (Thur., Dec. 19). Both opponents are from the state of Michigan. Tipoffs each night are slated for 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT.
 

MOST CAREER POINTS – CARLETON MEN'S BASKETBALL

1. -- 2,029 -- Zach Johnson (106 G) -- 2005-09
2. -- 1,967 -- Josh Wilhelm (97 G) -- 1995-99
3. -- 1,903 -- Gerrick Monroe (105 G) -- 1989-93
4. -- 1,467 -- Dan Forkrud  (108 G) -- 2002-06
5. -- 1,445 -- Kyle Beste (105 G) -- 2001-05
6. -- 1,440 -- Ivan Grimm (64 G) -- 1958-60
7. -- 1,423 -- Kevin Grow (103 G) -- 2014-18
8. -- 1,366 -- Scott Krohn (105 G) -- 1989-93
9. -- 1,356 -- Mark Wandmacher (70 G) -- 1981-84
10. -- 1,306 -- Kent Hanson -- 2016-pres.
11. -- 1,300 -- Laurie Slocum (87 G) -- 1951-55