NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Jill Yanai (So./Glendale, Calif./Glendale) tallied game highs of 17 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, but that was not enough to allow the Carleton College women's basketball team to overcome turnover woes and a cold shooting performance as the Knights fell 53-47 at crosstown rival St. Olaf College. With the result, the Oles maintained possession of the President's Cup traveling trophy for another year.
 
The Knights (5-8, 2-6 MIAC) shot 32 percent from inside the arc and were 9-of-27 (33 percent) from 3-point range. Carleton did not help itself by going 8-of-13 (a season-low 62 percent) at the free throw line and committing 21 turnovers.
 
Despite St. Olaf (6-7, 3-5 MIAC) enjoying a size advantage on the interior, the Oles were limited by the Knights to 31 percent shooting on the day and a 6-of-23 showing (26 percent) from beyond the arc. The hosts managed to pull down 16 offensive rebounds and turned those extra possessions into an 11-0 advantage in second-chance points.
 
Carleton began the game hot, draining 4-of-6 triples to jump out to a 12-5 lead midway through the first quarter. However, the team was unable to sustain its momentum and mis-fired on its last five deep balls before the end of the first quarter. The Knights were still able to hold a 15-12 advantage at the close of the opening period.
 
Neither team found much offensive success during the second quarter. Carleton went scoreless for the first five-and-a-half minutes, while St. Olaf went without a point over a six-and-a-half-minute span at one point. The two squads combined for only 15 total points in the period and entered the halftime break with the Oles holding a slim 22-21 advantage.
 
After returning from the intermission, Carleton wasted no time taking back the lead with a Yanai jumpshot on the opening possession of the second half. That play set the tone for the rest of the quarter, which saw four lead changes and two ties as neither team held an advantage greater than three points until the closing seconds. Yanai grabbed a defensive rebound with three seconds remaining, dribbled up court, and heaved a 60-footer, which fell through the net as time expired to give Carleton a 34-30 lead.
 
Hughes connected for a 3-pointer with 9:07 left in the fourth quarter, increasing Carleton's advantage to 37-32. Aided by five Knight turnovers, St. Olaf proceeded to go on a game-changing 14-1 run that spanned the next 7:23 of game time. Hughes finally stopped the bleeding at the 1:19 mark of the quarter with her third long-range shot of the game, but the Oles still led 46-41.
 
The Knights were unable to overcome this deficit despite late triples by Yanai and Katie Chavez (Sr./Westminster, Colo./Holy Family). All told, St. Olaf outscored Carleton 23-13 in the final stanza.
 
Chavez finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and four steals.
 
Rachel Kelly led the Oles with 14 points off the bench. Ella Skrein, Britta Koenen, and Grace Hegland finished with nine, eight, and eight points, respectively.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE KNIGHTS: Carleton goes on the road and visits No. 22-ranked University of St. Thomas on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m.