NORTHFIELD, Minn. – In his first game back in the lineup after missing four games due to injury,
Alex Battist (So./Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) poured in a game and career-high 24 points as the Carleton College men's basketball team rolled to a 83-60 victory over visiting Concordia College-Moorhead.
Carleton (8-11, 5-9 MIAC) shot 54 percent in the first half and 45 percent for the game, while Concordia (2-16, 0-13 MIAC) was limited to 36 percent shooting overall.
Already leading 27-16 with 8:10 to go in the first half, the Knights went on a 15-0 run spanning the next three-plus minutes and eventually took a 47-25 lead at intermission.
In the second half, Carleton rode its first-half momentum and maintained at least a 20-point lead for the rest of the game, the advantage growing as large as 30 at 77-47 with 6:54 still to play. Ending the night with all first years on the court, Carleton secured the victory to snap a four-game slide.
When these teams met back in December, Carleton had three players tally at least 20 points each. The Knights came close to repeating that feat on this evening. Inaddition to Battist,
Jeremy Beckler (Fy./Lino Lakes, Minn./White Bear Lake) added 19 points for Carleton, while
Kent Hanson (Sr./St. Paul, Minn./St. Paul Academy) contributed 18 points.
Isaac Tessier (Fy./White Bear Lake, Minn./White Bear Lake) was the fourth Knight in double figures, chipping in 16 points
Henry Bensen (Sr./Roseville, Minn./Roseville) matched his career high with four steals and matched Tessier with a game-high five assists. Battist pulled down a game-high nine rebounds as Carleton enjoyed a 37-29 edge on the glass.
The Knights were busy at the charity stripe throughout the contest, attempting a season-high 43 free throws. Carleton made 33 of those attempts, its highest total since Jan. 10, 1996. Battist was 12-of-15 at the line, Beckler was a perfect 10-of-10, Hanson went 3-of-4, and Tessier was 3-of-4.
Braeton Motschenbacher scored a career-high 20 points to account for a third of Concordia's points. Bryden Urie was the only other Cobber in double figures, totaling 12 points.
UP NEXT FOR THE KNIGHTS: College will host Augsburg University on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 1 pm in the first game of a double-header series at West Gym.
