Box Score DECORAH, Iowa – Jasmine Choi (So./Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo) and Aiana Whitfield (Jr./Richfield, Minn./Benilde St.-Margaret's) led all scorers with 14 points apiece as the Carleton College women's basketball team secured a 62-52 non-conference victory at Luther College.
 
Playing without reigning MIAC Athlete of the Week Jill Yanai (Sr./Glendale, Calif./Glendale), the Knights (1-1) saw six players score at least eight points. One of those was newcomer Selma Vangstein (Fy./Oslo, Norway/Nydalen), who hit a 3-pointer at the 6:57 mark of the first quarter. That bucket gave Carleton a 5-3 advantage, and the Knights would not relinquish the lead the remainder of the contest.
 
One of the ways Carleton stayed in front was by collecting 15 steals, leading to 18 points off turnovers. Whitfield played a key role in all the thievery, finishing with a career-best nine steals to tie the school record (see chart below).
 
Carleton shot 41 percent for the game, despite hitting on only 2-of-9 from beyond the arc. The Knights took care of business at the charity stripe, going 24-of-32 at the free-throw line. The defense limited Luther (1-1) to 34 percent shooting overall and 28 percent (7-of-25) from 3-point range.
 
The Knights led 15-8 after the first quarter, but the hosts trimmed the deficit to 26-24 by intermission. Carleton opened the second half with an 8-0 run to create some breathing room, but the Norse slowly chipped away and pulled with 54-52 with 3:50 to play in the game.
 
Whitfield, Emma Henry (So./Prior Lake, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels), and Isabelle Henry (So./Prior Lake, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) combined on another 8-0 run to ice the game for Carleton.
 
Whitfield scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half, while Choi tallied 10 of her 14 points after halftime.
 
Emma Henry was the third Knight in double figures, totaling 11 points on the evening to go along with a team-high eight rebounds. Isabelle Henry and Bella Thomas (Fy./Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle) contributed eight points apiece.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton begins MIAC play by hosting Concordia-Moorhead at 5:00 p.m. on Wed., Nov. 17. That will be the opener of a women's-men's doubleheader.
 
Most steals – Single Game
9 -- Anna Bandick at Gustavus on 1/8/90
9 -- Skylar Tsutsui at Northwestern on 11/15/14
9 -- Aiana Whitfield at Luther on 11/12/22