NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Knights' head coach Guy Kalland has long stressed defensive effort, and it was another such strong such performance that earned the Carleton College men's basketball team a 62-46 triumph over visiting Hamline University. The Knights overcame first-half turnover issues and gradually pulled away after intermission to earn Kallend the 499^th victory of his collegiate coaching career.
 
Hamline's (5-8, 3-6 MIAC) 46 points were the lowest scored by a MIAC team in conference play this season, setting a trend for the Carleton (9-3, 6-2 MIAC) defense as the previous record was set only two days ago when the Knights' defense limited at Saint Mary's to 47 points.
 
Carleton shot 55 percent in the game, with the offense being led once again by Jeremy Beckler (Jr./Lino Lakes, Minn./White Bear Lake), Alex Battist (Sr./Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove), and Luke Harris (Fy./Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont). Beckler totaled a game-high 16 points and corralled six rebounds. Battist  added 13 points and a game-high seven boards, while Harris contributed 13 points, six rebounds, and a game-high five assists.
 
The first half was hardly a textbook performance for either offense. The Carleton defense limited the Pipers to 28 percent shooting over the first 20 minutes while the Knights turned the ball over 15 times. Carleton did not score in the final 5:18 of the period, and neither team scored after the 2:54 mark, yet the hosts still held a 23-20 lead at intermission.
 
After halftime, the Knights played much cleaner at the offensive end, shooting 59 percent in the period with only three additional turnovers. With 11:34 left in the contest, a Matt Banovetz (So./Edina, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) layup gave Carleton a double-digit lead, and Hamline would not bring the score any closer for the rest of the game.
 
For the Pipers, Cooper Berg finished with 13 points while Bradley Cimperman and Tait Nelson chipped in 10 points apiece. That trio combined to shoot 38 percent.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton carries a three-game winning streak into the start of a four-game road trip. The first of these contests is Wednesday, Jan. 12 as the Knights visit Bethel University at 7:00 p.m.