NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College women's basketball team ran out of gas late and dropped a 62-46 contest to visiting Bethel University.
 
"I loved the fight the team showed tonight," said Carleton head coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen. "We knew we'd be tired a bit since we shortened the bench tonight. We just didn't knock down some of the open shots, especially in the fourth quarter."
 
Bethel (8-5, 7-3 MIAC) extended its win streak to seven games. The Royals were coming off back-to-back victories by 50 or more points, but they found things more challenging in this one.
 
The Knights (4-9, 3-7 MIAC) led multiple times in the first quarter and trailed by a single point, 18-17, after the opening 10 minutes.
 
The Royals opened up an 11-point lead with two minutes remaining in the first half, but the Knights closed to within 41-37 with six minutes still to play in the third period.
 
Carleton, playing its fifth game in 10 days and doing so without leading scorer Aiana Whitfield (Jr./Richfield, Minn./Benilde St.-Margaret's), used only six players for much of this contest. The Knights battled as long as they could but watched the visitors pull away over the final 15 minutes as Bethel finished the evening on a 21-9 run.
 
Bethel shot 44 percent in the game, including 41 percent (7-of-17) from beyond the arc. Carleton made 30 percent of its shot overall and went 4-of-21 (19 percent) from 3-point range.
 
Jasmine Choi (So./Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo) led Carleton with 13 points and added three steals. Jill Yanai (Sr./Glendale, Calif./Glendale) and Emma Henry (So./Prior Lake, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) accounted for in 11 points apiece. Yanai contributed six rebounds and three assists, while Emma Henry accounted for five rebounds and two assists.
 
Isabelle Henry (So./Prior Lake, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) collected a game-high five steals, while Margie Clauss (So./Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn) drained her first collegiate 3-pointer and accounted for a season-high eight rebounds and career-best three blocked shots.
 
Makenna Pearson had a game-high 18 points to pace three Royals in double figures.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will re-group and get ready for a matchup at St. Olaf College at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15. Fans hoping to go cheer on the Knights in person should be aware that St. Olaf has instituted spectator limits (including proof of vaccination status). More information can be found on the St. Olaf website.