NORTHFIELD, Minn. – A stifling defensive effort in the first and fourth quarters gave the Carleton College women's basketball team a wire-to-wire, 65-52 victory over crosstown rival St. Olaf College. The Knights, led by three double-digit scorers, snapped a three-game slide after holding the Oles to a combined 15 points during the initial and final periods.
Jasmine Choi (So./Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo) scored a game-high 18 points to lead Carleton (5-9, 4-7 MIAC).
Jill Yanai (Sr./Glendale, Calif./Glendale) poured in 13 points of her own, to go along with her season-high seven assists.
Margie Clauss (So./Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn) joined her teammates in double figures, contributing a career-best 12 points, while also leading her team with a season-high nine rebounds.
The victory means the Presidents' Cup will be in play when these schools meet again on Feb. 12. St. Olaf (4-10, 3-8 MIAC) entered the day in possession of the traveling trophy, so the Knights need to sweep the season series to wrest control of the keepsake.
"Today was a typical Carleton-St. Olaf battle," said Carleton head coach
Tammy Metcalf-Filzen. "I was pleased with our focus and intensity. This was another team win with significant contributions by each player who stepped on the court. We'll enjoy a day off and get back to work on Monday."
The Knights opened the contest with a 10-0 run as St. Olaf did not get onto the scoreboard until the 4:19 mark of the opening period. The Knights' hot start was paced by
Bella Thomas (Fy./Minneapolis, Minn./De La Selle), who came off the bench early and immediately contributed a pair of baskets. She would finish the game with six points and seven rebounds. Carleton extended its lead to 17-6 by the end of the first quarter.
Carleton stretched its lead to 23-11 by the 7:30 mark of the second quarter, but an 11-6 run from St. Olaf brought the home team to within seven with a little over two minutes before halftime. Carleton's defense would shine once again late in the quarter, however, as the visitors accounted for the last seven points of the quarter to take a comfortable 36-22 lead into halftime.
After scoring only 22 points in first half, St. Olaf erupted for 21 in third quarter. The Oles opened the period with a 16-6 run to bring them within four. However, scores on four of the Knights' final eight possessions of the period, including four second-chance points, gave the visitors a little breathing room as they entered the fourth quarter leading 50-43.
A pair of free throws from St. Olaf's Grace Hegland trimmed the home team's deficit to 52-49 with 7:45 remaining in the game, the first time St. Olaf had made it a one-possession game since the opening moments of the contest.
However, an 11-0 run for the Knights over the next four-and-a-half minutes ballooned the lead back to 14, largely putting the game away. Clauss and
Emma Henry (So./Prior Lake, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) combined for seven of the Knights' points during the critical stretch.
During the final period, the Knights held St. Olaf to 3-for-16 shooting, forcing five turnovers and limiting the Oles to nine points, with only three of those tallies coming over the final 7:44 of the game.
Overall, the Knights shot 43 percent on the day and held St. Olaf to 31.1 percent shooting from the floor (19-of-61), including a frigid 1-for-19 (5.3 percent) from beyond the three-point line.
K'Lynn Lewis led the Oles with 12 points, four assists, and a trio of steals.
Up Next for the Knights:
Carleton returns to the West Gym for a matchup with Gustavus Adolphus College on Wednesday, January 19, at 7:00 PM. Per current Carleton athletic department policy, spectators will not be allowed at the game, but the Knights will provide live video/stats.
