NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Sparked by a near double-double from Emma Henry (So./Prior Lake, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels), the Carleton College women's basketball team beat Macalester College, 56-48, in their first-round MIAC Playoffs matchup. The win sends the No. 6-seeded Knights to the conference quarterfinals, and marks the team's first postseason game since the 2008 MIAC championship game.
 
I am really proud of our team and the effort and focus we played with today," said Carleton head coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen. "Every player contributed in a significant way. The execution down the stretch was exactly what we needed it to be to pick up the victory. We have lots to do to prepare for our game at Bethel on Tuesday."
 
Emma Henry put up nine points and a career-high 12 rebounds, leading both teams in the latter category. Jasmine Choi (So./Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo), Jill Yanai (Sr./Glendale, Calif./Glendale), and Aiana Whitfield (Jr./Richfield, Minn./Belinde-St. Margaret's) also filled the stat sheet for the Knights, who have now won eight of their past nine games. Choi tallied 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Yanai contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Whitfield narrowly missed reaching double figures in scoring but finished with nine points, four rebounds, and a team-best three steals.
 
With every member of the roster making their first postseason appearance, Carleton (13-13, 12-11 MIAC) jumped out to a 6-1 start thanks to a pair of layups from Yanai. The Knights forced No. 11 seed Macalester (8-18, 6-16 MIAC) to miss its first four shots, and the Scots did not make a field goal until nearly halfway through the quarter. A Selma Vangstein (Fy./Oslo, Norway/Nydalen) lay-in gave Carleton a 10-3 lead with three minutes left in the first, which turned out to be the Knights' largest lead of the half. The Scots needed just over two minutes to make up the seven-point deficit, as a pair of threes sparked an 8-0 run for the visitors , Macalester led 11-10 at the end of the quarter.
 
The Scots' run continued into the second period, as Macalester scored the first five points of the period to extend their lead to six. A pair of Emma Henry free throws ended the 13-0 run, giving the Knights their first points in over five minutes of game time. Still, the Scots were able to push their lead to 22-14, before a 7-0 run from Carleton, lasting just over two minutes, brought the Knights back to within a point. The Scots were able to hold their advantage for the last four minutes of the half, and took a 26-23 lead into halftime.
 
The Knights scored the first four points of the second half to go up 27-26, reclaiming the lead for the first time since the opening quarter. The lead would change hands three more times, and the score was tied twice over the next six minutes, before a pair of threes from Whitfield and Emma Henry– the Knights' first long-range shots of the game – gave them a little breathing room at 37-33. With 2:20 left in the quarter, the four-point lead marked the first time either team held a two-possession advantage in the second half. The quarter's final basket, a smooth turnaround in the post from Choi, gave Carleton a six-point lead, 39-33, as the teams entered the final period.
 
Both teams were held off the scoreboard until the 8-minute mark of the fourth, when Choi, falling out of bounds during a fast break, found a cutting Isabelle Henry (So./Prior Lake, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) with a one-handed pass for one of the day's flashier assists. The layup gave the Knights their biggest lead of the afternoon up to that point, at eight.  Macalester responded with a 7-1 run that cut Carleton's lead to two with 3:46 to play, but back-to-back spinning layups from the Henry twins put the Knights up by six once again. On the next possession, a Whitfield steal, leading to a stepback jumper for the junior, gave Carleton a 48-40 lead that Macalester was unable to make up. Choi netted five free throws in the game's final minute to seal the win.
 
Despite only hitting two three-pointers against Macalester's eight, Carleton sealed their playoff victory on the defensive end, netting 12 steals and five blocks compared to the Scots' four and three, respectively. Overall, Carleton turned the ball over 11 times, allowing just three Macalester points off turnovers. The Scots gave the ball up 21 times, leading to 17 points for Carleton.
 
Celine Sabbagh (15 points, 3-for-6 3FG) and Solana Cushing (14 points, 4-of-8 3FG) led the charge for Macalester, which saw its run end after appearing in its first postseason contest since 2011. This was Macalester's 10th consecutive loss.
 
Up Next for the Knights:
Carleton advances to the MIAC Playoffs quarterfinal, where the Knights will take on No. 3-seeded Bethel on Tuesday, February 22 in Arden Hills, Minn.