ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Jill Yanai (Sr./Glendale, Calif./Glendale) finished with a game-high 17 points to lead three Knights in double figures as the Carleton College women's basketball team pushed its win streak to four games with a 73-56 victory at St. Catherine University. Aiana Whitfield (Jr./Richfield, Minn./Benilde St.-Margaret's) and Jasmine Choi (So./Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo) chipped in 16 points apiece for the Knights.
 
Carleton (9-12, 8-10 MIAC) matched its second-highest point total of the season and never trailed in the game. The Knights shot 54.5 percent from the field, the best by a Carleton squad since shooting 58.9 percent against Hamline on Jan. 3, 2009.
 
"I am pleased with our effort tonight and our execution," said Carleton head coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen. "Better execution put us in position to get great looks on offense. This was a very solid team effort, one we can build on as we look ahead to lots of games in a short period of time."
 
Tonight, Carleton made a season-best seven 3-pointers (7-of-14, 50 percent). Meanwhile, the defense limited St. Catherine (5-13, 4-11 MIAC) to only 33 percent shooting overall and 25 percent (4-of-16) from beyond the arc.
 
Bailey Harmon's (Jr./Seattle, Wash./Lakeside) 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter, gave the Knights a 22-12 lead after the opening 10 minutes. Another Harmon triple gave Carleton its biggest advantage of the contest at 35-15 midway through the second quarter.
 
The Wildcats clawed back with a 14-2 run of their own to pull within 37-29 with 2:00 left in the first half, but Whitfield's layup right before halftime gave Carleton a double-digit lead at intermission.
 
The Knights maintained at least a nine-point advantage over the final two quarters in securing their fourth consecutive victory, tied for the second-longest active win streak in the conference.
 
Yanai had her best shooting performance since the season opener, going 8-for-14 (57 percent) from the floor. Whitfield shot a career best 77.8 percent (7-of-9) and her 16-point effort was her highest scoring output over her last nine games. In addition to a 16th consecutive game in double figures, Choi pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.
 
Margie Clauss (So./Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn) contributed seven points and seven rebounds for the Knights, who saw both Harmon and Aurora Davis (Fy./Tualatin, Ore./Tualatin) knocked down a pair of 3-pointers for their six points.
 
Sam Orth (12 points) and Bree Glynn (10) were the lone Wildcats to achieve double-digit scoring .
 
Up Next for the Knights
Two of the hottest teams in the MIAC will square off in West Gym at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 9. Carleton will put its four-game win streak on the line against Hamline University, winner of five straight contests, as the Knights open a three-game homestand.