CLAREMONT, Calif. – Matt Banovetz tallied a team-high 19 points and Luke Harris finished one assist shy of a double-double, but the Carleton College men's basketball team dropped another close battle, this time falling by a 67-64 tally against Pomona-Pitzer in a neutral-site game played at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
 
Pomona-Pitzer (4-0) never trailed in the contest while shooting 48.6 percent in the first half and 44.3 percent overall. The Sagehens pulled down 13 offensive rebounds, leading to a 13-3 edge in second-chance points.
 
Carleton (1-2) shot 35.3 percent overall and finished 13-of-39 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc. The Knights had been averaging 23.0 trips to the charity stripe per game this season but were awarded only four free throws in this one.
 
The Sagehens largest lead of the contest came at 45-31 with 1:04 remaining before intermission. Harris splashed a 3-pointer as the opening stanza expired to pull the Knights to within 11 points at the break. Carleton was able to even stay within striking distance thanks to a 7-of-17 (41.2 percent) showing from deep over the first 20 minutes.
 
Carleton opened the second half on a 13-2 run and tied the game at 47-47 with 16:27 still to play. After a timeout, Pomona-Pitzer regrouped and used a 13-4 burst to build a 60-51 margin midway through the second half.
 
Backup point guard Gabriel Cummings drained a 3-pointer on the Knights' next trip down the floor, but both teams' defenses took over down the stretch with the two squads combined for only 17 points over the final 9:30 of the game.
 
Peyton Mullarkey connected for a triple that game the Sagehens a 67-59 lead at the 4:12 mark, but those would be the last point of the contest for Pomona-Pitzer and opening the door for the Knights to rally.
 
Harris snapped a four-minute scoring drought for Carleton with a layup that brought the score to 67-61 with 1:10 still on the clock.
 
The Knights got the ball back, and Banovetz drained his fifth 3-pointer of the game with 10 seconds remaining.
 
Carleton had committed only two team fouls up to this point, so the Knights tried to foul and force the Sagehens to the free throw line. After two fouls left only 2.7 seconds on the clock, Carleton came up with a steal on the ensuing inbounds, but a desperation half-court heave by Banovetz was just off the mark.
 
Banovetz concluded the contest with a season-best 19 points, four rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Harris finished with 10 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and a pair of thefts. Sam Koelling, Alex Gibbens, and Miles Frisch each had eight points in the game, while Spencer Goetz grabbed 10 rebounds.
 
Jasper Hedin led all scorers with 21 points—along with 10 rebounds—to pace Pomona-Pitzer. Mullarkey added 15 points, and Pete Boyle chipped in 10 points.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton takes on No. 23-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in a neutral-site game to be held at Pomona-Pitzer's Voelkel Gymnasium.