ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Three players finished in double figures—including a 10-point effort by senior guard Selma Vangstein, but the Carleton College women's basketball team dropped its first road conference game of the season, falling 72-52 at College of Saint Benedict.
 
Carleton (1-7, 0-2 MIAC) had its second-best shooting performance of the season and out-scored Saint Benedict (6-1, 2-0 MIAC) during the second half, however the Knights were missing starting forward Bella Thomas due to an injury and the taller Bennie lineup took advantage by grabbing 15 offensive rebounds leading to a 14-2 advantage in second-chance points.
 
The Knights tied the game at 7-7 early in the opening quarter before Saint Benedict forward Sofia Baldessari, the tallest player on either roster, scored three consecutive layups during the Bennies' subsequent 8-0 run.
 
Taylor Dente drained a 3-pointer to pull Carleton within 15-10 at the three-minute mark of the period, but Saint Benedict would play from in front the rest of the way.
 
The hosts led 44-22 at intermission, but Carleton opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run thanks to two points apiece from Vangstein, Addy Huss, Liesl McCallum, and Nayeli Williams. The Knights shot 50 percent while out-scoring the Bennies 18-11 in the period.
 
After going 2-of-18 from 3-point range spanning the first three quarters, Carleton started the final stanza 3-of-6 from deep as Dente, Huss, and Audrey Whitney each tallied a triple. Even though the Knights committed fewer turnovers on the day and held their own on points in the paint (32-30), the extra possessions following offensive rebounds ultimately proved too much for Carleton to overcome.
 
Whitney finished the day with a team-high 12 points allowing with five rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals. Huss accounted for 11 points, eight boards, two assists, and three steals. McCallum added seven points and seven boards, while Williams and Dente chipped in six points apiece.
 
Megan Morgan paced the Bennies with 15 points, while Baldessari finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.
 
Carleton shot 37.0 percent overall and was 5-of-26 from beyond the arc, while Saint Benedict made 46.7 of its attempts, including 9-of-27 from long range.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton has two more road games before taking a break from competition for the holidays. The Knights visit Macalester College for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff on Wednesday, Dec. 11 followed by a trip to Martin Luther College for a 5:30 p.m. non-conference contest on Friday, Dec. 13.