ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Audrey Whitney returned from a one-game absence due to injury and tallied a game-high 18 points, but the Carleton College women's basketball team surrendered 21 offensive rebounds leading to 21 second-chance points in a 77-47 loss at Bethel University.
 
The Knights (2-12, 1-6 MIAC) got off to a strong start and led for much of the first quarter before Bethel (11-3, 7-0 MIAC) inched in front 16-14 after the opening 10 minutes.
 
The second stanza saw the Royals—who received votes in the most recent D3hoops.com national poll—control the glass, corralling 11 offensive boards to the tune of 11 second-chance tallies and an eventual 38-24 advantage at halftime.
 
The margin was still 15 points at 48-33 midway through the third quarter, but the Knights' offense went cold, allowing the Royals to pull away for the victory, keeping Bethel tied with Gustavus Adolphus atop the conference standings.
 
Whitney had her second-highest scoring day of her collegiate career, tallying the 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Addy Huss was held to single-digit scoring with eight points, but she was all over the court with eight rebounds, six assists, and five steals. Those assist and steal totals are the most by a Knight so far this year.
 
For the Royals, Elly Schmitz notched a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Emily Erickson was the other Royal in double figures with 11 points. Anna Garfield grabbed 10 rebounds and scored the 1000th point of her career.
 
Carleton shot 32.7 percent from the floor on the day and made 2-of-11 three pointers (18.2 percent), but Bethel put up 22 more shots than the Knights, hitting 39.4 percent overall and going 5-of-26 (19.2 percent) from deep.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton returns to the confines of West Gym to take on the Concordia College-Moorhead on Saturday, Jan. 18. The game will tip off at 3:00 p.m. as the second half of a men's-women's doiubleheader.