NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College men's basketball team erased a 15-point halftime deficit and rallied for an 83-79 non-conference victory over North Central (Minn.) University.
 
Three players finished in double figures for Carleton (2-1). Sam Koelling scored a career-best 27 points, Matt Drake added 20 points, and Josh Engelberg chipped in 18 points.
 
North Central (1-3) closed the first half with an 8-0 run and carried a 47-32 advantage into intermission. Carleton scored the first 11 points of the second stanza and continued to chip away at the deficit. Drake's jumper in the lane pushed the home team in front 66-65 with 6:10 remaining, and it remained a one possession game the next six-plus minutes.
 
The Knights trailed 79-77 before Drake converted a traditional three-point play with 29.4 seconds remaining. Engelberg came up his third steal of the game on the subsequent defensive possession, and Drake made three free throws over the final 13 seconds to ice the game.
 
Koelling notched his fourth career game of 20-plus points and added seven boards. This was Drake's second straight game of at least 20 points and the third such performance of his career.
 
Carrington McNeal tallied a game-high 28 points to pace the Rams. Twin brother Carmello McNeal contributed 13 points.
 
After shooting 38.7 percent in the first half, including 1-of-11 from long range, the Knights scorched the nets at a 62.1 percent clip in the second half, going 14-19 inside the arc and 4-of-10 from beyond the arc.
 
After North Central shot 50 percent in the first half, the Knights' defensive changes limited the visitors to only a 37.5 percent clip in second half, including 2-12 (16.7 percent) from 3-point range.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will take a break for tall term finals before returning to the hardwood for a 7:00 pm. tipoff at Bethany Lutheran College on Tuesday, Nov. 25.