NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Sam Koelling finished with a team-high 21 points and added 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season as Carleton College held off visiting Macalester College by an 86-78 margin.
 
Carleton (5-2, 3-0 MIAC) raced out to a 13-0 lead, but Macalester (5-6, 0-3 MIAC) responded with a 15-6 burst to get back into the game. After the Knights built a 37-30 advantage with 4:20 before intermission, the Scots closed the opening stanza with a 12-2 run and carried a three-point lead into halftime. Macalester backup guard Jamal Randle had 18 first-half points thanks to a 6-of-7 showing from 3-pont range.
 
The hosts started the second half with an 11-2 run to regain the lead and still held a six-point margin at 60-54 with 11:00 minutes remaining. Macalester put together a 14-6 spurt to take a 68-66 lead with 7:26 remaining, but Carleton went on a 17-5 run over the next six minutes to seize control of the contest.
 
Koelling, who matched his career high with four blocked shots, led four Carleton starters in double figures. Tobias Averill chipped in 19 points, five boards, three assists, a steal, and a blocked shot. Josh Engelberg added 17 points and a team-best four assists, and Matt Drake tallied 16 points. Patrick Smith contributed six points and two assists plus a game-high 13 rebounds.
 
The Knights shot 51.8 percent overall including 7-of-21 (33.3 percent) from 3-point range in addition to 21-of-23 (91.3 percent) at the charity stripe. Macalester shot 44.4 percent overall and stayed in the game thanks to 16-of-32 (50 percent) performance from beyond the arc. The Scots could not overcome a 6-of-14 (42.9 percent) showing at the free throw line.
 
Jamal Randle led the way for the visitors with 21 points off the bench. Noah Shannon was the only other Scot in double figures, finishing with 15 points, seven boards, and five assists.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton hosts University of Northwestern-St. Paul for a 3:00 p.m. tipoff on Saturday, Dec. 13.