NORTHFIELD, Minn. – An offensive explosion from the Carleton College men's basketball team resulted in a 98-79 triumph over the University of Northwestern-St. Paul. Sam Koelling led the squad with 25 efficient points, Matt Drake added 20 more, and Josh Engelberg chipped in 19 as the Knights pushed their win steak to four games.
 
Koelling added eight rebounds and three assists to his 10-for-14 shooting performance (4-for-7 from three). Drake also hit more than half his shots, going 8-of-15 and 4-of-7 from deep, while dishing out four assists. Engelberg made 7-of-14 shots and 3-of-6 triples. Andrew Weber drained a pair of 3-pointers and tied the game-high with four assists without turning the ball over.
 
Carleton (6-2) shot 55.9 percent overall in making 38 field goals, tied for 11th-most in team annals (see chart below). The Knights went 16-of-33 (48.5 percent) from 3-point range, tied for the fourth-most made triples in team history (see chart below). Carleton tied its season best with 19 assists, and the 98 points were the most by the Knights in a regular-season game since topping Bethel 98-74 on Jan. 15, 2024.
 
Northwestern (2-7) posted a 42.4-percent shooting mark overall, making 30.8 percent (8-for-26) of their shots from beyond the arc and 88.2 percent (15-of-17) of their free throws.
 
The Knights continued a trend of controlling the paint, outrebounding the Eagles 41-27 and scoring 44 points in the lane to 30 for Northwestern (2-7). Carleton has now outrebounded its opponents by 10 or more in each of their last five contests.
 
The Knights scored first, but Northwestern reeled off eight straight points to lead 8-2 after three minutes. Carleton trailed 19-11 with 13:45 left in the first half before Tobias Averill cashed 3-pointers on consecutive possessions, Koelling drained a triple, and Tysen Hayes knotted the score at 22-22 with a put-back approaching the 11-minute mark.
 
Averill cut into the paint and hit a runner at 9:46 to give Carleton a 27-25 lead, their first advantage since the opening basket. It was then Engelberg's turn to knock down a pair of triples, opening up a 36-28 Knights edge at 7:58. The Knights' red-hot offense went 8-for-11 over the final eight minutes, and entered halftime leading 55-44 – their most points in a half since Nov. 8, 2024.
 
Koelling tallied the Knights' first six points of the second half, scoring three points both ways - from outside and with an and-one. In response, AJ Greene and Noah Frazell combined for 14 Northwestern points over the first six minutes of the frame, cutting Carleton's lead to 68-61. The Knights embarked on a 15-2 run soon after, aided by five points from Weber.
 
That burst put them up 89-67 with just 5:38 to go, essentially putting the game to bed.
 
Greene scored a game-high 29 points for the Eagles, going 10-for-14 on the floor. Jacob Hoefs (13 points) and Frazell (12 points) joined Greene in double digits.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton travels to New Ulm for a meeting with Martin Luther College on Tuesday, Dec. 16, tipping off at LSC Gymnasium at 7:00 p.m.
 
Most 3-point field goals made – single game
1. 18, vs. Macalester; 1/6/93
1. 18, vs. Macalester; 1/11/95
1. 18, vs. Bethany Lutheran; 12/30/22
4. 16, at Hamline; 1/03/01
4. 16, at University of Chicago; 11/24/01
4. 16, at Concordia-Moorhead; 1/23/22
4. 16, at Northwestern (Minn.); 12/13/22
4. 16, vs. Bethel; 1/15/24
4. 16, vs. Northwestern (Minn.); 12/13/25
 
Most field goals made – single game
1. 48, Macalester; 2/8/95
2. 44, Gustavus Adolphus; 2/22/24
3. 43, 1962
4. 41, 1964
4. 41, Hawaii Loa College; 11/27/90
6. 40, Concordia-St. Paul; 11/29/85
6. 40, Iowa Wesleyan; 12/30/87
6. 40, Macalester; Jan. 1995
9. 39, 1965
9. 39, Macalester; 12/09/17
11. 38, 1957
11. 38, 1958
11. 38, Macalester; 1/7/89
11. 38, Crown; 11/23/02
11. 38, Macalester; 02/03/18
11. 38, Northwestern (Minn.); 12/13/25