NEW ULM, Minn. – Despite 38 points from sophomore
Matt Drake, the Carleton College men's basketball lost a shootout at Martin Luther College, 104-97, and saw its four-game win streak halted.
Drake turned in the highest-scoring game by any Carleton player in the 21st century, and his 38-point outburst is tied for fifth-most points in program history (see chart below). He shot 14-for-19 overall, including a 3-for-5 night from 3-point land in addition to a 7-of-10 showing at the free-throw line.
Backcourt mate
Josh Engelberg posted 22 points and three assists.
Tysen Hayes hit three 3-pointers and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds. Reigning MIAC Defensive Player of the Week
Sam Koelling registered four blocks.
Patrick Shobe scored a career-high nine points and blocked a shot.
Drake scored 21 first-half points, including a driving layup that gave Carleton a 24-16 lead with 10:10 remaining in the first half. Martin Luther's offense racked up 20 points in a six-minute span, petting them up 36-35 at 3:57. Soon after, Drake scored all of Carleton's points in an 8-2 run, helping the maize and blue enter halftime leading 46-42.
Martin Luther went on a 15-5 run—including seven straight points from Benjamin Pearson—over the opening four-plus minutes of the second half to build a 57-51 lead. Four minutes later, five points on consecutive possessions by Pearson gave MLC its largest lead of the game, a 68-59 edge at the 12:16 mark. Carleton responded with a 7-0 run to get back within two points.
The hosts kept trying to pull away, but the visitors stayed closes and eventually used a 9-2 run capped by a pair of free throws by Shobe to give Carleton a 92-91 lead with 1:44 still to play. That was the guests' first lead since the 18-minute mark of the first half.
On the next possession, Trey Lauber hit a 3-pointer for Martin Luther, but Hayes responded in kind for the guests. Thomas Balge answered right back by canning another shot from deep, sparking MLC on a 10-2 run to close the contest.
Carleton—which scored 95 or more points in consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 7-11, 2021—shot 56.1 percent from the field, hitting 6-of-18 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc and 27-of-38 (71.1 percent) free throws in a foul-heavy game that saw four players hit five infractions. Martin Luther shot 48.7 percent overall, 40.0 percent (10-for-25) from 3-point range, and 71.4 percent (20-for-28) at the free throw line. The difference in the game could be found on the glass as Martin Luther turned 12 offensive boards into 14 second-chance points. The home team also forced 12 Carleton turnovers and gave up the ball only four times.
Adam Loberger scored 25 points and registered nine rebounds to lead Martin Luther. Pearson scored 24 points, amassed nine rebounds, and dealt out four assists. Balge had 17 points, Ethan Kjenstad scored 14 points, and Lauber rounded out the quintet of double-digit scorers with 10 points.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton travels to Daytona Beach, Fla. For a pair of games later this week. Their first contest is against Grove City College on Friday, Dec. 19. The tip-off at Ocean Center Arena will come at 12:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. CT.
Most individual points – single game
1. 48, Tom Klimisch; Macalester – 2/8/95
2. 42, William Addington; vs. St. Olaf – 1/15/52
3. 40, Gerrick Monroe; So. Cal College – 11/27/91
4. 39, Josh Wilhelm; Pomona – 11/28/98
5. 38, Ivan Grimm; 1960
5. 38, Mark Wandmacher; 1984
5. 38, Matt Drake; vs. Martin Luther – 12/16/25
8. 37, Ronald Sanders; 1965
9. 36, Dave Heslam, at Hawaii Loa College – 11/27/90
9. 36, Steven DeLapp --- 1969
9. 36, Zach Johnson, at Bethel – 2/28/06
9. 36, Zach Johnson, Saint Mary's – 2/9/08
9. 36, Zach Johnson, at Macalester – 1/17/09
9. 36, Zach Johnson, vs. St. Olaf – 2/2/09
9. 36, Jeremy Beckler, vs St. John's – 1/16/23
