NORTHFIELD, Minn. – A career-high 26 points from Sam Koelling and a history-making 22 from Luke Harris led the Carleton College men's basketball team to a 77-62 romp over Bethel University.
 
Koelling tallied his 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting (4-of-8 from three). The sophomore also had a game-high seven rebounds. Harris went 9-of-14 (3-of-5 from three), and his final trey of the night pushed him above the Class of 2020's Kent Hanson for fourth all-time in Carleton men's basketball scoring annals (see chart below). Spencer Goetz had a prototypical all-around day, tallying six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.
 
After a game-opening 3-pointer by Nick Burke, the Knights (14-7, 7-5 MIAC) pounded out a 17-3 run to open up a double-digit lead. Bethel (11-9, 5-6 MIAC) closed to within 22-16 with 8:00 remaining in the first half, but Carleton responded with a 21-6 run to pull away. The Knights eventually carried a 43-26 lead into intermission after ripping the nets to the tune of 60 percent from the floor in the frame. Carleton maintained at least a 13-point lead the rest of the way.

Koelling had a scorched-earth stretch between 9:42 and 3:33 of the first half, where he went 6-for-6 to score 15 points.
 
Bethel's Payton Thomsen totaled 20 of his team-best 22 points in the second half to try and drag his squad back into the game, but Carleton responded at every turn to hold off the visitors in a crucial playoff-picture contest. The Knights sit fourth in the MIAC standings, two games clear of the seventh-placed Augsburg Auggies.
 
Carleton concluded the contest with a 50.8 shooting mark, while tying their season high with 12 mad 3-pointers on 30 attempts (40.0 percent). Bethel was held to a 33.3 percent total from the floor, their second-worst of the year, and hit just 8-of-32 threes (25.0 percent). Carleton won the battle on the glass, 39-32, and set a new season high in assists with 20.
 
The MIAC's second-leading scorer, Payton Thomsen, matched its' leading scorer, Luke Harris, with 22 points. Blake Schmitz notched 10 points, two blocks, and three steals for the Royals.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Fourth-placed Carleton takes a weekend off and resumes play with a crucial clash at third-place Hamline University on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m..
 
Carleton College Men's Basketball All-Time Scoring Leaders (top 5)
1. 2,029 - Zach Johnson (106 games) - 2005-09
2. 1,967 - Josh Wilhelm (97 games) - 1995-99
3. 1,903 - Gerrick Monroe (105 games) - 1989-93
4. 1,683 – Luke Harris (97 games) - 2021-present
5. 1,682 – Kent Hanson (99 games) - 2016-20