ST. PAUL, Minn. –  The Carleton College men's basketball team erased an 18-point second-half deficit and rallied for a 76-74 victory at Hamline University. Sam Koelling scored all 16 of his points in the second half to spark the comeback, and Josh Engelberg hit the go-ahead bucket with 43 seconds left.
 
This was Carleton's largest comeback since the Knights dug out of a 19-point hole to top Carroll University on Nov. 26, 2022. (see chart below)
 
Hamline (11-4, 3-3 MIAC) shot 69 percent in the first half, including a 6-of-9 (67 percent) performance from 3-point range but cooled off after intermission to an overall 36 percent clip during the second stanza with a 1-of-8 showing from beyond the arc. Carleton (9-6, 5-2 MIAC) connected at a 43 percent clip overall but was only 4-of-15 (16 percent) from downtown. The Knights worked their way to the free throw line 31 times, making 26 (84 percent)
 
Tobias Averill canned a 3-pointer on Carleton's first shot, but Hamline responded with a 6-0 burst to lead 8-3 after four minutes. The Knights twice cut the lead to three points, but the Pipers hit four straight shots to author a lightning-fast 11-2 run, giving them a 23-11 edge at the 11:40 mark of the first half.
 
Hamline held Carleton at a distance for the remainder of the opening period. The closest the Knights would get was within nine points, as a Pipers offense that was firing on all cylinders. That offensive outburst put the hosts up 49-33 at the break, Carleton's largest halftime deficit of the year.
 
Hamline looked to see the game out in the second, starting off the stanza with a Brady Laliberte lay-in to take their lead to a game-high 18 points. But Carleton sprang to life and put together one of its best stretches of the season, a 17-1 scorcher helped out by six points from Koelling. That run stretched over five minutes and cut a seemingly insurmountable lead to just a 52-50 Hamline edge.
 
The Pipers quickly got their feet back under them with a 9-2 run of their own, picking up a 61-52 advantage with 10:38 to go in the game. Hamline seemed to settle the game down and still led by nine with six minutes left. Carleton would not go quietly, however, and an 11-3 jaunt helped by five more from Koelling put the maize and blue within one – down 69-68 with three minutes on the clock.
 
Dominic Dosmann hit a layup for the Pipers, but Koelling continued an incredible second half with a catch-and-shoot three to tie the game at 71-71 with 2:17 still to go. Omar Kaba finished down low on the next possession to give Carleton its first lead since that early Averill triple.
 
Raul Vaiya hit from three—the Pipers' lone triple of the second half—to permit the hosts to briefly retake the lead, but Engelberg found a way to bank in a tough shot as the shot clock expired, giving the Knights a 75-74 edge.
 
Carleton forced a shot clock violation on the ensuing Pipers possession, and Koelling made 1-of-2 at the charity stripe. One final defensive stand sealed the hard-fought victory.
 
Matt Drake led the Knights with a game-high 19 points, going a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Despite going scoreless in the first half, Koelling's nearly notched a double-double with 16 second-half and a game-high nine rebounds, going along with two steals. Averill scored 16 points on 5-for-8 shooting. George Norsman chipped in eight bench points, making all four of his attempts.
 
Laliberte had 16 points for Hamline, and Vaidya added 15 and four assists. Camden Holecek posted 12 points from the bench.
 
Carleton garnered 30 rebounds to Hamline's 27, and forced 12 turnovers while committing just eight.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton comes back home for three of its next four contest, beginning with a rematch of last year's MIAC Playoffs Final as Saint John's University visits West Gym at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17 as part of a women's-men's double-dip.
 
Largest Carleton Comebacks (since 2022-23 season)
Deficit Opponent — Date
19        vs. Carroll — 11/26/2022
18        at Hamline — 1/14/2026
16        vs. Saint John's — 2/8/2023
15        vs. North Central — 11/29/2025
15        vs. Bethany Lutheran — 11/20/2024
14        at St. Olaf — 1/25/2025