NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College women's basketball team outscored visiting Saint Mary's University in the second half, but the deficit proved too large to overcome as the Knights lost, 71-59.
 
Carleton (6-12, 3-8 MIAC) out-shot Saint Mary's (14-5, 8-3 MIAC) in the contest overall (.477 versus .415), from 3-point range (.444 versus .313) and at the free throw line (.765 versus .667), but the Cardinals owned a 17-8 edge in points off turnovers and a 12-4 advantage in second-chance points thanks to 15 offensive rebounds.
 
An early four-point Saint Mary's lead was trimmed to 10-9 after Liz Hiatt converted a traditional three-point play with 4:24 remaining in the opening stanza. The outcome of the game was likely determined by the next four-plus minutes as the Cardinals closed the quarter on a 17-0 run. The visitors made their final seven shots while Carleton came up empty on its last eight possessions of the period, permitting Saint Mary's to earn a 27-9 lead after the first 10 minutes of play. The visitors maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the contest.
 
The Knights shored up their defense and outscored Saint Mary's 16-14 in the second quarter. After the Cardinals scored on their opening possession, Audrey Whitney, Addy Huss, Liesl McCallum, and Maggie Winesett each converted a layup as Carleton used an 8-0 run to pull within 29-17 with 4:30 still to play before intermission.
 
Carleton continued to make scoring difficult for the Cardinals in the third quarter, holding Saint Mary's to 21 percent shooting and forcing six turnovers. Unfortunately, the Knights' offense was also unable to capitalize as each side produced only nine points in the period.
 
The Knights shot 78 percent during a 25-point fourth quarter and used a 7-0 run to trim the deficit to 10 points, but Saint Mary's was able to protect its lead for the rest of the way.
 
Winesett and Whitney each scored 14 points to lead Carleton, while Huss chipped in 11 points, and McCallum tallied nine points and matched her career-best with five blocked shots.
 
Four Cardinals finished in double figures, led by 16 apiece for Rylie Ternquist and Kali Olson, with the latter also snaring 14 rebounds to notch her fourth double-double of the season. Brianna Nusbaum added 11 points, and Ayla Olson chipped in 10 points for the visitors. Saint Mary's moved into a four-way tie for third place in the MIAC standings, one game behind the conference co-leaders.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton hosts Augsburg University for a 1:00 p.m. contest on Saturday, January 31.