NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Visiting Carleton College hit 12 three-pointers and used a 13-2 run midway through the first half to open up a sizable lead on its way to defeating the St. Olaf College men's basketball team, 73-56, on Monday night at Skoglund Center.
After St. Olaf (12-8, 8-7 MIAC) took the first meeting between the crosstown rivals, first-place Carleton (17-3, 12-3 MIAC) kept possession of The Goat by hitting 12 of its first 24 three-pointers to pull away from the Oles. The Knights led by double figures for the final 29:10 of the game.
Jeremy Beckler led Carleton with a game-high 20 points on 6-for-15 shooting, including going 4-for-10 from three-point range, to go along with eight rebounds and five assists. Alex Gibbens added 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting, while Chuck Sweat hit all five of his shots, including three three-pointers, to record 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
First year
Kobe Kirk was the lone Ole in double figures with 16 points on 7-for-15 shooting. Junior
Connor Martin added nine points and six assists for St. Olaf, which shot just 38.6 percent (22-for-57) from the field after shooting over 50.0 percent in each of its last three games.
The Oles grabbed their only leads of the game on buckets by fifth-year senior
Nathan Hendler and Martin on their first two offensive possessions, but Beckler had seven of the first 10 points for the Knights to help the visitors to a 10-7 lead three-plus minutes in.
Back-to-back layups by Hendler and Martin had St. Olaf within five, 18-13, before Carleton went on a 13-2 run over a five-minute stretch to open up a 31-15 lead with 7:42 to go before halftime. Sweat hit back-to-back three-pointers and Beckler followed with one of his own to cap the run, as the visitors took a 42-23 halftime lead.
A three-point play by senior
Michael Meriggioli to start the scoring after the break brought the Oles as close as they would get in the second half at 42-26. The Knights led by as many as 30 midway through the half. First year
Ryan Warren scored five points over the final three minutes for St. Olaf.
The Oles look to bounce back on Wednesday, Feb. 1 with a 7 p.m. tip-off in Winona against Saint Mary's University.
