NORTHFIELD, Minn. – After three quarters of play Saturday afternoon, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team led Carleton by 13, 46-33, and CSB looked poised to pick up its eight MIAC win of the season.
The Knights, however, had other ideas, and outscored CSB 26-11 in the final quarter and hit a pair of free throws with five seconds left in the game to come away with a 59-57 win on their home court in Northfield.
The loss is just the third MIAC loss of the season for Saint Benedict, which is now 11-6 overall and 7-3 and alone in fourth in the league. Carleton is 5-12 overall and 3-7 in the MIAC.
Sidney Schiffler hit a three with just over three minutes left in the third quarter to put CSB up 15, 42-27.
Morgan Merritt hit a pair of free throws and
Macy Kelly scored with a minute left to help CSB maintain its 13-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
But the Knights started the fourth quarter on a 20-1 run to go up six, 53-47, with 3:39 left to play. Kelly hit a free throw and
Chelsey Guetter had two baskets to make it a two-point game with 2:23 remaining, but Carleton converted a three-point play to go u p56-51 with 1:47 left to play.
Niki Fokken and Merritt scored to get CSB within one, and a layup by Guetter tied the game at 57-57 with 14 seconds left to play, but Saint Benedict fouled Katie Chavez, who drained both free throws with five seconds left to lift the Knights to the win.
CSB, which shot 28.6 percent in the fourth quarter to the Knights' 64.3 percent, led 13-9 after the first quarter and took a 29-19 lead into halftime.
Merritt finished with 11 points to lead CSB, which shot 33.9 percent from the field for the game, and
Annie Dittberner added eight points. Guetter and Kelly both had eight rebounds and
Alison Newton had four assists. Saint Benedict went 15-for-25 from the line and had 39 rebounds and 15 turnovers.
Cece Leone led all scorers with 15 points for Carleton, which shot 37 percent from the field. She was one of four Knights to score in double digits, and she also led the team with nine rebounds. Carleton went 15-for-20 from the line and had 41 rebounds and 19 turnovers.
CSB is back on the road Wednesday, Jan. 25, when it travels to St. Paul to take on St. Kate's. Saint Benedict is back at home again Saturday, Jan. 28, when it hosts St. Thomas.
