ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – In the first three quarters of Monday night's MIAC contest, the College of Saint Benedict basketball team shot 20 percent from long range, hitting just three of 15 attempts.
 
In the final quarter, the Bennies couldn't miss from long range.
 
CSB hit six 3-pointers in the final 10 minutes of play to turn a four-point deficit into a 15-point win against Carleton. The Knights led by as many as nine points midway through the third quarter, but Saint Benedict came away with a 67-52 win to start the new year in Claire Lynch.
 
After Carleton (3-6, 2-4) hit a three with 4:17 left in the third to go up nine, 41-32, the Bennies closed out the quarter on a 7-2 run including a layup from Olivia Boily in the final seconds of the quarter to make it a four-point game, 43-39, heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
 
A three from Carla Meyer made it a three-point game early in the fourth and a layup from Gabby Martin cut the lead to one, and a second three from Meyer tied the game 47-47 with 6:12 left to play. Tori Szathmary scored to put CSB up one, and Sophia Jonas hit a three to put the Bennies up for good. Abigail Kuboushek hit a pair of threes and Jonas added a second three in the final 2:30 of the game to help keep the Knights at bay and close out the win.
 
Meyer – who led the team with 19 points – started the game with a three as the Bennies (7-2, 4-2) jumped to a slim lead early. Carleton knocked down a three and scored on a layup late to take a four-point lead, 15-11, into the second quarter. The two teams traded baskets in the second, and the Bennies kept the Knights within seven in the second. A three from Maria Klein made it a four-point game in the final 1:31 of the half, but Carleton hit three free throws to take a 32-25 lead into halftime.
 
Meyer and Boily scored to start the third and cut the lead to five, but the Knights were able to push the lead back to nine twice before the Bennies made their final run.
 
Meyer finished with a trio of 3-pointers and also added nine rebounds and three assists to her stat line Monday. Martin added 12 points and six rebounds, Jonas had nine points and five assists and Boily had eight rebounds for the Bennies, who shot 41 percent from the field and went 12-for-18 from the line. CSB had 45 rebounds to the Knights' 39 and committed 19 turnovers – 13 in the first half.
 
Jill Yanai had 14 points to lead four Knights in double digits, and Jasmine Choi and Margie Clauss both had seven rebounds. The Knights shot 30 percent from the field, went 10-for-17 from the line and had 10 turnovers.
 
CSB is back at home Wednesday, Jan. 5, when it hosts Bethel at 7 p.m. in Claire Lynch.