Northfield, Minn. –Sixth-ranked Carleton College shot 22 percent from the floor and managed only four second-half field goals in falling to St. Norbert College (Wis.) in the NCAA Tournament's second round, 60-47.
Abbey Johnson paced the Green Knights (23-4) off the bench with 10 points. Shannon Robak added nine points, including a pair of key 3-pointers, and Stacy Ritter added nine points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Nine of the 10 players that saw action for St. Norbert scored. The Green Knights knocked down 8-of-18 three-pointers, including 5-of-10 in the first half. Kelly Kromback added eight points, six rebounds and six assists.
Cara Jones (Sr./Minneapolis/Minneahaha Academy) led Carleton (25-3) with 10 points and six rebounds. Carleton's four seniors – Angie Grabowski (Sr./Plymouth, Minn./Maple Grove), Karen Fricke (Sr./Lincolnshire, Ill./Stevenson), Karissa Kramer (Sr./Clearwater, Minn./Monticello) and Jones – finished their career with an 86-24 record, the most wins by any class in Carleton women's basketball history.
St. Norbert won its 19th consecutive game in holding Carleton (25-3) to its lowest point total in four seasons. Carleton scored 46 points in a Jan. 19, 2000, victory over St. Olaf College, a span of 95 games. The Knights were 8-for 27 (29.6 percent) in the first half and 4-for-27 (14.8 percent) in the second half.
St. Nobert broke to a quick 14-5 lead as Carleton made only two field goals in the first 7:35. A Fricke triple and lay-ups by Linnea Engel (Jr./Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) and Kristi Colbenson (So./Rushford, Minn./Rushford-Peterson) cut the Green Knight lead to two, 14-12. Kelly Krombach answered with a jumper and Susan Schramka drilled a 3-pointer to answer Carleton's surge.
Carleton rallied right before the half, as a Jones three, a Megan Vig (Fy./Northfield, Minn.) lay-up and Kramer jumper in the lane tied the game at 21-all. Rachael Dombrowski and Stacy Ritter drained three-pointers to close the half, however, as the visitors led 27-21 at the break.
The second half proved to be even more of an offensive struggle for the hosts. They scored only three points in the first seven minutes of the half and trailed 36-24 with 13:26 left. Colbenson hit two free throws and drove for a lay-up and Jones hit two charity tosses to bring Carleton within eight, 38-30. The Green Knights answered with a Johnson jumper and the Knights scored only four points over the next 5:30 and missed five free throws.
The Knights still had a chance as Grabowski sliced through the lane for two, hit one of two free throws and hit a jumper in the lane to bring Carleton within seven, 53-46, with 1:58 remaining. St. Norbert missed on the front end of a one-and-one and Engel was fouled and made one of two free throws to bring the hosts within six. After Shannon Robak split on a pair of free throws to make it a seven-point spread, Vig's three-point attempt rimmed out and St. Norbert made 5-of-8 free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
St. Norbert advances to the Sweet 16 to face Washington University (Mo.) in the next round. The time and location of the sectional will be announced tomorrow. Carleton finishes the season with a school record 25 victories.
2003 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament Second Round
March 8, 2003
Carleton Post-game Quotes
Head Coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen Opening Comments
We did not play well. I am searching to see who shot well for us and that is to St. Norbert's credit.
Metcalf-Filzen on St. Norbert's inside play in the beginning catching Carleton off guard
They were definitely more physical. They played more physical than we like to play maybe that knocked us off our game a little bit.
Metcalf-Filzen on ineffectiveness of full-court press against St. Norbert
They are a good team. At this point in time you aren't going to find teams that are sloppy with the ball. What it might have done is bought us a little time [on the shot clock].
Metcalf-Filzen on slow start and the effects of the first-round bye
I don't know if it is the result of not playing for a week. You take the bye and there are good things about it and bad things about it. I think it helped us get to the point where we were healthy, but it may have hurt us as far as getting a quick start.
Metcalf-Filzen on coming back in the second half
I really thought we had a chance. In games like this you have to make your free throws if you want to stay in the game and we just didn't do that.
Metcalf-Filzen on how they handled St. Norbert's three-point shooting
We knew who the shooters were, but we still lost them a few times. They also made a couple with a hand in their face. They earned them – no question.
Metcalf-Filzen talks about the graduating seniors and their importance to the Carleton program
They have really left a legacy. The four of them came in and really established a winning tradition. That shows up on the record, but it also shows up in everyday things we do at practice – their intensity and their focus. I feel bad for them because they didn't play well. None of them had the kind of game they wanted to finish on. I am really proud of all of them and have a great deal of admiration for them.
Metcalf-Filzen on poor shooting from the Knights
Shoot, we shot 22 percent for the game, I think we are normally close to 50. Some of that is that we got knocked off our shots, but we still have to make them and we couldn't get them to go down. It was a huge factor. I think we would have to go back several years to see a game where we shot 22 percent.
Metcalf-Filzen on the number of 3-pointers that St. Norbert shot and their offensive output
We have teams in our league who shoot 20 or 25 threes. I don't think giving up 60 points to this team is bad, we just didn't score.
Cara Jones (Senior Guard) General Observations
We just didn't make our shots – that pretty much sums it up. We were cold or nervous or something.
Jones on how Carleton never seemed to gain momentum
We never found a rhythm. I don't really have any reason why. Normally we stick those shots.
Jones on St. Norbert's dominance inside and the high number of one-shot possessions
I think we were just being tentative. I don't want to chalk it up to nerves. They weren't really any different inside than any MIAC team. Gustavus has big people, St. Thomas has big people and they play aggressive down low. We just didn't attack the basket.
Jones on St. Norbert's ability to hit big shots and stifle comeback attempts
They just seemed to step up and hit the big shot whenever we were closing in as far as our comeback goes. Both Megan and I had three-pointers that just missed. If either of those go we can set up our full court pressure and maybe turned the corner there.
Jones on poor offensive performance for Carleton
We got away from what we normally do. We drove more than we normally do. We didn't really have a post presence. Beth and Karissa didn't get the ball; we never pounded it inside. We missed a bunch of lay-ups at the end. We just didn't make our shots.
St. Norbert Post-game Quotes
Head Coach Connie Tilley general observations
It was a wonderful win. There is something really special about this team. I knew this would be a challenge for us in an atmosphere like this. I felt we had to prove our mental toughness to take this one step farther. We bent but did not break
Tilley on St. Norbert's ability to dominate defensively
Defensive has been our strength all year. When you read the stats it is almost unbelievable to me. We get after people and cause them to take bad shots or make bad plays, and I think we definitely did that today. Our defense has kept us in games all year.
Stacy Ritter (Senior Guard) on earning respect against highly rated Carleton team
I think it was the most exciting thing about it. All year we had the target on our backs and this game we could come into it free of that. We were pretty loose and knowing that the team you are playing is good is exciting. As far as being ranked I don't think it is that big of a deal; it is just a number.
Abbey Johnson (Sophomore Center) on the importance of taking the crowd out of the game
Usually we are the ones with a big fan base. So to come on the road and have a hostile crowd pumped us up and got us ready to play, I think.
Shannon Robak (First-year Guard) on making 2 big three pointers in second half
If I'm open I shoot it. I try to ignore the score and just take my shots.
Tilley on facing Washington University in the next round
We are going to be so fired up for that game. We have never taken any of this for granted. We will go there with the confidence we have built all year and not be scared of anybody. If we lose, we have already done more than people thought we would do and if we win we will go on. I think it is an honor for our institution to play them
Tilley on stifling Carleton's comeback attempts with some key players on the bench
From the very beginning we have said, it is not always the five that start the game it is the five that finish the game. This year we brought in some pretty good freshman and we have some great role players, too. There is not a huge difference between our first five and our second five. I think the strength of our team is our depth.
Tilley on St. Norbert's physical style of play
I like that style. We like to be aggressive and take away the things the opposing team wants to do. Our attitude is to be physical.
Tilley on how they dealt with facing a highly-regarded, ranked opponent like Carleton
A lot of the time this season we faced teams that were maybe bigger or faster than us. That just means we have to do the little things. We have to block out better, and control the ball better. I think we did that well today. I just can't believe it yet.