NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- First-year Gabbi Stienstra (St. Paul, Minn./Minnehaha) scored a game-high 14 points, leading the Carleton College women’s basketball team to a 55-45 victory over Macalester College. The win snapped an eight-game slide for the Knights (3-10, 3-7 MIAC), who have now matched their win total from a year ago before reaching the mid-point of the conference schedule.
The Knights jumped out to an early lead, using three-pointers from Stienstra and Skylar Tsutsui (So./Northridge, Calif./Harvard Westlake) to build a 15-6 advantage seven minutes into the contest. The Scots (4-9, 3-7 MIAC) responded with a 20-8 run to take the lead, but Tsutsui hit two free throws late in the first half to tie the score at 28-28 going into intermission.
The momentum swung in Carleton’s favor early in the second period. The Knights moved into a full-court press, and this proved to be too much for the Scots to handle. Carleton forced 10 turnovers over the first seven minutes of the half and built a 39-30 lead.
“Our defense is really starting to come together, and today was proof of that,” said head coach Cassie Kosiba. “We had a great, focused practice Friday, and it paid off.”
Macalester cut the deficit to only four with six minutes remaining, but a pair of buckets from Rachael Dodd (Jr./Culver City, Calif./Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies) and a three-pointer by Jenny Ramey (Jr./Cottage Grove, Minn./New Life Academy) put the Knights back in control down the stretch.
Forward Emma Purfeerst (Jr./River Falls, Wis./River Falls) tallied eight points and eight rebounds on the day to pick up a victory over her sister, Abby, a first-year player for the Scots. Megan Meads (Jr./Sillwater, Minn./Stillwater) narrowly missed a double-double, scoring seven points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
The Knights return to the court on Wednesday, Jan. 16 to face St. Catherine University. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m., and Knights Online will feature live.
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