<s a tough week for the women's basketball team, as the Knights suffered hard fought losses to St. Olaf on Saturday and Concordia on Wednesday.
Carleton (4-12, 3-10 MIAC) started off Wednesday’s game with Akemi Arzouman ’13 and Ally Weaver ’11 hitting the first four out of five three-point attempts as the Knights took a 14-12 lead over Concordia (13-4, 11-3 MIAC). The Cobbers ended the first half with a 12-3 run, however, leading the Knights by 15 points at the break. The Knights came back in the second half to outscore Concordia 23-21, but it was not quite enough to correct the first half errors as the Cobbers won, 64-51.
Arzouman had 14 points, Jessa Youso ’13 added her career-best with 12, and Weaver and Jenny Ramey ’14 both had nine points. Ramey also had an impressive five assists and three steals. A key component to the loss was 21 turnovers in comparison to Concordia’s 15. The Knights shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, but only 33.3 percent in the second half. The Cobbers out-rebounded the Knights 38-28, converting many second chance attempts into baskets.
On Saturday, the Knights led St. Olaf (9-8, 6-8 MIAC) 14-11 at the beginning of the first half, but the Oles chipped away at the lead, eventually winning 71-52. The first half stayed close, with Carleton only trailing by four at the end of the period, 31-27. The Knights shot 50 percent from the field, but a crucial factor was Carleton’s 14 turnovers in the first 20 minutes.
The Knights came out cold in the second half. The Oles started the period with a nine-point spurt, and posted a 15-2 run over the first nine minutes of the half. The Knights reduced the number of turnovers to seven, but only shot 33.3 percent from the field and were unable to change the spread. St. Olaf had seven turnovers throughout the duration of the game, and had a field goal percentage of 40.3 overall. Arzouman added 14 points and Weaver and Megan Meads 14 had seven points apiece.
With a record of 3-10 in the MIAC, the Knights are determined to alter the outcome during the remaining games of the season. Concordia stands second in the MIAC, and with a 13-point loss, Carleton is proving that they are capable of staying within a close spread of some of the best teams in the conference.
The first half of the Knights season had been marked by defeat. With the new focus on ball possession and decreased turnovers, however, Carleton has been performing like a team that stands in the top half of the conference.
If the Knights want to change the end result of their games from loss to win, however, they will have to begin out-rebounding their opponents. In the last two games, both teams have out-rebounded Carleton, with second chance attempts only adding to the deficit. Furthermore, Carleton has yet to consistently have four players put up solid numbers. The winning teams in the MIAC have several players that contribute to their victories.
The number of turnovers has decreased, but 21 turnovers per game signify 21 less possessions with the ball and chances to score. The Knights have done an impressive job of beginning to change their problems thus far one by one. It will take a combination of less turnovers, better rebounding, and sound performances from four players to compete with the top teams in the MIAC.
The future promises excitement for the team, as Weaver has 13 more points to go until she reaches the 1,000-point mark at Carleton. The Knights hit the road for games at Augsburg on Saturday and St. Catherine on Monday before returning home on Wednesday night to host Saint Benedict, with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off at West Gym.
-Kat Walton is a member of the women’s basketball team.
