<rleton College men’s basketball opened the second half of the MIAC schedule in fine fashion as the Knights rallied from 11 points down to record an impressive 74-56 victory over visiting Augsburg College. The Knights were led by Zach Johnson ‘09, who recorded a double-double with 20 points and a career-high 13 rebounds plus six assists.
Carleton struggled to find any offensive rhythm early, shooting only 33 percent in the opening period. The Knights’ largest deficit was 28-17 with 3:55 remaining in the first half. The hosts shaved the hole to seven points, 35-28, heading into halftime.
After intermission, the Knights caught fire from everywhere on the floor, hitting 64 percent of their shots from the field. That figure included a 7-for-11 (63.6 percent) performance behind the three-point line as Carleton outscored the Auggies 46-21 in the second half.
The Knights missed their first four shots of the second half, but the tide swung when Augsburg center Femi Solaja picked up his fourth foul with 17:36 remaining in the game.
On Carleton’s subsequent possession, Jason Weischedel ‘11 drilled his third three-pointer of the game, igniting a 40-15 Carleton run as the Knights exerted complete control over the contest.Carleton hit 16 of its final 21 shots, including 7 of 9 from outside the arc.Johnson’s double-double was his third of the season, but he also turned in a solid defensive effort. The Knights limited Solaja, who averages a double-double, to only four points and five rebounds.
Carleton wing Tommy Drake ‘08 heated up after halftime. After having only one basket–and five points–in the opening half, he knocked down four three-pointers after halftime and finished with 18 points, matching his season high. He also contributed six assists while playing tough defense.Carter Biewen ‘11 was the focus of the Augsburg defense, yet he finished the night with 13 points, including a trio of three-pointers, and grabbed seven rebounds.Another Knight that started slowly but warmed up in the second half was Bryan Rosett ‘10. He began the night 1-for-9 before knocking down his final four shots and totaling 10 points with eight rebounds.
Mitch Dice came off the bench to tally a team-high 12 points for Augsburg. Justin Kozlowski added 11 points and Nate Alm 10 as the Auggies shot 50 percent in the first half but only 31 percent after the break.
Carleton takes to the road for a Saturday matchup at Concordia College. The women’s/men’s doubleheader starts at 1 p.m. The men’s game will tipoff at approximately 3 p.m.