<lentine’s Day, Hannah Oken Berg ’09 scored a game-high 21 points, but Carleton lost to Macalester College, 69-61, eliminating the Knights from the chase for a playoff berth.
The Knights’ hope for a ninth consecutive post-season bid were slim to begin with as the team entered play two games out of the final playoff slot with only three games remaining. Carleton’s loss and Bethel’s 61-36 win at Augsburg officially canceled any chances of the Knights’ repeating last season’s magical run through the MIAC Playoffs.
In addition to Oken-Berg, Sarah Lincoln ’09 and Annie Eckhoff ’10 were factors for Carleton. Lincoln was two points shy of a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds, while Eckhoff chipped in eight points and five rebounds off the bench.
This also marked Carleton’s Pink Zone event, part of a nation-wide effort by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) to increase awareness and raise donations for breast cancer research. Both teams wore pink t-shirts during warm-ups, as did numerous fans in attendance.
In addition, nn Senior Night (Wednesday), Oken-Berg recorded her 16th double-double of the season and 79th of her career as Carleton (11-13, 10-11 MIAC) cruised to a 64-48 victory over visiting Augsburg. Oken-Berg had 15 points and nine rebounds in the first half and finished the contest with 18 points and 13 boards.
In the final home game of their collegiate careers, each of the four senior players contributed to the win. Lincoln tallied nine points, four rebounds and three assists. Annie Isler had seven points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Sarah Kunelius knocked down a pair of three-pointers.
After a sluggish opening three minutes for both teams, Carleton went on a 15-0 burst and built a 17-2 lead at the 12:20 mark of the first half. The Knights held a 37-16 advantage at intermission and opened up a 31-point margin midway through the second half. Knight’ shooting guard Ally Weaver ’11 drained 2-of her-3 shots from long range, giving her 56 three pointers this year, one shy of the Carleton single-season mark.
The lop-sided margin permitted the Carleton coaching staff to get extended playing time for underclassmen Mollie Feldman ’11, Kayla Kramer ’12 and Georgia Brown ’12.
Carleton hits the road for its season finale and will play at Bethel on Saturday, Feb. 21 in a women’s-men’s doubleheader. Both contests will be broadcast on KDHL 920 AM with a simulcast on Knights Online.