The loss snapped the Knights' 23-game winning streak over the Wildcats. Sarah Schneider paced the Wildcats (6-7, 4-4 MIAC) with 15 points and seven rebounds. Rachel Berglund added 13 points and Erin Petrich chipped in 11 as both players made a trio of three-pointers each. Jenna Martin added nine points and 14 rebounds and Ashley Busch had nine points and two key free throws to seal the victory.
Sarah Lincoln added a career-high 17 points and added seven boards and Hannah Oken-Berg tallied 13 points and nine rebounds for Carleton. Vig, Lincoln and Oken-Berg accounted for 52 of Carleton's 60 and 21 of their 25 field goals.
The Knights (5-7, 3-4 MIAC) lost for the fifth consecutive time and third straight time in MIAC play. It marked the first time under ninth-year head coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen the Knights have lost five consecutive games. It marked St. Catherine's first win over Carleton since Dec. 6, 1986.
In a game with six ties, 12 lead changes and the largest lead of five, the Wildcats' opening surge in the second half and another lengthy dry spell by the Knights decided the outcome. After Vig scored the final five points of the first half to push Carleton into the lead, 29-24, the Wildcats opened the second half with consecutive three-pointers by Berglund to eventually lead 43-38 seven minutes into the final period. Carleton managed only two field goals over an eight-minute stretch midway through the half in getting outscored 16-9 over that span.
Carleton pulled within a single point four times, the final after Lincoln drained a three from the corner with 1 minute, 30 seconds left. Carleton would have three more cracks at either forcing a tie or winning the game. Oken-Berg's jumper in the lane was off the mark with 42 seconds left, followed by the first-year center missing on the front end of a one-and-one with 28 seconds left. The Knights still had a chance after Petrich missed on her own front end of a bonus free throw, but Vig's baseline jumper was short and Busch connected on two free throws with three seconds left and Carleton's final shot from 40 feet was well short.
The Knights controlled much of the first half. After falling behind 4-0, the Knights took the lead and kept it for most of the half, outscoring the hosts 11-4 over the final six minutes to take a five-point margin into the half.
Carleton shot 45 percent from the floor and held the Wildcats to 41 percent, but the free-throw line proved to be the difference. St. Kate's was 13-for-20 from the stripe compared to 6-of-11 for Carleton.
Carleton returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 14, facing rival St. Olaf College at Skoglund Center at 1 p.m. The game can be heard live on Knights Online and locally on KQCL 95.9 FM.
Carleton vs St. Catherine 01-11-06 7:30 PM at Butler Center - College of St. Catherine At Butler Center - College of St. Catherine ST. CATHERINE 63, CARLETON 60 CARLETON (5-6 (3-3 MIAC)) Megan Vig 10-16 0-0 22; Sarah Lincoln 5-8 5-5 17; Hannah Oken-Berg 6-13 1-4 13; Annie Isler 2-4 0-2 4; Anna Biewen 1-3 0-0 2; Sarah Kunelius 1-3 0-0 2; Andrea Dahl 0-2 0-0 0; Emily Strandmark 0-0 0-0 0; Kari Christianson 0-3 0-0 0; Andrea Korb 0-3 0-0 0; Liz Baumgartner 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-56 6-11 60. ST. CATHERINE (5-6 (3-3 MIAC)) Sarah Schneider 6-9 3-6 15; Rachel Berglund 5-16 0-0 13; Erin Petrich 4-7 0-1 11; Ashley Busch 2-8 5-6 9; Jenna Martin 2-4 5-7 9; Teresa Meiners 2-5 0-0 4; Sara Schafhauser 1-3 0-0 2; Michel Weinhagen 0-1 0-0 0; Trisha Johnson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-54 13-20 63. Carleton...................... 29 31 - 60 St. Catherine................. 24 39 - 63 3-point goals-Carleton 4-8 (Megan Vig 2-3; Sarah Lincoln 2-2; Sarah Kunelius 0-1; Andrea Korb 0-1; Liz Baumgartner 0-1), St. Catherine 6-17 (Rachel Berglund 3-8; Erin Petrich 3-6; Sara Schafhauser 0-2; Michel Weinhagen 0-1). Fouled out--Carleton-None, St. Catherine-None. Rebounds-Carleton 35 (Hannah Oken-Berg 9), St. Catherine 34 (Jenna Martin 14). Assists-Carleton 14 (Andrea Korb 4), St. Catherine 15 (Teresa Meiners 4). Total fouls-Carleton 13, St. Catherine 14.