ST. PAUL, Minn. – Sophomore Dominic Bledsoe posted a career-high 24 points and led the St. Olaf College men's basketball team to a 79-54 victory over Macalester College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) contest Saturday afternoon at Leonard Center.

St. Olaf (3-4, 2-0 MIAC) held an eight-point lead with 7:27 remaining before outscoring Macalester (2-4, 0-2 MIAC) by a 21-4 margin over the remainder of the game to pull away. The Oles held the Scots scoreless for 4:30 after two free throws by Wyatt Ferm with 7:27 to go to open up a 71-50 lead with 3:15 left after a 13-0 run. St. Olaf has won 22 of the last 23 meetings between the two programs since 2008.

Bledsoe led St. Olaf with 24 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, while senior Austin Korba added 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Senior Frank Delaneyand Noah Beck also scored in double figures, adding 14 and 11, respectively.

In the first half, St. Olaf and Macalester stayed within three points for the first five-plus minutes before a three-pointer from Beck and a fast-break layup from Korba gave the Oles a 14-9 lead at 14:37.

The Beck three-pointer started a 14-0 run that gave St. Olaf a 23-9 lead with 11:11 left in the first half. Korba had six points during the run and Bledsoe sank a three-pointer to help the Oles stretch the lead before Macalester ended the half on a 10-2 run to get within nine, 35-26, at the half.

Back-to-back jumpers from Bledsoe and Delaney early in the second half gave the Oles a 13-point lead with 17:45 left in the contest, but the Scots climbed within eight after a pair of free throws from Jackson Henningfield with 14:25 remaining.

After Macalester closed the margin to six, 51-45, first year Niko Polydorou scored the next five points, including a three-point play, to get the St. Olaf lead back to double figures at 56-45 with 9:17 to play.

A pair of Ferm free throws with 7:27 left made it an eight-point game but a pair of Delaney free throws and a basket from Korba started a 13-0 run to secure the victory, as the Oles took a 71-50 lead with 3:15 remaining.

St. Olaf shot 45.2 percent from the floor and forced 35.4 percent shooting from Macalester. The Oles shot 15-for-19 from the free-throw line and outrebounded the Scots, 38-31. St. Olaf also held a 32-16 advantage in points in the paint in the game.

The Oles are back to action as they travel to the other side of town in a contest at crosstown-rival Carleton College on Wednesday, Dec. 5, beginning at 8 p.m.