NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Senior Kent Hanson scored a game-high 26 points to lead five Knights in double figures as the Carleton College men's basketball team defeated cross-town rival St. Olaf College 92-82 on Saturday. With the victory, the Knights no only kept their playoff hopes alive but also completed a season sweep of the Oles to re-claim possession of the 106-year-old Goat Trophy.
On Senior Day it was appropriate that the two seniors on the Carleton roster led the way, albeit in different ways. Hanson was 9-of-14 overall, including a 5-of-7 performance from beyond the arc as he surpassed 20 points in a game for the 32nd time in his career. Henry Bensen totaled six points and four rebounds, but made his biggest contributions on defense and in running the offense as he concluded the day with a game-high seven assists and no turnovers.
"A very gratifying win for the Knights today, probably as well as we have played this season," said Carleton head coach Guy Kalland. "I'm happy that our two senior captains, Henry and Kent, got the Goat Trophy back on this side of the river. They have been outstanding players for four years, and their leadership has been impressive as well. They are scholars, leaders, and good teammates, and their contributions to our program go well beyond the court. They are outstanding role models for the younger players in our program, and I consider them to be among the finest leaders I have coached in my 36 years at Carleton."
Carleton (9-13, 7-12 MIAC) and St. Olaf (11-12, 8-10 MIAC) traded the lead multiple times in the first four minutes, but after trailing 8-6, the Knights put together a 15-2 run and built a 21-10 advantage with 11:30 remaining in the first half.
The Knights would not trail again. They led 39-28 at intermission and held a double-digit advantage for the remainder of the contest, increasing the margin to as many as 23 points during the second half. The Oles attempted a late push, but the deficit was too large to overcome.
Jeremy Beckler added 21 points for Carleton to go along with six rebounds, three assists, a blocked shot, and a steal. This was the eighth game of his rookie season with at least 20 points. Alex Battist chipped in 15 points and pulled down a game-high seven rebounds, while first-year guards Isaac Tessier and Beck Page accounted for 12 points apiece.
Charlie Haff tallied a team-best 17 points off the bench to pace St. Olaf, which also saw a 15-point effort from Troy Diggins Jr and 11-point games from Dominic Bledsoe and Michael Meriggioli.
Carleton shot 55 percent overall and went 12-of-21 (57 percent) from beyond the arc, while St. Olaf made 49 percent of its shots but was only 11-of-35 (31 percent) from 3-point range.