Carleton vs Hamline 1-28-17

After enjoying a great brunch with my good friend Sam Weber of Canadian Pacific Railway over at El Burrito Mercado in South St. Paul in the late A.M., I headed over to Hutton Arena on the campus of Hamline University for an important MIAC match-up between visiting Carleton and host Hamline. The Knights were coming into this contest as arguably one of the hottest teams in the MIAC with a four-game win streak under their belt and suddenly found themselves thrust into the MIAC playoff mix.  The Pipers meanwhile were coming into the game on the throes of a six-game losing streak but had been competitive in most of these games; including a tough 83-71 decision at home to Augsburg this last Wednesday so Hamline was by no means a pushover.

Carleton came out swinging from the opening tip as a "3" from the top of the key by willowy sophomore forward Cece Leone at the 8:13 mark and a jumper along the right baseline by freshman reserve post Erica Ellefson at the 6:19 mark had the Knights up 5-1.  Hamline would close the gap to one point on a "3" from the right wing area by savvy senior guard Chloe Graves at the 5:04 mark and two free throws by fellow senior guard Tia Diggins with 4:01 left had the Pipers in that one-point range trailing 7-6.  Carleton, however, would get the lead to six as junior forward Anne Hamilton connected with a lay-up with 3:37 left and then Leone was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 3:07 left that also drew a foul and the "and one" by the Fairfax, Virginia native made it a 12-6 game.  The Pipers would again close to within a single possession on a "3" from the top of the key by freshman forward Reilly Geistfeld with 2:20 left but again the Knights would step on the gas. Junior reserve forward Katherine Miles got into the paint for a score with 1:53 left and a jumper from the right elbow area with :45 left by Leone extended the lead to seven points at 16-9.  Carleton would close out this period-ending 6-0 push on an offensive rebound and putback junior forward Sarah Waldfogel with :10 left as the Knights sucked out some of the air in Hutton Arena with an 18-9 lead going into the second period.

Hamline would spend a good chunk of the second period trying to keep pace with the deliberate and smart play that the Knights were using in this game and the up-tempo transition offense that the Pipers rely on heavily was a stark contrast to the slower-paced half-court game that Carleton seems to prefer.  Diggins' score in the paint at the 9:13 mark narrowed the gap to seven points at 18-11 but that was quickly answered by the Knights as freshman guard Katie Chavez drained a "3" from the left wing area at the 8:50 mark for the first double-digit lead of the afternoon for Carleton at 21-11 and Piper Head Coach Kerri Stockwell called a thirty-second timeout for a quick defensive fix.  Hamline answered with a "3" from Geistfeld from the top of the key at the 8:33 mark that cut the deficit to seven at 21-14 and a short shot off the glass by junior forward Ivannie Robertson at the 6:54 mark kept the Pipers in that seven-point range trailing 23-16.  But simply trading baskets with its opponent was not getting the job done for Hamline and going colder than a rock from the field down the stretch of the period didn't help the Piper's cause either as Carleton finished up the second period on a 9-0 run.  Freshman post Samantha Cooke started this push with a short jumper at the 6:11 mark and an offensive rebound and putback by Hamilton at the 5:26 mark got the lead back up to double-digits at 27-16.  Then it was Hamilton; the former Minnetonka standout, draining a "3" from the right top area with 4:10 left for a 30-16 lead and Cooke book-ended this run with two free throws with :14.8 left as the Knights trotted into the locker room with a cozy 32-16 lead at the half.  A check of the first half box score reveals that Carleton didn't shoot exceptionally well; going 13-35 for 37.1% from FG range and 3-9 from behind the arc for 33.3%.  Rather, the big stat that stood out (at least for me anyway) was the 33-18 advantage the Knights had on the boards which included 11 offensive rebounds which resulted in points more often than not.  And a tough Knight defense limited Hamline to an incredibly cold 5-33 from FG range for 15.2% and an equally-icy 3-13 from behind the arc for 23.1%.

The Pipers needed a recharge and it would be sophomore guard Alaina Quaranta who would provide some spark in the early moments of the third period.  The Eau Claire, Wisconsin native; quiet in the first half, got into the books with a lay-up at the 9:52 mark and followed that up a bit later with a lay-up in transition at the 7:51 mark that cut the deficit down to fourteen at 34-20.  Two Diggins freebies at the 6:53 mark and a short jumper from the left side by Quaranta at the 6:19 mark provided some hope for Hamline trailing 38-24.  But the Knights would push the lead to nineteen on a drive into the lane and jumper by Waldfogel with 4:41 left and a short shot by Leone that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory free throw that made it a 43-24 game with 3:26 left and things looked bleak indeed for Hamline at this point.  But just when everything appeared lost for the Pipers, they suddenly somehow caught fire down the stretch of the third period.  Freshman reserve forward Aly Sartain got into the paint for a score with 2:57 left and then it was Geistfeld unleashing terror from behind the arc with her "3" from the right top area with 2:29 left that cut Carleton's lead down to 43-29.  Then it was the Texan on the Hamline team; freshman reserve guard Kaeli Stayer, draining a "3" from the right wing area with 1:58 left that slimmed the deficit down to eleven points at 43-32 and Knight Head Coach Cassie Kosiba felt compelled to call for a thirty-second timeout to get her troops shored up defensively.  Carleton appeared to make the recovery they were seeking when Hamilton got into the paint for a score with 1:40 left that also drew a foul and her "and one" pushed the lead back up to fourteen points and 46-32.  But the Pipers were by no means going away anytime soon and they served notice that the last full period would be a battle.  Graves was able to sneak into the paint off of an inbounds pass for a score that drew a foul and allowed the Denver, Colorado native to sink the ensuing freebie with :57 left and two more free throws by Geistfeld with :24.2 suddenly had Hamline back within single-digit range going into the fourth and final period trailing 46-37.

The Pipers made further inroads in the early moments of the fourth period.  Stayer found her touch from behind the arc again at the 9:21 mark and promptly drilled a "3" from the same right wing area that pulled Hamline tantalizingly close trailing 46-40.  A jumper by Geistfeld from the right elbow area at the 8:37 mark and a drive and finish by the wily Graves at the 8:08 mark kept the Pipers in that six-point range trailing 50-44.  But this Carleton team that could have easily panicked at the most crucial moment instead hunkered down and showed resiliency when they needed it.  Hamilton drained a "3" from the left corner at the 7:46 mark and a short jumper off the glass by Waldfogel at the 6:54 mark got the lead back up to double-digits at 55-44.  Knight fans had cause for concern with 4:19 left when Leone; coming down on a shot attempt, accidentally stepped on the foot of a Piper and rolled her ankle slightly that forced her to the bench for a spell.  Hamline would still not concede anything and attempted another push.  Graves scored on a drive and finish with 3:37 left and a Quaranta "3" from the left corner with :59 left cut the deficit down to five points at 56-51.  Again, however, the Knights showed incredible resolve and poise when they needed it.  Carleton got into the bonus with :40.6 left when Chavez was fouled and her two free throws got the lead back up to seven points at 58-51 and one more Chavez freebie with :28.5 left made it a 59-52 game.  Quaranta would throw one last scare into the Knights with her "3" from the left top area with :17.3 left that cut the Carleton lead down to four points at 59-55 but one Waldfogel free throw with :14.8 left and two more by Chavez with just :06.7 left iced this one as the Knights recorded their fifth straight win with a 62-55 victory.

I managed to catch up with both Kosiba and Assistant Coach Chris Dahled afterward to congratulate them on extending the win streak to five.  Both were astonished at the number of offensive rebounds the Knights had in the first half (11).  "Normally it would be around five or six" Kosiba said but she wasn't complaining.  Indeed, the Knights owned the boards on this day by a total count of 55-38 and that disparity alone will more often than not help you win ballgames.  Another big factor in Carleton's win today was solid free throw shooting; 14-17 for 82.4%.  Again, the Knights didn't shoot exceptionally well from either FG range or from three-point land but the rebounding factor helped negate some of that.  The other thing that I saw in this game (for me anyway) is that I began to see some of the characteristics in this squad that I used to see on a regular basis of the great Carleton teams from 2001-2008.  A solid front line that can get physical when it has to and smart, discipline play in the backcourt.  But even Kosiba admitted afterward that she isn't worried about the winning aspect right now.  Rather, it's simply about trying to get better every day and it's clear that the Knights are definitely on the right track.  Moreover, having Hamilton back on the floor seems to just make everybody better and if they can continue this, they will be tough to beat in the second half of the regular season.  Three Carleton players on this day recorded "double-doubles".  Leone with 15 points and 11 rebounds, Hamilton's 14 points and 10 rebounds and Waldfogel's 13 points and 10 rebounds.  The Pipers also had three players in double figures scoring wise.  Geistfeld led the way with 14 points while Quaranta added 12 points and Graves added 10 points.  Obviously, Hamline picked up the pace offensively in the second half, shooting much better as they were 14-34 for 41.8% from FG range and 5-15 for 33.3% from behind the arc.  It has to be frustrating for Stockwell and her staff to get close in the fourth period only to have things go awry at the crucial moment.