Women's Basketball 12/8/04 -- Carleton 64, Augsburg 54

BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (12/8/04) -- Katie Freeman (Sr., Richfield, Minn.) claimed a double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals, leading Carleton College to its fourth straight victory, a 64-54 triumph over host Augsburg College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball contest Wednesday night at Si Melby Hall.

Four of the five Carleton starters scored in double figures, producing 46 of the Knights' 64 points, as the Knights improved to 4-3 overall, 4-0 in MIAC play.

Meanwhile, Augsburg, now 0-5 overall and 0-4 in MIAC play, kept pace with the two-time defending MIAC regular-season champion Knights, playing its best game of the season.

Neither team led by more than six points in the first half, and Augsburg trimmed the Knights' advantage to 31-30 at the halftime break on a shot with one second left in the period by Hannah Bratzel (Fr., St. Paul, Minn./Christ Household of Faith HS).

There were seven ties and 11 lead changes in the game, before Carleton began to pull away midway through the second half. From the 15:45 mark to the 4:53 mark, Carleton outscored Augsburg by a 17-4 margin to take its biggest lead of the game, 56-41. Megan Vig (Jr., Northfield, Minn.) had seven points and Kari Christianson (Jr., Twin Valley, Minn./Norman County East HS) had five points in the Knights' run.

Seven straight points for Augsburg by Katie LaGrave (Fr., Okinawa, Japan/Kadena HS), including two 3-pointers, cut the lead to 63-54 in the closing seconds, but a Vig free throw with five seconds to go clinched the double-digit victory for the Knights.

Vig and Christianson had 12 points apiece for the Knights, with Vig contributing nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals, and Christianson contributing seven rebounds and five steals.

Beth Freeman (Sr., Richfield, Minn.) had 11 points and six rebounds, and Kristi Colbenson (Sr., Rushford, Minn.) scored 10 points with six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Augsburg was paced by LaGrave, who had 12 points and four rebounds. Katie Kelsey (Sr., Burnsville, Minn.) had 11 points and four rebounds, and Rosinta Stromquist (Jr., Brooklyn Park, Minn./Robbinsdale Cooper HS) had nine points, six rebounds and four steals.

Alissa Blood (So., Mounds View, Minn./Irondale HS) had nine points, hitting three 3-pointers, and Kristina Lurken (Fr., Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS) contributed eight assists and three steals to go with four points.

Neither team shot particularly well in the game, with both teams connecting on identical totals of 35.6 percent (21-of-59) from the field. The difference came at the free-throw line, where Carleton went 18-for-27 and Augsburg went 7-for-10; and in rebounding, where Carleton held a 46-35 advantage, including 18 offensive boards.

Augsburg is now off for the holiday break, and will return to action with a nonconference game at Wisconsin-La Crosse on Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. Carleton has one more MIAC game before the holiday break, a game at St. Mary's on Saturday (12/11) at 1 p.m.