ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College men's basketball team played its final game before winter break against Carleton College Wednesday evening in the Leonard Center and suffered a narrow defeat, 63-60. The Scots are now 2-9 overall and 0-3 in the conference, while the Knights improve to 6-2 on the season and 2-1 in the MIAC.

Macalester opened play with an 8-2 run that included a pair of three-pointers from junior forward Ryan Brush (Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue). After Carleton tallied the next 11 points, the Scots used an 18-6 spree to regain the lead, 26-19 with 6:48 on the clock. Brush hit another three in the run, with sophomore guard Kaden Holdbrook (Palo Alto, Calif./Henry M. Gunn) making two from deep. The lead grew to as many as eight, 33-25 before Luke Harris made back-to-back baskets to bring the Knights to within four, 33-29. Just before the end of the half, Holdbrook converted a conventional three-point play to give Macalester a 36-29 advantage at the break. The Scots shot 48.3 percent from the field and made 6-of-9 (66.7 percent) from beyond the arc in the first half, with Holdbrook scoring 17 points.

After junior guard Eric Wentz (Minot, N.D./Minot) scored at the start of the second half to make it a nine-point lead, Carleton answered with three consecutive baskets to cut the advantage to three, 38-35. Four points from Holdbrook pushed the Scots' lead back to 42-35, but again the Knights fought back with a 15-7 run to gain the upper hand, 50-49 with 8:19 remaining. Following a three by first year guard JP Kerrigan (Atherton, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) that briefly restored the lead to Macalester, the Knights tallied seven of the next 10 points for their biggest lead of the second half, 57-53 at the 4:14 mark.

The teams exchanged baskets twice, with the Scots unable to get a key stop to prevent Carleton from maintaining its four-point lead. Trailing 61-57, Brush drained a three-pointer to make the score 61-60 with nine seconds remaining. After the Knights made both of their free throws at the other end, a long three by Holdbrook was off the mark, ending the Scots' comeback attempt and the game.

Macalester shot just 28.1 percent from the field after halftime compared to 56.0 percent for the Knights. Holdbrook matched his career high with 26 points on 9-of-19 shooting from the field and 4-of-9 from three-point range. He also tied his career best with seven rebounds. Brush finished with 12 points and five boards, while Wentz notched 11 points and seven rebounds. Junior forward Noah Shannon (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) was held to four points but had seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Harris led Carleton with 19 points.

The Scots do not play until Thursday, Jan. 2, when Minnesota Morris visits the Leonard Center. The non-league game starts at 5:00 p.m.