By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — It was a game of catch-up for the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's basketball team Saturday afternoon against Carleton.
 
Unfortunately, every time the Cardinals caught up, the Knights would pull away again.
 
Carleton scored eight of the game's final 10 points, erasing a one-point Saint Mary's advantage, and dealing the Cardinals a 60-55 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
The Cardinals came out firing, scoring seven of the first eight points to grab a 7-1 lead. Carleton, however, responded with a 10-0 run to grab an 11-7 advantage — and the game of catch-up began.
 
Saint Mary's pulled even, 11-11, only to have Carleton respond with five consecutive points. The Cardinals once again pulled even at 16-16 and 18-18, but against the Knights had an answer pushing its lead to six, 28-22 with a 10-4 burst late in the first half.
 
The Cardinals made it a four-point game, 28-24, but a free throw and a field goal by Carleton gave the Knights a seven-point, 31-24 lead at the break.
 
The Cardinals whittled away at that halftime deficit, and a 3-pointer by Kevin Gleason (Minneapolis, Minn.) six minutes into the second half gave Saint Mary's a one-point, 37-36 lead. Carleton would regain the lead on its next possession and push that advantage to four, 44-40, only to have Saint Mary's pull even 44-44.
 
The game would be tied again at 50-50, and the Cardinals would grab two more one-point leads — 53-52 and 55-54 — only to have Carleton score the game's final six points to seal the win.
 
Eli Cave (St. Paul, Minn.) finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Cardinals, who shot 33 percent from the field (21-for-63) and made just 8 of 30 3-point attempts. Kent Hanson led a trio of Carleton player sin double figures with 17 points.
 
The Cardinals (0-1 MIAC, 3-2 overall) are right back on their home court at the Saint Mary's Gym on Wednesday, hosting Concordia in a 7 p.m. MIAC matchup.