WAVERLY, Iowa — No. 18 Wartburg (1-0) defeated Carleton (0-1) 68-40 to begin the 2026-27 season at the Wartburg Tip-Off Tournament inside Levick Arena on Friday, Nov. 6.
The Knights scored 18 points off Carleton's 20 turnovers and held Carleton to 13-for-57 shooting from the field.
Katie Boulanger led all scorers with 23 points, including four out of Wartburg's eight made three pointers.
How It Happened
First Half
Emma Townsley converted a layup and free throw at 9:24, and after Addy Huss hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 3-3,
Katie Boulanger's 3-pointer and
Laynee Hogan's layup put the Knights ahead 8-3. Carleton drew within 8-7 on two Audrey Whitney free throws and Maya Jenkins' tip-in, but Boulanger made two free throws and, after Liesl McCallum's free throw, added another 3-pointer to give the Orange and Black a 13-8 lead. Townsley added layups at 3:06 and 1:23 around two Huss free throws, and
Grace Hennessy connected from 3-point range at :53 to send the Knights to the second quarter ahead 20-10.
After Maggie Winesett's jumper and Addy Huss' tip-in helped Carleton score early, the Knights countered with baskets from
Katie Boulanger,
Reagan Pagniano and
Corrie Harrison, then Boulanger hit a 3-pointer to make it 29-14 at 7:09. Isabella Keberlein and Audrey Whitney each answered with 3-pointers for Carleton later in the quarter, but
Lauren Golinghorst scored inside, Hennessy added a jumper and
Laynee Hogan made two free throws as the Orange and Black moved ahead 35-20. Harrison added a layup and a free throw in the final 1:33, and
Ally Poegel's steal led to
Emma Townsley's 3-pointer with 10 seconds left as the Knights finished the quarter with a 41-22 lead.
Second Half
The Orange and Black turned early second-chance opportunities into separation, with Boulanger scoring at 8:37 and Hennessy hitting a 3-pointer at 7:20 to move the lead to 46-23. After Carleton scored inside, Harrison and Boulanger answered with baskets, and Boulanger added a transition 3-pointer at 4:39 before her jumper at 4:02 made it 55-28. The Knights' defense then held Carleton without a point through a stretch that included four straight turnovers from 3:12 to 1:17, while Golinghorst added a free throw. Carleton scored once more in the closing minute, but Hennessy finished a layup with one second left to send the Knights to the fourth quarter ahead 58-30.
After Pagniano blocked Audrey Whitney's layup and secured the rebound, Carleton got the first three points of the fourth on a Maggie Winesett layup and an Addy Huss free throw to make it 58-33. The Knights responded with the next seven points, getting a Hogan layup, a Hennessy fast-break 3-pointer off
Emma Townsley's assist and an
Ally Poegel fast-break layup off an assist from Golinghorst to push the score to 65-33 at 5:46. Winesett scored again and assisted Liesl McCallum's 3-pointer as Carleton cut it to 65-38, but Boulanger added a free throw and
Maddie Pavelka scored in the paint while the Orange and Black held Carleton without another field goal until Cadence Brecker's tip-in at :17, closing out a 68-40 win.
Top Performers
Katie Boulanger
- 23 points
- 8 field goals
- 4 3-pointers
Grace Hennessy
- 13 points
- 3 3-pointers
- 5 rebounds
Emma Townsley
- 10 points
- 5 assists
- 1 steal
Lauren Golinghorst
- 9 rebounds
- 4 assists
- 2 steals
Notes/Streaks
- First win over Carleton in program history
- First matchup since the 2001-02 season
- Nine different Knights scored
- Ninth career 20-point performance for Boulanger
- Nine rebounds and four assists both marked new career-highs for Golinghorst
Up Next
Up next, the Knights host No. 13/16 Concordia College (Minn.) on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at 3 p.m. at Levick Arena in Waverly, Iowa.
