NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Behind three double-digit performances from Jakara Murray-Leach (Norwalk, Conn.), Caitlyn Scott (White Plains, N.Y.), and Natasha Rivera (Ansonia, Conn.), the Albertus Magnus College women's basketball team kept its winning streak alive with a dominant 89-72 home victory over the Saints of Emmanuel (Mass.) College Saturday afternoon inside "The Nest".
Murray-Leach had another outstanding performance for the Falcons, recording her third double-double of the year with a season-high 32 points and 11 rebounds. Scott also had a terrific game for the blue-and-white, as the junior guard posted a 27-point performance with six assists and two steals. Rivera rounded out the Falcons' trio of double-digit scorers with a 19-point, six-rebound outing while adding an assist and two steals.
THE BASICS
Final: Albertus Magnus 89 | Emmanuel (Mass.) 72
Records: Albertus Magnus (5-0, 1-0 GNAC) | Emmanuel (Mass.) (3-2, 0-1 GNAC)
Box Score
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Falcons opened the game's scoring with a quick 4-0 push off of a lay-up from Amanda Zdru (Stratford, Conn.) and a made jumper from Scott.
- Shortly after, Rivera and Murray-Leach each sank lay-ups for the blue-and-white to push the hosts' lead to six, 8-2, with 6:30 remaining.
- The Saints responded with a 4-2 spurt, but a Rivera three expanded the Falcons' lead to seven, 13-6.
- Zdru nailed a three with 2:17 left to play in the quarter before the Falcons closed out the stanza with a 4-2 run off of made free throws from Scott and Rivera to take a 20-10 lead after the first.
- AMC wasted no time in the second, erupting from the short break with a 7-0 run that expanded its lead to 27-10.
- The Saints retaliated with a quick 6-0 push before the Falcons stormed back with their own 6-0 run off of four points from Murray-Leach and two from Scott to extend the lead to 33-16 with 3:14 left in the half.
- Emmanuel answered with a 9-3 run to cut the Falcons' lead to nine, 36-25, with less than a minute remaining in the half, but a Diamond White (Hamden, Conn.) lay-up sent the teams into the halftime break with AMC holding the 38-25 advantage.
- The Falcons opened the third quarter with a 7-0 run increasing their lead to 20, 45-25, before a Saints' trey made it a 17-point game with 7:03 left to play in the third.
- The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the quarter and transitioned into the fourth quarter with the blue-and-white holding onto a 14-point lead, 61-47.
- The back-and-forth action carried over into the final stanza before the Saints put together a 5-0 push to cut the deficit to seven, 69-62, with just over six minutes remaining in regulation.
- A Murray-Leach trey ignited a 10-4 surge that put the Falcons ahead by double-digits, 79-66, with 4:02 left on the clock.
- The Saints retaliated with a 6-2 run to cut the deficit back down to single digits, 81-72, but were unable to overcome the Falcons, who put together an 8-0 push over the final minutes of regulation to seal the 89-72 GNAC victory.
TEAM STATS
Albertus - 43.3 % FG | 29.6 % 3PT | 85.2 % FT
Emmanuel - 37.7 % FG | 26.3 % 3PT | 65.2 % FT
KEY PERFORMERS
Albertus:
Jakara Murray-Leach - 32 points (11-25 FG, 3-10 3PT,7-9 FT) | 11 rebounds | 3 assists | 1 steal | 3 blocks
Caitlyn Scott - 27 points (8-18 FG, 3-8 3PT, 8-9 FT) | 1 rebound | 6 assists | 2 steals
Natasha Rivera - 19 points (6-13 FG, 1-6 3PT, 6-7 FT) | 6 rebounds | 1 assist | 2 steals
Emmanuel (Mass.):
Yannie Chan - 27 points (8-17 FG, 5-11 3PT, 6-7 FT) | 7 rebounds | 3 assists | 1 steal | 2 blocks
Shakirah Ketant - 12 points (5-11 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2-4 FT) | 8 rebounds | 3 blocks
NOTEWORTHY
- The Falcons are now 3-29 all-time against the Saints.
- The last time Albertus defeated Emmanuel (Mass.) was back on November 29, 1994, as the Falcons defeated the Saints at home, 71-60.
- Murray-Leach recorded her fourth game of the season with 20+ points.
- Rivera had a season-high 19 points.
- Scott had a season-high 27 points.
- With today's victory, head coach JR Fredette has 145 wins at the helm of the Albertus Magnus College women's basketball squad.
UP NEXT
The Falcons continue GNAC play on Wednesday, Dec. 7, with a road tilt against the Bulldogs of Dean College. Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM inside the Pieri Gymnasium in Franklin, Mass.