New Haven, Conn. – The Albertus Magnus College women's basketball team fell on the road to Division I foe Yale, 67-34, at John J. Lee Amphitheater on Sunday afternoon. In the crosstown showdown between the Falcons and the Bulldogs, Yale jumped out to an early 19-2 lead in the first quarter and never looked back.
Offensively, freshman wing Deja Ward (Middletown, Conn.) led the charge for the Falcons for the second straight game. Ward knocked down two shots from the field and hit 8-of-12 free-throw attempts for a team-best 12 points. Senior forward Kelsey Pendagast (Shelton, Conn.) also scored in double figures for Albertus Magnus, netting 10 points and pulling down eight rebounds. Junior guard Liz Falcigno (Wallingford, Conn.) added five points and sophomore Olivia Bolden (South Windsor, Conn.) contributed four points, two steals and one rebound.
The Bulldogs bounced back from a season-opening loss at Dayton by having three players score in double figures. Sophomore guard Tamara Simpson poured in a game-high 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting from the field, while senior Nyasha Sarju and sophomore Clara Mokri both scored 12 points apiece. On the boards, senior Emmy Allen pulled down a game-best 13 rebounds and junior forward Kate Werner added seven of her own.
The hosts scored the first 16 points of the game and forced 10 Albertus turnovers during the first quarter to jump out to an early 19-2 edge. During the first 10 minutes of play, the Falcons failed to knock down a shot from the field. Their two points in the quarter came from free throws by Ward and Pendagast.
Midway through the second quarter, Pendagast hit a jumper for the Falcons first field goal of the game to make it a 27-9 contest in favor of the Bulldogs. The hosts and Albertus Magnus traded baskets down the stretch as Yale took a 33-12 edge into halftime.
The best quarter of the game came for the Falcons in the third as the team was outscored by just five points, 19-14. In the third, AMC knocked down six shots from inside the arc and hit a pair of free throws.
In the final stanza, the Bulldogs pulled away to earn their first win of the year.
The Falcons shot just under 54 percent from the charity stripe (14-26), while the Bulldogs converted over 66 percent of their free throw attempts. Yale controlled the battle of the boards, outrebounding the guests 60-35, while also dishing out 20 assists on 27 made field goals.
The victory marked the first in the career for Yale first-year Head Coach Allison Guth.
Albertus Magnus returns to action on Thursday, November 19, with a home non-conference clash against Sage at 7:00 pm.
For the latest information on the women's basketball team and Albertus Magnus athletics, follow AMCAthletics on Twitter and visit AlbertusFalcons.com.
