Boston, Mass. – The Albertus Magnus College women's basketball team won its fourth straight game on Saturday afternoon, topping Simmons, 57-46, on the road in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action inside Moore Gymnasium.
With the triumph, the Falcons improve to 12-6 on the year and 4-2 in conference play, while the Sharks suffered their third GNAC loss in a row to move to 7-11 overall and 1-6 in league tilts.
Albertus Magnus sophomore forward and reigning GNAC Rookie of the Year Olivia Bolden (South Windsor, Conn.) recorded her fifth straight double-double in the win thanks to an impressive 19-point, 13-rebound performance. Bolden was a force on both ends of the floor in the victory, adding four steals. She now has eight double-doubles this winter.
The Falcons got off to a slow start and trailed 10-9 after the first quarter. Over the final six minutes of the opening frame, Albertus Magnus shot just 1-of-5 from the field and committed five turnovers to fall behind. During that stretch, the lone Falcon basket from was a three-pointer with 14 seconds left in the period by senior guard Olivia Sutherland (Wallingford, Conn.).
In the second quarter, AMC opened on a 6-0 run to take a five-point lead at 15-10. During the run, the Albertus Magnus frontcourt tandem of senior Kelsey Pendgast (Shelton, Conn.) and Bolden did all the damage in the post. The Falcon defense played well in the stanza, holding the hosts to just nine points to take a 23-19 advantage into the break.
Albertus Magnus blew the game open in the second half, building their lead too as many as 16 midway through the final quarter. AMC never trailed over the final 20 minutes of play as the Simmons reserve cut into the deficit in garbage town down the stretch.
Bolden's 19 led the offensive effort for the guests, while Pendagast was the other Falcon in double figures with 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Freshman guard Deja Ward (Middletown, Conn.) had a strong game for Albertus Magnus, scoring nine points to go along with a game-high six assists and five steals.
The Falcons recorded 13 steals, which is their highest mark in conference play this winter. The guests shot 40 percent from the floor and forced 28 Simmons turnovers.
Albertus Magnus returns to action on Tuesday, February 2, with a home conference clash against Anna Maria at 7:00 pm inside the Nest. The Falcons are looking to avenge an 81-68 setback to the AMCATS last season in the Bay State.
For the latest information on the women's basketball team and Albertus Magnus athletics, follow AMCAthletics on Twitter and visit AlbertusFalcons.com.
