NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Four players scored in double figures for the Albertus Magnus College women's basketball team as it defeated Norwich, 71-63 on Saturday afternoon at The Nest in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup.

The win is the fourth straight for the Falcons, who have won 12 of their last 13 games. 

Caitlyn Scott (White Plains, N.Y.), the reigning U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Player of the Week as well as the GNAC Player of the Week led all scorers with 21 points with four rebounds and four assists. Amanda Zdru (Stratford, Conn.) scored 18, going 3-for-6 from three with five steals. Jakara Murray-Leach (Norwalk, Conn.) scored 15 points with five rebounds and four steals. Diamond White (Hamden, Conn.) scored 11 points with five assists, four rebounds and three steals.

FINAL: Albertus Magnus 71 | Norwich 63

RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (16-4, 8-1 GNAC) | Norwich (7-11, 1-7 GNAC)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• In a nip and tuck first quarter, the Falcons and Cadets played a mostly one possession game throughout as the lead exchanged hands three times. Albertus took its biggest lead of the quarter on a three from Scott at the 3:27 mark that made it a 17-12 game. The Cadets responded with the next 10 points of their own as Haley Brewster scored eight straight points, including two threes to put Norwich ahead, 22-17. Zdru stopped the run with a three of her own, and Norwich held a slim 22-20 lead at the end of the first. Murray-Leach led the way with eight points in the first quarter. Scott had six, and Zdru, five.
• Back-to-back threes from Sarah Evangelista (West Haven, Conn.) and Scott opened the second quarter as the Falcons took a 26-22 lead just 1:27 into the frame. The two teams then swapped the lead four times in four possessions, until the Falcons were able to take a 35-29 lead. Zdru started the run with a jumper, and stole the ball on the next possession leading to a Murray-Leach layup. Zdru then capped the run with a three-pointer. The Falcons didn't make another field goal the final 4:52 of the half and the two teams went into the break tied 36-36.
• Six points from Brewster and four from Maren McGinn put the Cadets up 46-40 just over four minutes into the third. Natasha Rivera made a jumper to kick start the offense at the 5:26 mark as it began a 16-4 run to end the quarter. During the run, Zdru scored five straight points and White scored six points, including a layup just before the third quarter buzzer to put Albertus up, 56-50.
• Albertus got its lead up to eight points for the first time at 60-52 at the 8:21 mark after a jumper from Murray-Leach and a layup from White, sandwiched between a Norwich basket. Albertus would go up by that same margin three more times during the course of the quarter. After a Scott layup with 2:37 left, Ellie Collins and Siobhan O'Donnell made back-to-back baskets to cut the Albertus lead to 67-63. With a chance to cut the Albertus deficit to one possession, Zdru stole the ball from Erika Thomas, leading to two free throws from White. Norwich turned the ball over one more time and Scott made a layup for the final basket of the game.

TEAM STATS

Albertus: 41.8 FG% | 20.7 3PT% | 47.4 FT%

Norwich: 42.0 FG% | 33.3 3PT% | 70.8 FT%

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES

Albertus

• Caitlyn Scott 21 Points | 4 Rebounds | 4 Assists
• Amanda Zdru 18 Points | 3-6 3PT | 5 Steals
• Jakara Murray-Leach 15 Points | 5 Rebounds | 4 Steals
• Diamond White 11 Points | 5 Assists | 4 Rebounds

Norwich

• Haley Brewster 20 Points | 4 Rebounds
• Sage MacAuley 10 Points | 11 Rebounds

NOTEWORTHY

• The Falcons forced 32 turnovers in the game, tied for the third most they've forced this season.

• Albertus committed just seven turnovers, tied for its second lowest of the season.

• Scott has now scored 20 or more points in nine games this season, including three of her last four games.

• It is the seventh straight win for the Falcons over the Cadets.

UP NEXT

The Falcons go on a two-game road-trip, starting with a trip to Emmanuel on Tuesday, January 30 at 5:30 p.m.