NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Four players scored in double figures for the Albertus Magnus College women's basketball team as the Falcons defeated Emmanuel College, 73-63 on Tuesday evening in The Nest in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC).

The win was the fourth straight for the Falcons. Jakara Murray-Leach (Norwalk, Conn.) scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Caitlyn Scott (White Plains, N.Y.) also scored 19 points with six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Diamond White (Hamden, Conn.) scored 14 points with six assists and four steals and Ava Johnson (North Haven, Conn.) had 10 points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

THE BASICS

FINAL: Albertus Magnus 73 | Emmanuel 63

RECORDS: Albertus (13-8, 8-2 GNAC) | Emmanuel (10-10, 5-4 GNAC)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• In a highly-competitive first quarter, no one led by more than two points at any point as the teams traded leads 11 times. Each starter scored in the quarter for the Falcons as Murray-Leach scored six points and Amanda Zdru (Stratford, Conn.), five. Albertus shot 3-for-6 from three from three. Paris Atuahene scored nine to pace Emmanuel over the first 10 minutes as the Saints shot 50.0 percent from the field.
• The two teams exchanged leads three times over the first three possessions as Scott converted a three-point play with a layup and free throw to put the Falcons up 23-22. After a three from Emmanuel's Olivia Matela, Hannah Barrientos (East Hampton, Conn.) made a layup and two possessions later a three from White put Albertus up, 28-26 with 7:13 on the clock.
• Albertus took the first two-possession lead of the game at the 4:22 mark after a basket from Scott and four straight from Murray-Leach to make it a 36-30 game with 3:34 left. The Falcons took a 38-33 lead heading into the halftime break.
• Murray-Leach opened the second half with a three to put Albertus ahead 41-33, but Emmanuel closed the gap with an 8-3 run capped by layups from Kaitlyn Bartash and Megan Reilly to cut the Falcons lead to 44-41 with 6:23 on the clock. White stopped the run with a steal and layup of her own, but Emmanuel closed the gap again, making it a 46-44 game.
• Murray-Leach hit a three, but the Saints scored the next six points, including a three from Lia Kruman as they took a small 50-49 lead with 49 seconds in the third quarter. White would end the quarter with a layup as the Falcons took a 51-50 lead into the fourth.
• Scott and Johnson hit back-to-back layups early in the fourth as Albertus opened up a five-point lead. The Saints closed it to a one-point game, but Scott grabbed a rebound off of her own miss and hit a jumper and the Falcons forced a turnover on the other end, which led to a jumper from Johnson as the Falcons took a 59-54 lead with 5:48 left. Atuahene made a layup for Emmanuel, but the Falcons answered with 10 straight points that opened with a layup from Johnson and also included a steal from Murray-Leach that led to a basket by White to take a 69-59 lead with 1:32 left, which they were able to hold onto until the final buzzer.

TEAM STATS

Albertus

36.8 FG% | 35.3 3PT% | 85.0 FT%

Emmanuel

40.4 FG% | 26.3 3PT% | 72.7 FT%

LEADERS

Albertus

Jakara Murray-Leach 19 Points | 3-5 3PT | 9 Rebounds | 2 Steals

Caitlyn Scott 19 Points | 6 Rebounds | 4 Assists | 3 Steals

Diamond White 14 Points | 6 Assists | 4 Steals

Ava Johnson 10 Points | 9 Rebounds | 2 Assists | 2 Steals | 2 Blocks

Emmanuel

Paris Atuahene 13 Points | 3 Rebounds | 2 Steals

Megan Reilly 4 Points | 12 Rebounds

Kalia Saunders 10 Points 3 Assists

NOTEWORTHY

Albertus has won three of the last four meetings against Emmanuel.

UP NEXT

The Falcons host the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) at 1 p.m. on Saturday in The Nest in a GNAC showdown.