PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Diamond White (Hamden, Conn.) and Jakara Murray-Leach (Norwalk, Conn.) each scored 21 points, but the Albertus Magnus College women's basketball team lost an 81-66 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) game to Johnson and Wales University (R.I.) on Tuesday evening.

Murray-Leach finished with a double-double adding 10 rebounds while shooting 9-for-15 from the field. White added four rebounds, four assists and two steals while shooting 5-for-8 from three.

Caitlyn Scott (White Plains, N.Y.) finished with 10 points, three rebounds and three assists. Ava Johnson (North Haven, Conn.) had eight points and six rebounds.

THE BASICS

FINAL: Johnson and Wales 81 | Albertus Magnus 66

RECORDS: Albertus (9-8, 4-2 GNAC) | JWU (14-2, 5-1 GNAC) 

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first quarter was a game of runs as the Falcons opened up with a 6-2 lead to kick off the game as White, Murray-Leach and Scott all had a basket early on. After the Wildcats scored the next six points, Albertus responded with seven of its own as Elizabeth Bruno (Providence, R.I.) hit a three followed by back-to-back baskets by Murray-Leach to put Albertus up, 13-8. 
• Once again, JWU went on to score the next seven points, including the last five from Brianne Foley to put the Wildcats up, 15-13. However, White hit two threes in the final 1:23 of the quarter as the Falcons took a 19-17 lead into the second quarter.
• The two teams kept it a one-possession for over the first four minutes of the second quarter as the Falcons went 4-for-8 from the field, led by White with five points. Grace Jaffray scored seven points during the opening stretch for JWU. Hannah Barrientos (East Hampton, Conn.) then gave the Falcons a 31-26 lead after a three as White grabbed a rebound on the defensive end and fed Barrientos in transition. Jaffray and White then exchanged layups on the next two possessions before JWU scored the next five points, including a three from Jaffray to tie the game, 33-33 with 3:57 left in the first half.
• With the game tied at 38-38, Jaffray hit one more three for JWU with 48 seconds left as the Wildcats took a slim 41-38 lead into the half.
• JWU started the second half with an 11-0 run over the first three minutes as Foley hit a three and Jaffray scored six straight. Murray-Leach and White each hit a three for the first two field goals of the second half for Albertus as it was a 57-46 JWU lead halfway through the quarter. The Wildcats led by as much as 17 points in the quarter and took a 67-52 lead into the fourth quarter.
• White opened the final quarter with a three, but were unable to make any headway on the lead in the opening minutes. However, the Falcons were eventually able to get their deficit down to single digits after a 9-3 run made it a 75-66 game with 3:42 left. Johnson had a layup before Isabell Suero of JWU and Murray-Leach exchanged threes. Scott followed with a layup and Murray-Leach scored another two points after an offensive rebound and putback. However, those would be the final points of the game for JWU as the Wildcats held Albertus scoreless the rest of the way.

TEAM STATS

Albertus

35.6 FG% | 39.1 3PT% | 62.5 FT%

JWU

42.4 FG% | 35.1 3PT% | 85.7 FT%

LEADERS

Albertus

Jakara Murray-Leach 21 Points | 9-15 FG | 10 Rebounds

Diamond White 21 Points | 5-8 3PT | 4 Rebounds | 4 Assists

Caitlyn Scott 10 Points | 3 Rebounds | 3 Steals

JWU

Grace Jaffray 29 Points | 10-14 FG | 12 Rebounds

Brianne Foley 21 Points | 13 Rebounds | 5 Assists

Isabella Suero 19 Points | 5-13 3PT | 7 Rebpunds | 3 Assists 

NOTEWORTHY

• White moved up to 11th all-time in the Albertus scoring list and now has 1,274 points in her career.
• Murray-Leach now has seven double-doubles on the season.

UP NEXT

The Falcons stay on the road as they head to Rivier for a 2 p.m. tip on Saturday, January 25 in GNAC action.