NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Jakara Murray-Leach (Norwalk, Conn.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season while making the all-conference third team, and teammates Caitlyn Scott (White Plains, N.Y.) and Diamond White (Hamden, Conn.) joined her on the all-conference team as the GNAC released its regular season award winners. Sharaya Keele (Adams, Mass.) was named to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship team.

This season, Murray-Leach was second in the conference at 10.1 rebounds per game, and led the GNAC in defensive rebounds with 212. Murray-Leach also finished second in blocks with 35.

Murray-Leach, who also averaged 14.5 points on the season, had 12 double-doubles on the season. In a GNAC quarterfinals win over No. 6 Anna Maria on February 25, Murray-Leach scored 13 points with a career-high 21 rebounds. On senior day, in a win over Regis on February 15, Murray-Leach scored 19 points with 16 rebounds. 

Against the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on February 8th, Murray-Leach scored 21 points with 19 rebounds.

It is also the fourth time Murray-Leach made the All-GNAC team. She made the All-GNAC first team in her first two seasons at Albertus, and made the All-GNAC second team last season. She finished her career as the fourth all-time leading scorer at Albertus with 1,779 points.

Scott was named to the All-GNAC team for the fourth time in her career, and the third consecutive season on the first team. Scott became the second player in program history to reach 2,000 points in a game against Anna Maria on February 12, and then became the all-time leading scorer in program history during a win over Regis on February 15. 

Scott finished 3rd in the GNAC in points per game at 22.6, and her 610 total points in the season ranked her second. She also placed third in total assists with 110 and made the most free throws of anyone in the GNAC with 171.

Five times this season Scott scored more than 30 points on the season, including a season-high 37 points in a win over Manhattanville on January 2. That game she hit a season high six three-pointers. In a win over the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on February 8, Scott scored 34 points with five rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

In a win over Mitchell on January 15th, Scott scored 28 points, with a career-high 15 rebounds to go with eight assists.

Scott finished her career with 2,100 points, atop the program's all-time scoring list.

White makes her second appearance on the All-GNAC team, as she was named to the second team this season. Scott registered career-highs in points per game this season at 16.7 points per game - which ranked her seventh in the GNAC - and assists at 3.3 per game. Her 57 steals on the season ranked her sixth in the GNAC and her 39.2 percent from three (65-for-166) ranked her third.

In the team's opening game of the season against New Jersey City University on November 13, White scored 22 points, including her 1,000th-career point.

During an 85-70 win over Baruch on November 26, White scored a career-high 30 on 6-for-9 from three while grabbing four rebounds and dishing out five assists. Against Norwich, White scored 26 points with four rebounds and five assists in a 77-69 win on February 1. 

White was also named to the GNAC All-Tournament team after averaging 18 points in the two games. 

White finished her career as the ninth all-time leading scorer with 1,447.

Keele appeared in eight games for the Falcons this season, notching a season-high six points against Regis on February 15.

GNAC Major Awards and All-Conference Teams

Player of the Year: Lyric Grumblatt, Rivier

Defensive Player of the Year: Jakara Murray-Leach, Albertus Magnus

Rookie of the Year: Grace Jaffray, Johnson and Wales

Coach of the Year: Dino Porcic, Johnson and Wales

Institutional Sportsmanship: Mitchell College

First Team

Caitlyn Scott, Albertus Magnus

Marinique Reddin, Anna Maria 

Grace Jaffray, Johnson & Wales 

Lyric Grumblatt, Rivier

Angelica Hurley, Saint Joseph's (Maine)

Second Team

Diamond White, Albertus Magnus

Brianne Foley, Johnson & Wales 

Isabella Suero, Johnson & Wales 

Grace Ramsdell, Saint Joseph's (Maine) 

Jordan Ouellette, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)

Third Team

Jakara Murray-Leach, Albertus Magnus

Maren McGinn, Norwich

Madi Zancan, Regis 

Maya Slisz, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)

Taylor Verboven, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)

All-Sportsmanship Team

Albertus Magnus: Sharaya Keele

Anna Maria: Arianna Gonzalez

Colby-Sawyer: Molly Denis

Dean: Alexandria Paquet

Elms: Jenny Gorski

Emmanuel: Megan Reilly

Johnson & Wales: Mikayla Caruso 

Lasell: Jasmine Depina

Mitchell: Krysten Lucas

New England College: Zaniya Moody

Norwich: Mallorie Chalmers

Regis: Isabella George

Rivier: Sydney Perry

Saint Joseph's (Maine): Mackenzie Currie

University of Saint Joseph (Conn.): Olivia Heslin