NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Adriana DeBernardo (Stratford, Conn.) scored a career-high 23 points as the Albertus Magnus College women's basketball team won its second straight game in a 66-45 win over Rivier University in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Saturday afternoon in The Nest.

DeBernardo also grabbed five rebounds on the day.

Isabella Fiorillo (West Haven, Conn.) filled the stat sheet, notching a double-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds to go with six assists. Ariellys Velez (Watertown, Conn.) added 11 points and four steals. Ava Johnson (North Haven, Conn.) had nine points with a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Falcons have won four of their last five games.

THE BASICS

FINAL: Albertus 66 | Rivier 45

RECORDS: Albertus (5-16, 4-4 GNAC) | Rivier (2-19, 2-6 GNAC)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Albertus scored the first six points of the game and jumped out to a 12-2 lead four minutes into the game. DeBernardo opened the scoring and two turnovers by the Raiders led to baskets by Velez. DeBernardo added another jumper and Dejahlee Dogans (Bloomfield, Conn.) hit a three for the early ten-point lead. After a three from Rivier's JuJu Nealy, the Falcons scored the final 12 points of the quarter, including a buzzer beating heave from Fiorillo to take a commanding 24-5 lead after the first ten minutes of the game. All five starters scored for Albertus in the quarter, with DeBernardo leading the way with nine points.
• The Falcons extended its lead to 30-7 at the 7:23 mark of the second quarter after a free throw by Johnson. Albertus held Rivier to just 19.3 percent shooting in the first half as it carried a 39-14 lead into halftime. Johnson and Velez each added five points in the second quarter.
• DeBernardo scored the first five points for the Falcons in the third quarter as Albertus took a 45-17 lead less than two minutes into the second half. After a steal and layup from Rivier's Gianna Donato cut the Albertus lead to 45-25, the Falcons went on an 11-1 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 56-26 with 3:12 remaining. The Falcons hit three three-pointers during the run as DeBernardo, Velez and Fiorillo each hit a three. The Falcons led 58-32 going into the fourth.
• Rivier trimmed the Albertus lead to 60-45 with under two minutes left after starting the fourth quarter on a 13-2 run. However, baskets by Kaniyah Brown (Bridgeport, Conn.), Fiorillo and Dogans put the game away for good.

TEAM STATS

Albertus

36.8 FG% | 33.3 3PT% | 52.6 FT%

Rivier

27.9 FG% | 11.5 3PT% | 72.7 FT%

TOP PERFORMERS

Albertus

Adriana DeBernardo 23 PTS | 5 REBS

Isabella Fiorillo 12 PTS | 10 REBS | 6 ASTS | 3 STLS

Ariellys Velez 11 PTS | 4 STLS

Ava Johnson 9 PTS | 12 REBS

Rivier

JuJu Nealy 13 PTS | 6 REBS

Sydney Perry 11 PTS  |4-7 FG | 6 REBS

Gianna Donato 11 PTS | 5-9 FG

NOTEWORTHY

The double-double for Fiorillo was the first of her career.

Albertus is now 25-11 all-time against Rivier

DeBernardo has scored in double figures in her last seven games.

UP NEXT

The Falcons head to Mitchell for a 7 p.m. tip on Wednesday, February 11th in GNAC action.