Second-Half Surge Pushes Albertus Magnus Past WBB

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Albertus Magnus College overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to edge Mitchell College, 58-57, Saturday afternoon in a non-conference women's basketball showdown at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Jakara Murray-Leach netted a game- and season-high 28 points on 10-for-15 shooting to lead the comeback for the Falcons (3-7 overall). She shot 7-for-9 from three-point range and also finished with three rebounds and three steals. Diamond White added 10 points and three steals in the win.

Yasmine Santos led three Mariners in double figures with 12 points. Le'Sandra Turner contributed 11 points and six assists while Dede Stevenson chipped in 10 points. 

Mitchell controlled much of the first half and led 37-25 at the break. The Mariners shot 58 percent as a team and held Albertus to a 29-percent clip. However, Murray-Leach kept the Falcons close with 11 points to lead all scorers.

It wasn't until late in the third quarter that Albertus made its move. After a layup by Turner put Mitchell on top 49-35 with 2:52 to go in the period, the Falcons closed with a 9-0 run to get back into contention. The flurry left the Mariners with a 49-44 lead heading into the fourth.

Murray-Leach scored Albertus' first seven points of the fourth, including a bucket with 7:01 to play that evened the score at 51-51. Over a minute later, a layup by Natasha Rivera gave the Falcons their first lead since the opening minutes, and the visitors never trailed again.

With 36 seconds remaining, Mitchell trailed by one and elected to defend Albertus' final possession instead of fouling. The Mariners got the stop they needed and called time out with 6.5 seconds to play. On the ensuing inbounds play, Stevenson took the ball and tried to feed Amina Wiley in the post. The Falcons double-teamed the entry pass, forcing Stevenson to launch a three at the buzzer that was off the mark.

Wiley finished with nine points and a game-high 14 rebounds. The Mariners held a commanding 45-23 edge on the glass and outscored the Falcons 30-22 in the paint.

Mitchell enters the semester break with a 6-5 overall record. The Mariners will next host Coast Guard Academy on January 3 at 1 p.m.