NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - The Albertus Magnus College women's basketball team lost its season-opening game, 78-44 to host No. 4 Smith College at the Tyler Tip-Off on Saturday afternoon.

Isabella Fiorillo (West Haven, Conn.) led all Falcons with a team-high 15 points.  Ariellys Velez (Watertown, Conn.) scored 11 to go with a team-high five steals. 

THE BASICS

FINAL: Smith 78 | Albertus 44

RECORDS: Albertus (0-1) | Smith (1-0)

 BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• In the first quarter, the Bears took a 10-2 lead in the first four minutes. The Falcons were able to trim down the deficit to five points at 12-7 after a bucket from Dejahlee Dogans (Bloomfield, Conn.) and a three from Adriana DeBernardo (Stratford, Conn.). The Bears finished the final 4:43 on an 8-2 run to take a 20-9 lead into the second quarter.
• Keira Reynolds (Guilford, Conn.) scored the first five points for the Falcons in the second quarter and the Falcons were able to cut the Smith lead to 24-16 with 7:05 remaining. Fiorillo added a jumper with 5:36 remaining, but Smith finished on a 10-0 run, taking a 38-18 lead into the half. Reynolds and DeBernardo each had five points in the first half for the Falcons. Virginia Johnson of Smith led all scorers in the first 20 minutes with 12 points.
• The Falcons cut the Smith lead again in the third quarter to 42-28 behind six straight points from Velez after three consecutive turnovers from the Bears. Smith, however, pulled away in the quarter, taking a 57-31 lead into the fourth.
• Smith held onto the lead in the fourth as the Falcons were unable to get any closer than 24 points the rest of the way. 

TEAM STATS

Albertus

28.1 FG% | 21.7 3PT% | 36.8 FT%

Smith

49.2 FG% | 35.0 3PT% | 68.8 FT%

TOP PERFORMERS

Albertus

Isabella Fiorillo 15 PTS | 5 REBS | 2-5 3PT

Ariellys Velez 11 PTS | 5 STLS | 3 REBS

Ava Johnson 3 PTS | 5 REBS | 2 BLKS

Smith

Virginia Johnson 17 PTS | 8 REBS 

Bre'Aria Cannon 8 PTS | 4-7 FG | 8 REBS

Mya Williams 5 PTS | 9 REBS

NOTEWORTHY

The meeting was the first between the two teams.

UP NEXT

The Falcons continue at the Tyler Tip-Off as they take on Cal State Lutheran on Sunday at 1 p.m.