NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College women's basketball finished its final regular season home game with a win as it defeated Dean College, 87-65, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Tuesday evening at The Nest.

Ariellys Velez (Watertown, Conn.) scored a team-high 33 points for the Falcons, adding three steals and four assists.

Ava Johnson (North Haven, Conn.) notched a double-double, adding 13 points, and grabbing a team and career-high 14 rebounds. Isabella Fiorillo (West Haven, Conn.) scored 12 points and dished out six assists. Adriana DeBernardo (Stratford, Conn.) added another double-double to her season, as she put up 12 points and ten rebounds on the evening to go with three blocks.

THE BASICS

FINAL: Albertus 87 | Dean 65

RECORDS: Albertus (7-17, 6-5 GNAC) | Dean (7-17, 2-9 GNAC)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Albertus opened the game with a five point run in the opening minutes, with layups from Fiorillo and Johnson, and a made free throw from DeBernardo. The Falcons led by as many as nine points in the first quarter, after a made layup from Velez and a three-pointer from Fiorillo made it 18-9. The Bulldogs cut the first quarter lead to five, with a made three-pointer by Azaria Landry, but Velez hit a three of her own before the first quarter buzzer, extending the Falcon lead to 23-15 heading into the second quarter. 
• Two layups from Velez and one from Johnson extended the lead to 14 points within the first minute of the second quarter. The Bulldogs cut the lead to eight as Abigail Lacy added a layup, Kenzie Sherburne hit a three, and Jordan Ellis finished a layup of her own to make the game 30-22. Velez went on a quick five point run, adding a three-pointer and a layup, increasing the lead once again to 35-22.
• The teams continued to trade baskets in the second quarter, and the Bulldogs got as close as one point after going on a 14-0 run, including eight points from Ellis, two from Sherburne, and four from Landry. Fiorillo hit a jumpshot with just 39 seconds left in the quarter, extending the lead to 39-36 heading into halftime. 
• Lacy opened the third with a made layup, putting the Bulldogs within one point once again, at 39-38. Two points from Velez and five from Dejahlee Dogans (Bloomfield, Conn.) gave the Falcons an eight point lead once again, and they continued to build on that, leading by 16 points going into the fourth quarter.  Velez finished with 10 points in the third quarter, including two three-pointers. Dogans scored eight of her 12 points in the quarter.
• The Falcons lead by as many as 29 points in the fourth quarter, and the Bulldogs did not cut the Falcon's lead under 20 points for the remainder of the game. Velez and DeBernardo each scored seven points in the quarter and Kaniyah Brown scored four points in the frame.

TEAM STATS

Albertus

47.8 FG% | 36.0 3PT% | 70.0 FT%

Dean

27.7 FG% | 21.9 3PT% | 63.2 FT%

TOP PERFORMERS

Albertus

Ariellys Velez 33 PTS | 4 ASTS

Ava Johnson 13 PTS | 14 REBS

Adriana DeBernardo 12 PTS | 10 REBS

Dean

Jordan Ellis 18 PTS | 11 REBS

Azaria Landry 16 PTS | 5 REBS

Abigail Lacy 14 PTS | 12 REBS

NOTEWORTHY

• DeBernardo has scored in double figures in nine of her last ten games
• Velez shot 5-6 from three on the evening, and currently sits third in the GNAC in points per game, averaging 18.1. 
• DeBernardo leads the conference in blocks with 34. 

UP NEXT

The Falcons travel to Colby-Sawyer in GNAC action on Saturday, February 21 at 1 p.m. for their regular season finale.