Falcons Win Blue Angel Tip-Off Tournament; Down CNR 95-52 in Title Game

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.  – Lianna Carrero (Hamden, Conn.) was named the Blue Angel Tip-Off Tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring a season-high 27 points to lead the Albertus Magnus women's basketball team to a 95-52 victory over the College of New Rochelle on Sunday. With the win, the Falcons earned the 2012 Blue Angel Tip-Off Tournament title as Carrero joined Lindsay Karle (Wallingford, Conn.) and Kelsey Pendagast (Shelton, Conn.) on the All-Tournament Team.

Carrero scored 19 of her 27 points in the first half as she shot 7-of-13 from the floor, while she played all 20 minutes of the frame. The junior finished the game 9-of-14 from the field, while she added seven rebounds and seven assists.

The Falcons improve to 3-0 with the victory for the second-straight season.

Karle, who struggled in the first half, made just 1-of-7 from the floor in the opening frame. The junior guard came out in the second half and scored 17 points as she hit 7-of-12 from the field, including a 2-of-4 clip from behind the arc. Karle finished the afternoon with 23 points to mark her third-straight game this season with 20 or more points.

The Falcons shot an impressive 58.3-percent (21-of-36) from the floor in the second half which helped Albertus score 55 points en route to the 43-point victory. In their first three games of the 2012-13 campaign, the Falcons are averaging 97 points per game and have an average margin of victory of 46 points.

Albertus finished the afternoon shooting 50-percent (36-of-72) as a team, while hitting five of its 14 three-point field goal attempts. The Falcons also held a 48-41 rebounding advantage.

Off the bench, Pendagast tallied 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor, while she added seven rebounds.

New Rochelle's Jasmin Brandon was the only Blue Angel (1-1) to register double digits at 22 points, while she added seven rebounds in the loss. Brandon and teammate Alyssa Pechin were named to the All-Tournament team for the host school, while Cooper Union's Ghazal Erfani and Yeshiva's Stephanie Greenberg also earned a spot on the team.

Albertus will travel to Boston, Mass. on Tuesday, Nov. 20 for their next non-conference match-up against Wheelock College. Tuesday's game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. and will mark the Falcons' fourth game in six days.

*Release courtesy of Albertus Magnus College Sports Information Dept.