ROCKFORD, Ill. -- The Alverno College women's basketball team ended their three-game losing skid and set the school record for season victories with a 56-50 win versus host Rockford College today at the Seaver Center in Rockford.
The nine wins this season breaks the previous mark of eight set in the program's inaugural season back in 2000-01.
The Inferno (9-11, 5-9 Northern Athletics Conference) started the game slow as Rockford (6-15, 4-10) jumped out to an 8-0 lead. The Inferno didn't score their first points of the game until 15:31 on a Gabby Allen (Milwaukee, Wis./Bay View) layup.
The Regents would lead the entire first half, including 27-18 with less than 2 minutes remaining in the period. Yet the Inferno would end the half on an 8-0 surge to close the margin to one point at the break. Alverno would score on the last play of the half having to go the entire length of the floor with 6 seconds remaining. Allen received the inbound and went coast-to-coast dishing to Lisa Sorgi (Milwaukee, Wis./Greenfield) who hit the layup at the first half buzzer.
Alverno shot only 29 percent from the field and 50 percent from the free throw line in the first half, but forced Rockford into 14 first half turnovers to keep the game close.
Alverno would finally take their first lead of the game on their first offensive possession in the second half going up 28-27. After five more lead changes, the Inferno would take the lead for good on a Joslyn Binkowski (Greenfield, Wis.) basket with 17 minutes remaining. The Inferno would increase the lead to 11 with 3:30 to play for their largest lead of the game.
Allen led a trio of Inferno scoring in double figures with a game-high 17 points. Sorgi added 11 points, while senior Bre Miller (Racine, Wis./Horlick) recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Allen and Sorgi also added eight and six rebounds, respectively.
Sorgi had a team-high four assists, while Binkowski added a game-high five steals on the defensive end.
Erin Decker (Naperville, Ill.) led the Regents in scoring with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
Alverno was outrebounded 44-37, but forced Rockford into 27 turnovers and held them to 18 percent shooting from the three-point arc. Alverno finished the game shooting 33 percent from the field and 67 percent (14-of-21) from the free throw line.
Alverno is next in action on Tuesday, Feb. 10 as they host Dominican University in a NAC South Division game at 7pm in Reiman Gymnasium. Alverno defeated Dominican 54-50 earlier in the season in River Forest, Ill.
