MILWAUKEE -- Visiting Alverno College pulled out a thrilling 96-92 overtime victory over host Milwaukee School of Engineering Saturday evening downtown in the Kern Center.

Jamie Hoernke scored 24 points, Kristen Speerschneider had 23 and Ashley Berry added 19 as the Inferno (10-5, 7-3 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference) put up its season-high scoring total in the victory over the Raiders (8-6, 6-3 NACC).

Speerschneider also dished out a team-high eight assists and tied Katie Bartlett with a team-best five rebounds.

After a back-and-forth first half, the Raiders took control midway through the second half and held their largest lead of the game, 65-53, with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Inferno started chipping away and took its first lead of the half on a pair of Speerschneider free throws with 4:12 remaining.

MSOE would go 1-of-2 from the line on its next possession to tie the game at 78-78 before a Hoernke jumper gave the Inferno a two-point advantage with 3:33 left on the clock. Speerschneider extended the lead to 81-78 with a free throw a minute later.

It would be the final points for Alverno in regulation, as the visitors missed their final five field goals and final three free throws of the period.

Megan Kroll, who had game-highs of 27 points and nine rebounds for the Raiders, pulled the hosts within one after sinking a pair of free throws with 1:23 left to play, and Holly Denfeld, who added 19 points, made 1-of-2 with five ticks left to even the game at 81-81 and force overtime.

The Raiders quickly pulled ahead by four in the first couple of minutes of the extra period, but the Inferno roared back with a 12-0 run--sparked by back-to-back baskets by Hoernke and Speerschneider--that put the game out of the Raiders' reach. Alverno didn't repeat its mistakes from the end of regulation and made its seven final free-throw attempts to ice the contest.

The teams both shot well from the field with 33 field goals apiece at a combined 50 percent from the floor, but the difference was at the free-throw line as the Inferno's 78 percent (25-of-32) bested the Raiders' 68 percent (19-of-28) performance.

Alverno continues NACC road play at Lakeland College on Wednesday at 7 p.m.