Alverno College

MILWAUKEE – The Alverno basketball team opened the home portion of its 2019-20 schedule with a victory over the Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks on Tuesday evening inside Reiman Gymnasium by the score of 66-46.
 
As a team the Inferno recorded a season-best 42 rebounds as a team, while also limiting turnovers to a season-low 14. The team was also had its second-highest field-goal percentage at .441, while connecting on the second-highest field goal's total with 26 on the night.
 
Alverno was led individually by a pair of players as senior Sara Redlin and freshman Eniya Madden both connected on 16 points on the game. Madden connected on a game-high seven field goals, while both she and Redlin finished one rebound shy of a double-double. Madden was also one assist shy of a double-double as she ended the night with a team-high nine.
 
The Inferno also got 11 points from junior Alicia Hornbuckle, while she also racked up three assists. Junior Dom Hudson notched 10 points and had three rebounds with two steals, while freshman Keeshya Bellows was tied for the team lead with four steals as both she and Madden were even.
 
Bellows had a successful night all-around as she held the team lead with 14 rebounds to go along with nine points, as she was second on the team with four assists and led the squad with four blocks on the night. Sophomore Brittney Hondel picked up a pair of field goals as she ended the night with four points and one assist to go along with one rebound.
 
Alverno got the night started with a bang as Madden opened the scoring with a three-pointer off of a pass from junior Mikayla Tessay. After five unanswered by the Scarlet Hawks, the Inferno responded on a jumper by Madden. Alverno took a five-point lead as Hudson converted on a fast-break layup, while Bellows picked up a layup to put the home team ahead by five at 12-7. Illinois Tech took back the lead but Redlin closed out the quarter with a three-ball to put the Inferno ahead 15-13.
 
Hornbuckle opened the scoring in the second as she made a three-point play on a layup and ensuing free throw as she was fouled going up for the layup. The low-scoring second quarter ultimately saw the period close on a layup by Bellows, before Redlin closed the quarter with a three-pointer to put the Inferno ahead 26-17 heading into halftime.
 
After the break, Hornbuckle connected on a jumper to open the scoring and give Alverno an 11-point advantage. Illinois Tech charged back into the game to trim the Inferno lead to three, but Redlin connected on another clutch three-pointer before Redlin made one-of-two from the stripe and a Hornbuckle layup gave Alverno a nine-point lead once again.
 
Redlin connected on another three-pointer with 1:28 to go in the quarter to put Alverno ahead by 13, before Hudson made a layup to push Alverno's lead to 15 at 47-32 with 35 seconds to go in the third.
 
In the fourth quarter it was Hondel to open the scoring, before Madden swiped the ball and converted on a fast-break layup to push Alverno ahead by a 19-point advantage. Two more steals were followed by two more layups for the Inferno as Hondel and Madden converted to put Alverno up 55-32. After seven unanswered by Illinois Tech, Alverno put an end to the run with a jumper by Bellows off of a Madden dish.
 
The waning minutes saw Alverno close out the game on a 9-7 run to cap off the scoring at 66-46 in favor of the Inferno.
 
Alverno (1-3, 1-0 NACC) will be off for a full week and return home to Reiman Gymnasium on Tuesday, December 3 as the Inferno play host to the MSOE Raiders for a 7 p.m. start against its crosstown foe.