Alverno College

RIVER FOREST, Ill.  – The Alverno basketball team opened the final month of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling to host Dominican by the score of 70-58 at the Igini Sports Forum.

The Inferno outscored the Stars in the second half, 37-29 but it was not enough to erase a first half deficit that saw the Stars build a 41-21 lead at the break.
 
Leading the way for Alverno was freshman Eniya Madden with a season-high 27 points, who recorded 18 points in the second half. Eleven of Madden's points came from the free-throw line, while she went 8-of-17 from the field. Madden was tied with classmate Keeshya Bellows for the team lead with six rebounds apiece, while Bellows had nine points on four field goals and one free throw on the afternoon.
 
Junior Alicia Hornbuckle had five points, while classmate Dom Hudson added four. Senior Sara Redlin rounded out the starting five with three points on the evening, including the first two of the night for the Inferno.
 
Freshman Angie Reutgen recorded a season-best eight points, including a bucket to close out the opening half, while junior Mikayla Tessay had two points. Reutgen added five rebounds, while Tessay and sophomore Brittney Hondel each had a pair.
 
While the shooting between the two sides was comparable in terms of percentage with the Inferno knocking down 37.0% and the Stars connecting on 40.6% from the field, the difference proved to be the quantity of shots as Dominican attempted 69 to Alverno's 46 as the Inferno committed 20 turnovers over the 40-minute contest.
 
After Alverno trailed 25-6 after the opening quarter, the Inferno and Stars played to a fairly even second period with the Stars holding a one-point lead in the quarter at 16-15.
 
The Inferno made adjustments in the locker room at the break and were able to trim the 20-point halftime deficit down to 15 late in the third quarter. Alverno got as close as 10 points on a free throw by Hornbuckle with 12 seconds left but the lead was too large to overcome as the Stars picked up the win.
 
Alverno (3-17, 3-12 NACC) will return to Illinois for the final time this season on Wednesday, as the Inferno will look to take the season sweep over Illinois Tech on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. from t he Keating Sports Center.