Alverno College

MILWAUKEE – The Alverno basketball team fell to the Aurora Spartans by the score of 88-79 inside the Reiman Gymnasium on Saturday evening, but not without a pair of historic efforts put forth by the Inferno as Alverno was led by freshman Eniya Madden, who recorded a career-best 31 points; while senior Sara Redlin set the program record for three-pointers in a season.
 
Redlin set the single-season three-point field goals made mark as she entered the evening tied for the program record with 62 on the season. Redlin had 10 points on the game including three three-pointers to set the new single-season standard with three games still to play on the season.
 
Prior to the game, Redlin was recognized in an on-court ceremony as she played in her second-to-last home game inside Reiman Gymnasium. Redlin was recognized for her two-year playing career, with mentions of her single-game three-point field goal record set earlier this week with eight against Illinois Tech, in addition to her single-season efforts from beyond the arc.
 
Madden's 31-point effort was one point shy of the single-game mark in the 20-year history of the program. The record for points in a game is 32, set originally by Emily Zawikowski '02 during the 2001-02 season and later matched by Jamie Hoernke '14 during the 2013-14 campaign. Madden's effort is tied with a pair of performances from a season ago as Karli Selear '19 potted 31 points at home against Marian, while Justice Hawkins '19 had a 31-point effort earlier in the season at Rockford.
 
Eleven of Madden's points came from the free-throw line, which is tied for eighth on the single-game list. The program record is 15 free throws in one game set by Kim Murray '07 during the 2003-04 season. Madden was one rebound shy of her season-high of 12, which took place on January 28 at home versus Lakeland, while her nine rebounds matches her career-high set back in the team's home opener against Illinois Tech.
 
Outside of the 31 points from Madden and 10 from Redlin, the Inferno also got 13 points and nine assists to go along with six rebounds from junior Alicia Hornbuckle. Freshman Keeshya Bellows had six points and seven boards, while junior Mikayla Tessay added eight points off the bench.
 
All eight members of the Inferno got on the scoresheet as junior Dom Hudson collected four points, while freshman Angie Reutgen had five and sophomore Brittney Hondel added a layup for two points.
 
The game was evenly matched between the two sides in the early-stages, leading the game to be tied at 45 at the halftime break. Madden had 15 of her 31 in the opening half, while also collecting seven rebounds. Hornbuckle had nine points in the opening 20 minutes, while Redlin had four-points including her record-breaking bucket at the 4:25 mark of the opening quarter.
 
In the third quarter, Alverno's offense exploded as the Inferno outscored the Spartans by a 26-19 margin to hold a 71-64 lead heading in the final quarter. The third was spurred by a 14-3 run by Alverno to open the half, as the Inferno led by as many as nine in the period before taking its seven-point lead into the final stanza.
 
In the fourth, Alverno was unable to use the momentum it had built in the third as the team was only able to connect on eight points on a pair of baskets by Madden, and layups from both Hondel and Bellows. Aurora outscored the Inferno by a 24-8 margin in the fourth to earn the victory, allowing the Spartans to leapfrog the Lakeland Muskies in a race for the sixth and final NACC postseason berth.
 
Alverno (4-18, 4-13 NACC) will head on the road for the final two times this season beginning with a trip to the Sadoff Gymnasium on Tuesday evening, February 11 for a 7 p.m. start against the Marian Sabres. The road season will conclude on Saturday afternoon, when the Inferno visit crosstown foe MSOE on the 15th of February for a 4:15 p.m. start from the Kern Center.