MILWAUKEE – The Alverno basketball recorded its first win of the 2021-22 season as the Inferno knocked off the Mount Mary Blue Angels by the score of 56-52 inside of Reiman Gymnasium.
 
The Inferno had a record night from junior forward Keeshya Bellows, who collected 18 rebounds for a career high. In addition to her personal-best rebounding mark, Bellows' 18 caroms was tied for a mark that had stood for 20 years as she ties for second on the single-game rebounding list, which was last accomplished by Lisa Hochschild during the 2001-02 season. The program mark is also held by Hochschild, with 20 rebounds coming back in the program's inaugural season in December of 2000.
 
Senior Dom Hudson recorded an Alverno-best 17 points, eclipsing her previous career-high of 14 set back on November 8 of 2019 against Blackburn. Sophomore Courtney Zarda tied her career-high with nine points, which she last accomplished on February 24 of her freshman season against Lakeland at home. Freshman Jewel Zahradka in her fourth career contest also picked up a season-best with 11 points on the evening.
 
Bellows also added 12 points to go along with her 18 rebounds, as she also collected two steals and Alverno's lone block of the night. Hudson led Alverno with four assists, as she shot 5-of-10 from the field with three from beyond the arc as she added eight rebounds.
 
Zarda tallied three three-pointers for the Inferno, while also picked up three assists on the game. Freshman Lauryn Hilliard scored four points for Alverno and collected nine rebounds, with eight of those coming on the defensive glass. Junior Angie Reutgen was able to connect on one three-pointer as she chipped in with one assist to go along with her field goal.
 
Freshman Morgan Golabowski made her collegiate debut and played four minutes, while sophomore Kiara Ellison picked up one offensive rebound in her three minutes on the court.
 
After Mount Mary took the early 2-0 lead, the Inferno answered back as Bellows knotted the score. Hudson scored her first field goal at the six-minute mark to put Alverno ahead before Zarda drilled her first three-pointer of the game. Bellows capped off the nine-point run with a layup to put the Inferno ahead by seven. Mount Mary potted another jumper before Zahradka connected on her first field goal of the night, with a three-pointer to put the Inferno ahead 12-4.
 
Zahradka added to the lead with her second three-pointer of the quarter to put Alverno up by double-digits, before the Blue Angels were able to trim the Inferno lead down to eight to close out the quarter.
 
Reutgen kicked off the second period with a three-pointer, followed by a long-range shot by Zarda to give Alverno a 14-point advantage. The Inferno continued to keep the Blue Angels at a distance as Zahradka and Hudson connected on three balls down the stretch. After a layup with a minute to go trimmed Alverno's lead to 12, Hudson connected on a buzzer-beating three-pointer with less than a second to go from half court to give Alverno its largest lead of the game at 15.
 
The Inferno opened the second half with five unanswered as Bellows had a jumper, followed by a three-pointer by Zarda. A six-point run by Mount Mary was ended by a Bellows layup, but the Blue Angels did not go away with another 10-point run to close out the third quarter.
 
The run continues for Mount Mary with seven straight points as the Blue Angels took a 43-42 lead with 8:58 to go in the final period. Zarda returned fire with a three-pointer to put Alverno back ahead at 45-43, followed by a jumper by Hilliard. After a lengthy drought, Mount Mary scored to pull back within two, before a layup by Bellows put Alverno ahead by two possessions.
 
Mount Mary connected on a jumper, followed by a jumper by Zahradka, then another by Mount Mary to keep both sides close with Alverno leading 53-49. A three-pointer by Mount Mary sunk Alverno's lead back to one, but Hudson connected on three free throws late in the game to ice the contest and seal the win for the Inferno.
 
Alverno (1-3) will be off for a week and return to action with the team's conference opener against the MSOE Raiders with tip slated for 7 p.m. inside Reiman Gymnasium.