MILWAUKEE – The Alverno Basketball team returned home to ring in the 2023 New Year with a matchup against the Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks, and falling by a close two-point margin in a 71-69 loss inside Reiman Gymnasium.
 
Alverno was led on the night by junior Mya Roberts, who tallied 17 points on the scoreboard including a trio of three-point baskets. Freshman Camiria Sardin recorded her second consecutive double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Riley Spencer had a career-high with 12 points to go along with a team-leading four assists.
 
Sophomore Olivia Daugherty also had four assists and added three points to the ledger, while classmate Morgan Golabowski knocked down eight points and had four rebounds. Freshman Morgan Whitten had four points, while sophomore Jewel Zahradka had a bucket to go along with five rebounds.
 
Freshman Kyla Jamerson added10 points to go along with two steals and three rebounds, while junior Victoria Parra had two points and one block.
 
The Inferno as a team shot a season-high 43.1 percent from the field, while connecting on 25-of-58 from the floor. The Inferno also tied their season-high with 15 assists and reached double figures for the fifth time this season with 10 steals.
 
After Alverno allowed the opening five points to the Scarlet Hawks, Sardin got the Inferno on the board with a layup, while Roberts and Jamerson gave the Inferno a 7-5 lead. The score was tied at both nine and 11, as well as 15 and 17 before a late jumper by Jamerson gave the Inferno a 19-17 heading into the second quarter.
 
The Inferno built up a nine-point advantage on a jumper by Spencer, followed by two more at the stripe by Spencer with 4:04 left in the half. Robert drilled a three ball followed by back-to-back layups by Golabowski and Jamerson to put the home team up by 18 with 2:43 to go in the half. Illinois Tech trimmed the margin to 12 at the break with the Inferno ahead, 38-26.
 
Alverno held the lead throughout the entirety of the third quarter, but over the span Illinois Tech trimmed the deficit to three with the Inferno leading 51-48 heading into the final period.
 
The Scarlet Hawks evened the score at 51 early in the fourth, but the Inferno answered to regain the lead before the visitors tied it at 53. Illinois Tech took a two-point lead at 57-55 but Roberts drilled a three-pointer off of a Zahradka pass to put Alverno ahead. The lead seesawed back and forth in the waning minutes with the score tied at 67 with 24 seconds left in the game.
 
Illinois Tech took a one-point lead before Sardin responded with a put back layup to regain the lead for Alverno at 69-68. The Scarlet Hawks had a layup and an and-one free throw to give Illinois Tech the 71-69 win.  
 
Alverno (2-9, 0-5 NACC) will be back on the road for the first time since December 13, when the Inferno travel to take on Aurora beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 7 at the Thornton Gymnasium.