Falcons hold off Inferno

More news about: Alverno

MEQUON, Wis. -- The host Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons led by as many as 19 points before the visiting Alverno College Inferno cut the lead to three points with just under 3 minutes to play. However the Falcons would outscore the Inferno 12-4 in the remainder of the game coming up with key rebounds and sinking their free throws for the 71-60 final.

"I have to give CUW credit tonight," Alverno head coach Brad Duckworth said. "They shot 57 percent from the floor in the first half, and I didn't think our defense was all that bad, they just really made a lot of shots and put us in a hole."

Concordia (4-4, 3-2 Northern Athletics Conference) led by 19 with 3:45 remaining in the first half before Alverno (2-6, 1-3) ended the half on a 10-2 run for the 40-29 score at intermission. The Inferno defense forced three Falcon turnovers during the end of the half that led directly to six points.

Alverno shot an uncharacteristically low 46 percent (5-of11) from the free-throw line in the half, and were also 0-of-7 from long range, while the Falcons were 4-of-9 from the 3-point arc in the period.

In the beginning of the second half with the lead still at 11, senior Shataya McComb (Kingston, N.Y.) would take over the game for a 2-minute span as she scored 10 straight points for the Inferno, including back-to-back 3-pointers. The lead was cut to five, 46-41, after her second long ball with 15:24 left to play.

"Shataya had a great game," Duckworth said, "both offensively and defensively."

McComb would finish the game with a career-high 25 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line.

The Falcons would extend their lead up to 14 points with 6 minutes to go before the Inferno would use an 11-0 run to cut the lead to three with 2:47 remaining, and then falling 71-60.

Alicia Kontowski (South Milwaukee, Wis.) and Gabby Allen (Milwaukee/Bay View) added 15 and 14 points, respectively, for the Inferno. Allen also recorded a game-high five assists.

The Falcons were led by Tiffany Hendrickson's 16 points and Katie Luethe's double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds.

The Inferno will travel to Watertown, Wis., to face Maranatha Baptist Bible College on Thursday at 7 p.m. for their final game before the holiday break.

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