Alverno Ends Season In NACC Semifinal

More news about: Alverno

PLYMOUTH, Wisconsin -- Alverno College lost to host Lakeland University, 79-63, in the semifinal round of the 2017 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament Thursday night.

The sixth-seeded Inferno scored the first four points of the game but the visitors' only lead of the night was short-lived as the second-seeded Muskies rattled off the next 10 points for a 10-4 lead.

Tessa Mersberger made a 3-pointer to close out the opening quarter which cut the Muskies lead to seven.

Alverno outscored Lakeland by three in the second quarter and trailed, 39-35, at intermission.

Things then went the way of the Muskies (19-7) as the hosts opened up the third quarter on a 15-0 run and led by as many as 20. Alverno cut the gap in half over a three-minute span before Lakeland made the final field goal of the third and led 60-48.

The Inferno couldn't get the spread any closer than 10 the rest of the way as the Muskies, who shot 9-of-19 from the 3-point arc, held on for the semifinal victory and advance to the NACC final Saturday.

Gabby Hood came close to the first triple-double in school history as she led Alverno with 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. The point guard set a new single-season school record with 130 assists.

Mersberger, Mollie Mikyska and Karli Selear scored 10 points apiece while Mackenzie Mathies had eight.

Katelyn Bartlett scored six points in her 105th game, as the senior forward broke the school record for games played in a career.

The Inferno closes out the season with a 13-14 record, tied for the fourth-most wins in program history.