Box Score: CUW 64, AC 50

MILWAUKEE - Tiffany Hendrickson and Kendall Kerns combined to score 33 points, as the Concordia University Wisconsin women's basketball team earned a 64-50 Northern Athletics Conference road victory over Alverno College on Tuesday night inside Reiman Gymnasium.

Kerns (senior, Stoughton, Wis.) scored 13 of her season-high 19 points in the opening half to give the Falcons a six-point lead at the intermission. In the second period it was Hendrickson (junior, Ingleside, Ill.) who knocked down three crucial 3-pointers in the final minutes and ended the game with 14 points.

"I am extremely excited about being 4-0 in conference play," head coach Stacey Brunner-Jones said. "We are doing enough to win ball games right now. It is the little things giving us the edge, like hitting big shots in timely situations. I also like our aggressiveness and attitude on both end of the floor."

The Falcons (4-2, 4-0 NAC) held the Inferno under 35 percent in both halves and forced 19 turnovers in the win. CUW was able to build a double-digit lead in the final minutes behind efficient passing and ended with 19 assists on 25 field goals.

The victory keeps the Falcons conference record unblemished and gives them a one-game lead in the NAC North Division standings.

Senior Brittany Toles (South Beloit, Ill.) finished with a season-high 10 rebounds and scored six points. Junior Brittany Zietlow (Oak Creek, Wis.) concluded the win with a season-high seven assists, to go along with four steals and four points. Kerns also grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots.

"Kendall is starting to come into her own," Brunner-Jones said. "I believe she is one of the best post players in the conference."

Hannah Galstad led Alverno (2-6, 0-4 NAC) with 12 points and three assists, while Jamie Hoernke scored nine points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Kristen Speerschneider finished with 10 points and four rebounds.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair as there were nine lead changes and five scoring ties. Following a 23-23 tie, the Falcons went on a 10-4 run behind a pair of buckets from Kerns and Toles to put CUW in front 32-24 with 2:06 remaining - its largest lead of the first half. The Falcons eventually took a 32-26 lead at halftime.

In the second period the Inferno got to within two points with 17:01 remaining in the contest, before a Camille Parsons (sophomore, Urbana, Ill.) 3-pointer and a Kerns jumper pushed the Falcons advantage back to seven points.

Alverno wouldn't go away until CUW used a 19-6 run to go ahead by 16 points, 60-44, with 3:48 left in the game. Hendrickson nailed three-straight triples to spark the scoring run and subsequent double-digit lead.

"Tiffany is one of the best shooters I have ever coached," Brunner-Jones said. "I also have to credit Brittany and Katie (Luethe) for finding Tiffany when she was open and in her groove."

CUW returns to the friendly confines of the R. John Buuck Field House to play its second of three games this week on Thursday against Lakeland College at 7 p.m.