Inferno Opens Women's College Tipoff Tournament With 22-Point Victory

MILWAUKEE -- Anna Boteva made six 3-point shots for a game-high 22 points to lead Alverno College to a 67-45 victory over St. Catherine University in the opening game of the 2012 Women's College Tipoff Tournament in Reiman Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.

Boteva's 22 doubled her previous career high of 11 points, as she was one of four Inferno players in double-figures. Kristen Speerschneider was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line for 13 points, while Jamie Hoernke and Ashley Berry added 10 points apiece.

After the host Inferno (1-0) gave up a score on the opening possession it scored the next seven points and did not relinquish the lead the remainder of the contest.

The visiting Wildcats (0-1) cut the Inferno's lead to two, 26-24, on a Jenna Mistler 3-pointer with just under five minutes in the first half, but the Inferno rallied off 10-straight points for the 36-24 lead at intermission.

Mistler led the Wildcats with 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting and also had a team-high five rebounds.

Alverno increased its lead to a game-high 27 midway through the second half and cruised to the 67-45 final.

Hoernke led all players with 11 rebounds, while Speerschneider had seven assists and eight steals to lead all.

Alverno returns to action at 7 p.m. tonight versus Stephens College in game two of the Women's College Tipoff Tournament, which will mark the first time in the program's history the team has played twice in the same day.

Stephens and St. Catherine will play on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the final game of the round-robin event.