Dec. 3, 2005

Final Stats

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - St. Bonaventure tied the best start in its history with a 58-49 win over Cleveland State on Saturday afternoon at the Reilly Center.

The Bonnies are now 4-0, matching the mark set by the 1992-93 team.

All-Conference senior guard Stefanie Collins, and a gritty second half effort, powered the win. Collins drained seven three-pointers and finished with a game-high 23 points. St. Bonaventure trailed by four points at halftime, and as many as six points midway through the second half, before finally overcoming the Vikings (2-3).

"We went back to what we are good at in the second half," said St. Bonaventure coach Jim Crowley. "Everybody stepped up within their roles and did what they needed to do to get us the win."

St. Bonaventure held a slim lead throughout most of the first half thanks to three-point shooting. Collins went 5-for-6 from three-point range in the first half alone.

But Cleveland State used the three-point shot to climb back into the game. Over a three minute span, the Vikings made four consecutive three-pointers to take their first lead of the game at 28-25. Cleveland State closed the half with a 13-3 run and led 32-28 at intermission.

Cleveland State went ahead 41-35 as St. Bonaventure managed only two points over a 6:13 span early in the second half. But the Bonnies came back with a 9-2 run to take a 44-43 lead on a Collins three-pointer with 6:50 remaining.

It was a 44-44 tie when St. Bonaventure scored seven unanswered points to open a 51-44 lead with 2:13 left. The Vikings did not come closer than five points after that.

The Vikings' 49 points marks the third straight game that the Bonnies have held an opponent under 50 points.

Sophomore guard Priscilla Edwards scored 15 points to compliment Collins. Edwards also had five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Led by Collins, St. Bonaventure went 9-for-19 (.474) from three-point range. Collins was 7-of-10 and junior Audrey Latendresse was 2-of-4. Latendresse had nine points. Redshirt freshman forward Ashley Edwards led the Bonnies with a season-high nine rebounds. St. Bonaventure outrebounded the Vikings 35-28.

Dominique Butler led Cleveland State with 12 points.

The Bonnies will return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 6, when they host Little Three rivals Niagara at 7:00.