Nov. 17, 2007
Final Stats
ELMIRA, N.Y. - Four in a row!
The St. Bonaventure women's basketball team used a 13-for-15 performance from the free throw line in the game's final 13 minutes and a solid defensive effort in the opening 20 minutes to notch a 58-53 victory over Binghamton on Saturday afternoon at the First Arena in Elmira, N.Y. in the fourh annual St. Bona Shootout.
With the victory, the Bonnies improved to 4-0 for the third time in program history and the second time in the last three seasons, while the Bearcats dropped to 0-2 following a season opening defeat at Portland State.
For the fourth straight contest, sophomore Dana Mitchell reached double digits with a game and season-high 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and was awarded the most valuable player trophy following the contest. Junior Katelyn Murray chipped in with 15 points, including a decisive three pointer with 1:50 remaining after the Bearcats cut the Bonnies' margin to four points. Elmira Heights native Erica Schiefen turned in a solid all-around effort in her return home with eights points and a contest-best seven rebounds in 36 minutes of action.
Following a first half that saw the Bearcats score just 16 points, Binghamton outscored the Bonnies 37-27 in the final 20 minutes, including a 19-7 run to begin the second stanza that cut the Brown and White's lead to 43-39 with 6:42 remaining. After Murray's first of two three pointers put the Bonnies up by 16 points early in the final period, Binghamton received production from throughout its roster to make the game interesting in the final seven minutes. A pair of baskets from sophomore Erica Carter on consecutive possessions ignited the Bearcats spurt, while Mitchell tallied six of her team's next seven points during the Binghamton run to provide her team with a cushion.
Over the next 6:17 span, the two clubs's traded points as the Bonnies lead wavered in the single digits until the final minute of the game when the Bonnies took a 10-point advantage following two Schiefen free throws. As the Bonnies advantage was cut to four for the final time following two free throws from senior forward Laine Kurpniece, Murray caught nothing by nylon on her triple from the top of the arc to increase the St. Bonaventure margin to seven at 52-45 with 2:30 on the clock. Binghamton would come as close as five points in the final two minutes, but the Bonnies converted on 5-of-7 freebies at the stripe to clinch the victory.
Following an opening 15 minutes that saw multiple small spurts from both teams, the Bonnies used a 12-2 run in the final five minutes of the first half to enter the locker room with a 31-16 advantage. The Brown and White defense limited the Bearcats to five first-half field goals as Binghamton shot just 26.3 percent from the field with zero three-pointers.
Murray tallied six of her eight first half points in the period closing spurt on three jump shots from various positions on the floor. The combination of junior Tiara Johnson and Mitchell also had a hand in the club's largest run of the half as Johnson converted on a lay up to spark the spurt prior to a quarterback-like assist over the top of the Binghamton defense to a flanking Mitchell who walked in for an easy two pointer with 3:21 remaining in the half. Mitchell tacked on a pair of free throws to give the Bonnies their largest lead of the game at 17 points with just over a minute to go in the first half before senior Laura Sario's two pointer in the paint ended 4:03 scoreless minutes for the Bearcats.
The Bonnies opened the game with a 9-3 run including four points from Schiefen, who started the game with a driving lay in to the basket to tally the first points of the contest. Following one of two freebies from the charity stripe, reigning A-10 All-Rookie team selection Mitchell converted on a conventional three-point play when her two-pointer from the paint found the bottom of the net after the foul.
Following four straight points from the Bearcats, Mitchell ended Binghamton's mini spurt with the first of seven straight points for her club on a drop-step finish between a pair of Binghamton defenders as well as her first three-pointer of the season.
The Bonnies return to Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center on Tuesday, Nov. 20 when Big 4 rival Niagara visits for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.
