Nov. 20, 2007

Final Stats

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - For the second time in three seasons, the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team is off to a 5-0 start after a 76-57 victory over Big 4 rival Niagara on Tuesday evening at Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center.

With the win, the Bonnies equaled the program record for most victories to begin a season previously owned by head coach Jim Crowley's 2005-06 edition, while the Purple Eagles dropped their second straight contest to fall to 2-2.

"Coming into the contest, we knew it was going to be a battle and needed a great performance from our team to pick up a victory," said Crowley. "We did a great job attacking early on that helped create early jump shots and fortunately we were able to hit them."

Behind a hot shooting effort from the home team who connected at a rate of 45.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from three, four players reached double digits in the Bonnies' offensive outburst, including sophomore Dana Mitchell for the fifth time in as many games. The Fairless Hills, Pa. native surpassed 20 points for the second game in a row and recorded her first double-double of her second season with a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. Junior classmates Katelyn Murray and Erica Schiefen each reached the double digit plateau with 17 and 12 points, respectively, while freshman Armelia Horton tacked on an additional 10 points for her third game of at least 10 points to start her collegiate career. In her fifth Division I start, junior Tiara Johnson stuffed the stat sheet with six points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

As both clubs traded baskets in the opening five minutes of the second stanza, the Purple Eagles used a 10-2 spurt to pull within single digits for the first time since the beginning of the second half at 47-40 with just under 13 minutes remaining in the game. Reigning All-MAAC Rookie team selection Jennifer McNamee collected four points off of mid-range jumpers before junior Kristina Walton cut the deficit to seven points on a turnaround jumper in the lane before the under 12 minute media timeout.

Following just two points over nearly four minutes, the Brown and White tallied the game's next 11 points as freshman Armelia Horton accounted for eight to give the Bonnies' their largest lead of the game at 57-40 with 7:14 showing on the scoreboard. The native of Harlem, N.Y. scored on a put back to end the previous Purples Eagles run followed by a pair of acrobatic runners in the lane with two freebies from the charity stripe in between.

The Purple Eagles showed no signs of quitting after falling behind by 18 points thanks to a 7-0 run from senior Sarah Wilson on a pair of jump shots and a triple from the top of the key to pull within 10 points at 57-47. Murray answered back on the next possession with her third trifecta of the contest to regain a 13 point advantage before Mitchell tallied four points in a row to cruise to a 17-point margin with 4:43 showing on the clock. The Bonnies continued the offensive outburst with a pair of free throws from Murray and a long distance three from sophomore Andrea Doneth to push the score to 69-49 with 3:29 left in the contest.

Six first half three-pointers, including three from Schiefen, and an overall 50 percent clip from the field sent the Bonnies to a 36-22 advantage heading in the locker room at halftime. Following the opening 20 minutes, the Brown and White already had three players in double figures as Mitchell clinched her fifth straight contest on the double digit plateau with 12 points, while Murray and Schiefen chipped in 10 tallies apiece.

Thanks to a pair of trifectas from classmates Murray and Schiefen, the Brown and White ended the opening stanza on a 9-3 run to enter intermission. The junior tandem nailed the fifth and sixth long range bombs on consecutive possessions of the half as they combined for five of the six Bonnies' triples.

Following the opening tip, the Bonnies raced out to a 15-7 run to start the contest, including a combined 12 points from Murray and Mitchell. After the Purple Eagles opened the game with the first two points, Murray ignited the St. Bonaventure run with a clever pump-fake and drive to the basket to get her side in the books. Mitchell collected seven quick points during the spurt, including a conventional three-point play and a pair of jumpers from the wing. Murray capped the opening run with a triple from wing to give the Bonnies an eight point advantage less than six minutes into the contest.

Schiefen accounted for five straight points for the Brown and White, including her second three-pointer of the first half that put her side ahead by double digits for the first time at 22-12 with 9:46 remaining in the first half. After senior Ashley Cornette ended a three-plus minute scoreless drought for the Purple Eagles to pull her side within seven points, Mitchell answered back with her second three of the season before Murray notched an easy lay in to put the Bonnies back up by 10 at 27-17 with just under five minutes showing on the clock.

The Brown and White will travel to the state of Ohio for the second time this season to battle Bowling Green on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 7:00 p.m. to begin a 10-game road trip.