Nov. 9, 2007
Final Stats
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. -
Behind a solid defensive effort and contributions from throughout the roster, the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team picked up a season opening 61-55 victory over Bucknell Friday evening on Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center.
With the victory, the Bonnies earned their third straight win to start the new season and their fifth opening day victory under head coach Jim Crowley, while the preseason pick to capture the Patriot League crown falls to 0-1 for the fifth time in the last six seasons.
Sophomore Dana Mitchell led three Bonnies players in double digits with a game-high 17 points to go along with seven rebounds, but it was the play of freshman Armelia Horton that helped keep the club in control throughout the contest with the absence of regular starters Ashley Edwards and Priscilla Edwards, who both were out with injuries.
"We are really pleased with our team's focus and approach to tonight's contest especially surrounding the circumstances heading into tonight," said Crowley. "It has been a tough week with having two of our starters out with injury, but this team stuck together and found a way to victory."
Horton, a native of Harlem, N.Y., notched 15 hard-earned points in her debut in the Brown and White, which was aided by seven tallies from the free throw line. She also hauled down a team-high nine rebounds in 26 minutes of action off the Bonnies' bench. Sophomore Andrea Doneth was the third member of the Brown and White to reach the double-figure plateau with 13 points in a career-high 37 minutes.
Just as they did to open the game, the Bonnies came out of the locker room following intermission with a 10-1 run that extended their four point halftime lead into double digits at 44-30. In true team fashion, four different players contributed to the scoring during the spurt. Mitchell wasted little time in lighting up the board as she posted a deuce just over ten seconds into the second half followed by a long range three from junior Erica Schiefen, consecutive two-point baskets from Horton and Doneth and two of Horton's seven free throws to close out the Brown and White run.
Following the Bonnies' second stanza outburst, the Bison never could muster a long enough retaliation run to get them a single lead throughout the entire contest. Bucknell never inched closer than four points in the second half even though the ladies from Lewisburg, Pa. came within two possessions twice in the final 3:07.
Junior Lauren Schober's three pointer and consecutive free throws from senior Andrea Wright cut the Bison's deficit to four points until Horton converted on a finish in the paint to push the lead to six with less than two minutes remaining. After Bucknell cut the lead to four for a second time with 1:36 remaining on a lay-in from sophomore Le'Le' LeSeur, Mitchell swooped from coast-to-coast for an easy two before connecting on two-straight shots from the charity stripe to put her side up by eight with 54 seconds showing on the clock.
Even with the absence two of their top three returning scorers, the Bonnies cruised from the opening tip to 9-0 run on a pair of baskets from Mitchell, a single free throw from junior Tiara Johnson and a three-pointer from Schiefen. The Bison finally got in the book following nine straight Bonnies points, but the home team quickly answered with a pair of three pointers from junior Katelyn Murray to extend the lead to 15-4, which eventually ballooned to a 21-6 advantage following a jumper from Doneth and consecutive baskets from Horton, including an acrobatic slice down the lane all the way to the goal.
"The opening run was a big key for us tonight because it gave our kids confidence going into the remainder of the game," Crowley said.
After falling behind by double digits early in the first half, Bucknell used a spurt of their own as the Bison scored 12 straight points to come within two points of the Bonnies at 24-22. Following a trifecta from Doneth to give the Bonnies a 14-point lead, the Bison held the home club scoreless for nearly four minutes while junior Amanda Brown triggered the run with half of her club's points in the dozen-point spurt.
The Bonnies used an all-out team effort to limit reigning Patriot League Player of the Year Hope Foster to six points and a single rebound on the offensive glass. Brown led the Bison in scoring with 13 points, while Schober chipped in 10.
The Brown and White return to action on Sunday afternoon as the club travels to Kent State for a 2:00 p.m. tip-off against the Golden Flash in their 2007-08 season opener.
