Jan. 3, 2008

Complete Game Notes 

At A Glance
The St. Bonaventure women's basketball team will conclude its 10-game road stretch this evening at Cornell following six victories during the club's extended period away from Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center. Tonight's clash with the Big Red will also be the Bonnies final foray in their non-conference slate before beginning Atlantic 10 play on Saturday, Jan. 12 vs. Saint Joseph's. After starting the season with two losses in its first three contests, Cornell has won five out of seven games to improve its record to 6-4 for the season. The Brown and White will meet the Big Red for the 11th time in series history with Cornell holding a 6- 4 all-time advantage over the Bona women. With victories in their last two match-ups, the Bonnies will look to make it three in a row vs. Cornell as they make their first visit to Newman Arena since December 17, 2001.

Last Time Out: Syracuse snaps Bonnies' six game win streak
Syracuse controlled the lead for the final 31-plus minutes of the game en route to its 11th win in a row by defeating the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team 72-57 on Monday afternoon in the Carrier Dome. The Bonnies' first loss in nearly a month snapped the club's six-game win streak, while the Orange improved to 12-1 to match the program's best start in school history. Syracuse became just the second team this season to surpass 70 points against the Bonaventure defense, while the Bonnies' 57 points was their third lowest offensive output this season. Sophomore Andrea Doneth led the Brown and White with 11 points and six assists in her third straight double digit scoring effort. Fellow classmate Dana Mitchell tallied her 14th consecutive contest in double figures with 10 points to go along with six rebounds.

Road Warriors
Although the Bonnies were treated to a brand new home playing surface named after St. Bonaventure legend Bob Lanier, the Brown and White have no complaints regarding their heavy road schedule. Head coach Jim Crowley has directed his team to seven true road wins and eight triumphs away from the RC. As of Jan. 3, the Bonnies' seven victories on opponent's home floors was tops in the nation.

Scouting the Big Red
Cornell enters this evening's contest with a 6-4 mark after picking up five wins in its last seven games. The Big Red is led by junior forward Jeomi Maduka's 15.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per outing. The Arlington, Texas native has reached double figures in every game this season, while pacing the club in scoring in seven out of ten games. Maduka is joined in double figures by fellow classmate Kayleen Fitzsimmons, who averages 11.3 points per contest. The Big Red and Bonnies share four common opponents through the first portion of the season as both clubs have defeated Bucknell and Colgate, while dropping contests to Bowling Green and West Virginia. Cornell owns a 3-1 record at Newman Arena this season.

Against the Ivy League
Under head coach Jim Crowley, the Brown and White own a 3- 1 advantage over schools currently residing in the Ivy League dating back to his first season in charge in 2000-01. The Bonnies are 6-8 all-time vs. the eight-team league, including three wins in a row against Ivy affiliates.

On this Date
The Bonnies will take part in their seventh game in program history on today's date. The Brown and White hold a 2-4 mark on January 4 with wins over Fordham (1996-97) and Cleveland State (1991-92).

In the New Year
Following the change into the new calendar year, the Bonnies are ready to embark into the month of January with tonight's contest at Cornell. The Brown and White are 70-120 all-time in the first month of the year, including an 8-13 mark in their opening game of the New Year.

Atlantic 10 Accolades
Following her 28 point and 10 rebound performance against Binghamton on Saturday, Dec. 29, sophomore forward Dana Mitchell was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week. The honor was Mitchell's first after garnering four Rookie of the Week awards as a freshman. The Fairless Hills, Pa. product was also named MVP of the St. Bona Shootout as well as earning All-Tournament honors at the Florida Atlantic Holiday Classic.

Best Beginning in the Books
With a 10-2 start to the season, the Bonnies established the best start in school history through 12 contests previously held by the 1992-93 editions' 9-3 beginning. Following a split in their last two outings, the 2007-08 Bonnies hold an identical 11-3 record as the 1979-80 Brown and White club who finished 16- 5. The Bonnies next victory will make them the 16th team in program history with at least 12 wins.

Around the National Scene
As of January 2, the Brown and White were one of only 58 teams in Division I women's basketball (339 total) with double digits in the win column. St. Bonaventure's 11 victories were tied for the fifth most throughout the nation heading into tonight's clash at Cornell.

Season of Streaks
After opening the 2007-08 season with five straight wins, the Brown and White picked up their second win streak of at least five wins with six victories in a row before falling at Syracuse. The longest win streak in program history stands at seven games and was most recently reached in 1979-80 on two different occasions.

Dipping into Double Digits
With a win at IPFW, the Bonnies became the 20th team in school history to post double figure wins and the first to reach 10-plus wins in back-to-back seasons since the 1998-99 and 1999-00 clubs each posted ten wins in consecutive seasons. St. Bonaventure also became the fastest team in the program record books to 10 wins, breaking last season's January 2 date by 11 days. Under head coach Jim Crowley, the Brown and White have surpassed 10 wins on two previous occasions, including last season's 16 victories that sit second all-time in single-season wins.

Records on the Road
Following 14 games of St. Bonaventure's 2007-08 campaign, the Bonnies matched one feat accomplished by last season's 16- 15 club, while needing one more win to equal another. With six consecutive victories away from the Reilly Center, the Bonnies tied the mark set by last season's club. The Bonnies also need just one additional true road triumph to break the record for most away wins in a season with eight.

Leading the League
Sophomore sensation Dana Mitchell continues her scoring surge and sits atop the Atlantic 10 scoring chart through 14 games as her 19.5 points per contest is the highest among all A- 10 players. Mitchell ranks 26th in the nation in scoring and is fifth among second-year players.

Atop the A-10
Following the official start to the college basketball season, the Bonnies own one of the best starts among Atlantic 10 Conference affiliates. St. Bonaventure is one of only three teams in the league with double digit victories and was the last school in the conference to suffer their second defeat.

Out of Conference Success
Dating back to last season's six-game win streak to conclude the non-conference slate, the Bonnies have notched 16 victories in their last 19 games outside of the Atlantic 10, including five in a row at the Reilly Center. St. Bonaventure also is 16-6 in its last 22 non-conference contests away from home.

First in the Books
In just her second season with the Bonnies, sophomore Dana Mitchell has showed a penchant for putting the ball through the basket in her first 43 collegiate contests. The reigning Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team selection has led the Brown and White in scoring in every game this season but two times, while ranking first in the league with 19.5 points per game. Since her arrival on campus, Mitchell has paced her club in scoring 24 times.

Mighty Mitchell
After turning in one of the finest freshman seasons in program history, sophomore Dana Mitchell has picked up where she left off with the beginning of the 2007-08 season. In her first 14 contests of her second year, Mitchell has posted 14 straight double figure scoring efforts, including seven 20-plus point performances (1st in the A- 10) as well as three double-doubles. She has also proved to be a presence on the boards, hauling down 6.5 caroms per contest for second place on the Brown and White.

Jack of All Trades
In her first season in the Brown and White, junior Tiara Johnson has excelled in her initial 13 Division I contests as a do-it-all quarterback for the Bonnies. In the absence of three-year starter Priscilla Edwards, Johnson has flashed the same attributes she displayed in the junior college ranks that attracted the Bonnies to the North Central Missouri State product. Through 13 games, Johnson ranks second on the team in assists (44), first in rebounds (94), fourth in steals (12) and fifth in points (75). To display her versatility, Johnson pulled down 16 boards to tie the eighth best rebounding effort in school history at Florida Atlantic. Stat keepers beware, the Kansas City native will keep you busy throughout game.

Halftime Lead = Victory
The Bonnies are 20-0 dating back to last season when owning an advantage heading into intermission.

Close Contests
With 13 games into the 2007-08 season, the Bonnies have already posted eight victories in game's decided by 10 points or less. The Brown and White recorded six wins in the same category during all of last year.

The Season of Winning
After posting a 6-1 mark in the month of December during last season's record setting season, the Brown and White posted a 6-2 record this holiday season. Although the Bonnies opened the month with a loss to nationally ranked West Virginia, the club responded with consecutive victories at Florida Atlantic, Colgate, Canisius, Fairleigh Dickinson, IPFW and Binghamton before falling to Syracuse.

Long Range Production
Thanks to the shooting from junior Katelyn Murray, the Brown and White rank first in the Atlantic 10 and 25th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage. With 14 games in the books, the Bonnies have connected from behind the arc at a rate of 39.0 percent. Following her three triples at Syracuse, Murray leads the team with 25 trifectas on the season and ranks third in the A-10 with a 43.1 conversion rate from three-point land. In her first season with the Bonnies, freshman Cara Gustafson has drained 52.4 percent of her triples while shooting 11-21 from beyond the threepoint line. Junior Erica Schiefen and sophomore Andrea Doneth have also chipped in from three-point land with 17 and 11 trifectas, respectively.

Taking Care of the Rock
Although the Bonnies are in the midst of the holiday season, the Brown and White have refused to follow the Christmas adage that "it's better to give than receive." Through 14 games, St. Bonaventure has given up the ball just over 15 times per game that ranks third in the Atlantic 10 and 33rd in the nation. The Bonnies own a 6-2 mark when having fewer turnovers than their opponent. Sophomore Andrea Doneth and junior Tiara Johnson are big reasons for the low number of giveaways as both rank in the top 15 in the conference in assist/turnover ratio.

500-Point Club
Just 14 games into the 2007-08 season, two members of the Brown and White have already surpassed the 500-point mark in their careers. Earlier this season at Bowling Green, sophomore Dana Mitchell shattered the mark in just her 36th collegiate contest and currently has 666 tallies next to her name. Junior Katelyn Murray eclipsed 500 points at Colgate and pushed her career total to 563 tallies after two 20- plus point games at Canisius and IPFW. Fellow classmate Ashley Edwards is next in line as she is just 19 points shy of 500. Edwards has only played in four games this season due to various injuries throughout the beginning of the year.

Double Digit Streak
With 14 straight double figure scoring efforts to begin the season, sophomore Dana Mitchell has tallied 15 consecutive and 35 of her last 40 games with at least 10 points. The Fairless Hills, Pa. product currently owns the Atlantic 10 lead with seven 20-point games this season.

Interstate Rivalry
Following victories over Albany, Binghamton (twice), Niagara, Colgate and Canisius, the Bonnies hold a 6-1 mark against schools from New York State. The Bonnies will play two more contests against teams from their home state in the battle for Empire State supremacy. After suffering their first in state defeat at Syracuse, the Brown and White will take part in two more contests against schools from New York beginning with tonight's contest at Cornell.