Jan. 4, 2008

Final Stats

ITHACA, N.Y. - Sophomore Dana Mitchell exploded for 27 of her career-high 34 points in the second session as the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team notched a 69-61 victory over Cornell on Friday evening at Newman Arena.

With the win, the Bonnies improved to 12-3 on the season while picking up their NCAA-leading eighth true road win of the year. The Brown and White's third win in a row over Cornell also established the program's all-time mark for most true road triumphs in a season with eight. The Big Red dropped to 6-5 after winning five out of seven contests entering tonight's game.

Mitchell connected on 12-of-20 shots from the floor as well as 10-of-13 shots from the stripe en route to matching the sixth highest single game scoring performance in school history last reached by Chris Agresta in 1986. The reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Week posted her 15th consecutive game in double digits, while leading the Bonnies in scoring in every game this season but two. Mitchell also notched her league-leading eighth game above 20 points and became just the A-10's fifth player to surpass 30 points this year.

Junior classmates Ashley Edwards and Katelyn Murray joined Mitchell in double digits with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

The Bonnies converted a season-high 48.0 percent (24-50) from the field vs. the Big Red, including a blistering 58.3 percent clip in the final 20 minutes. After being dominated in the paint at Syracuse, the Brown and White owned a 33-23 advantage on the glass this evening with 11 boards at the offensive end. Edwards led the club with seven caroms, while junior Tiara Johnson and Mitchell added six each.

After an opening lay up from Mitchell, the Big Red jumped out on a 9-2 run at the beginning of the second stanza to take a 29-28 advantage at the 16:49 mark. Cornell benefited from a quick five-point sequence after Edwards was called for a foul after a triple from senior Gretchen Gregg. The Big Red received possession of the ball following the make and used a deep jumper from senior Moina Snyder to take their first lead of the half.

Over the next three-plus minute span, Bona used a 12-4 spurt to turn a one point deficit into a 40-33 lead with 12:57 remaining in regulation. Mitchell accounted for half of the Brown and White points during the run to put the Bonnies back in front.

During the next five minute fraction of the second half, Cornell drained three trifectas that helped the Big Red tie the contest on two different occasions.

However, with the score tied at 48-48, St. Bonaventure tallied the game's next 10 points to stretch the lead to 58-48 with 2:19 left in the contest. Mitchell registered three field goals during the span off a pair of short jumpers and a nifty turnaround in the paint.

The Brown and White made 11-of-14 free throws in the final 1:43 span to seal the victory as the Big Red never came closer than seven points down the stretch.

Despite beginning the game with just a pair of free throws and one field goal in the opening six minutes of play, the Brown and White used a 17-4 spurt over a 4:53 minute span at the beginning of the half to take a slim 24-20 lead into the break.

Mitchell and Edwards combined for 15 of Bonaventure's 24 points in the first 20 minutes of action to keep the Bonnies in front for the final 14:01 of the first session.

Following nearly five minutes of scoreless basketball from the Bonnies, Murray lit up the scoreboard with two free throws from the stripe prior to the club's first field goal on a runner in the lane from freshman Cara Gustafson.

The Bonnies would score 13 of the half's next 17 points to take their largest lead of the first session at 17-7 with just over 10 minutes remaining.

Edwards tallied six points during the run, including two consecutive baskets on a crafty drop step move in the paint as well as a baseline jumper from the left side of the court to push the score to 8-5 in favor of the Brown and White.

The Bonaventure scoring continued on an easy lay in from Mitchell thanks to a crisp pass from Johnson in transition followed by the team's first three pointer from sophomore Andrea Doneth. After the ball rattled around the rim and into the basket, the Bonnies controlled a 13-5 advantage midway through the initial stanza.

Following a lay up from junior Jeomi Maduka, Edwards canned her second baseline jumper of the half prior to another floater in the lane from Gustafson to give Bona a 17-7 advantage.

However, Cornell clawed back into the game with a 10-2 run to slice the Bonnies edge to just two points at 19-17 with 2:46 showing on the clock. Juniors Shannan Scarseletta and Maduka accounted for eight points during the spurt, including a coast to coast lay up from Maduka following a steal in the backcourt.

The two sides concluded the first with the Bonnies scoring five of the final nine points thanks to a traditional three-point play from Mitchell with just under a minute to go.

St. Bonaventure will return home for its first contest on Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center since a November 20 win over Niagara for the beginning of Atlantic 10 play vs. Saint Joseph's. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. as the men's team will take on La Salle at 7:00 p.m. in the nightcap.