Nov. 22, 2008

Final Stats

AKRON, OHIO - Junior Dana Mitchell scored 21 points, including her 1,000 career point early in the second half, to lift the St. Bonaventure women's basketball to a 71-67 win over Akron Saturday afternoon at the Reilly James A. Rhodes Arena.

With the victory, the Bonnies improved to 4-0 for the fourth time in program history and the third time in the last four seasons. The Brown and White have now won 16 of their last 19 non-conference games, including nine of their last 10 away from the Reilly Center

The Zips dropped to 1-1 following a season opening win against Michigan.

Mitchell tallied at least 20 points for the third straight game, while Priscilla Edwards poured in 14 points to go along with five assists. Freshman Megan Van Tatenhove had a breakout game for the Bonnies scoring 13 points while grabbing seven boards in 16 minutes of play.

Mitchell pushed the Bonnies out to an early lead, scoring eight of the Bonnies first 14 points to put the Brown and White up 14-9.

A Katelyn Murray lay-up with just over four minutes remaining in the first half kept the lead with the Bonnies at 26-21.

Sophomore Amber Witt's jumper brought the Zips back to within five, 28-23.

A pair of Van Tatenhove free-throws just before half put the Bonnies up 30-24, a lead they would keep going into half up 31-27.

The Bonnies would start the second half with another fast start, keyed by a Priscilla Edwards three-pointer to extend the Brown and White lead to 38-31.

History was made just a few minutes later by junior forward Dana Mitchell.

At the 8:55 mark of the second half Mitchell sank a free-throw to notch the 1,000 point of her career at St. Bonaventure. Mitchell is only the 16th player in St. Bonaventure women's basketball history to achieve the feat, and the first since Audrey Latendresse eclipsed the mark in 2006.

Another Edwards' jumper increased the Bona lead to 10 at 48-38. The Brown and White lead would grow to as many as 15, when Andrea Doneth hit a runner to put the Bonnies up 56-41 with just over six minutes remaining in the game.

However, for the next five minutes the Zips would rip off a 20-7 run. The Akron run was sparked due to 11 straight points by Kara Murphy that brought the Zips to within two, 63-61, with just over one minute remaining in the game.

The Bonnies would not lose their composure, however, as Edwards drilled six straight free-throws to put the Bonnies ahead to stay at 69-63 with twenty-eight seconds left in the game.

The Brown and White shot 42 percent (20-48) from the field and 82 percent (30-37) from the line for the game, including 11-of-14 in the final two minutes of the game.

Akron was led by Murphy who poured in 32 points, including an amazing 16-of-17 from the charity stripe, while Witt chipped in with 12.

The Brown and White return to action next Sunday afternoon as the club travels to Oakland to take on the Golden Grizzlies. The game is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. tip-off at the Athletics Center O'Rena.