Jan. 4, 2009

Final Stats

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Behind the best team defensive effort since 2005, the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team rolled to a 68-35 victory over Yale University on Sunday afternoon at the John J. Lee Amphitheater.

The key to today's victory for St. Bonaventure was its play on defense, which held Yale to 23 percent shooting (11-47) from the field. The 35 points and 11 made field goals allowed by the Bonnies are both new season-bests. The 35 points allowed is the lowest total allowed by St. Bonaventure since 2005 when they beat UMass 49-35.

Junior Dana Mitchell led the Bonnies with a team-high 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. Sophomore Cara Gustafson had a perfect game shooting for the Brown and White, scoring 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field.

As a team, the Brown and White shot 55 percent (30-55) from the field while 13 out of 14 Bonnie players made at least one field goal.

St. Bonaventure moves to 11-4 with the victory, clinching its second straight season with at least 11 non-conference wins, while Yale drops to 5-7 on the season after the loss.

The Bonnies, who never trailed in the game, started out on an 11-3 run capped off by a three- pointer by senior Erica Schiefen.

The Brown and White would widen their lead after an athletic lay-in by Horton, making the score 18-5 with 11:09 left in the first half. Another lay-in, this time off a baseline drive by Doneth, would further extend the Bona lead up to 24-7.

With a lead in place, St. Bonaventure would begin to clamp down on the defensive end. The Bonnies held Yale without a field goal for a five minute stretch in the first half. A pair of free throws by Melissa Colborne would end the Bulldog drought, making the score 28-9 with 4:10 remaining in the first.

Gustafson would answer back for the Bonnies hitting a three-pointer off a broken play right at the end of the half to give St. Bonaventure a 36-16 lead going into intermission.

The Bonnies dominated down low in their solid first half performance. The Brown and White outscored Yale 22-4 in the paint, yet shot only one free throw the entire first half compared to the 12 that Yale attempted.

St. Bonaventure would not let up coming out of intermission as Gustafson converted an old-fashioned three-point play to put Bona up 39-18.

A three-pointer by Katelyn Murray would bump the Brown and White's lead up to 30 points at 50-20 with 14:38 remaining.

That is where the St. Bonaventure lead would stay for the remainder of the game, as Yale never cut the Bonnie lead below 30 the rest of the way.

For the game, the Brown and White outscored the Bulldogs 44-16 in the paint and outrebounded Yale 38-30. The Bona bench dominated again, outscoring Yale's bench 25-5. This marks the 14th out of 15 games this year that the Bonnies bench outscored its counterpart.

The Bulldogs were led by Yoyo Greenfield, who scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. As a team, Yale shot just 23 percent (11-47) from the field for the game and 58 percent (11-19) from the line.

The Brown and White will kick off Atlantic 10 Conference play next Sunday, January 10, when they welcome La Salle to the Reilly Center for a 1:30 p.m. tip-off.