WNIT SECOND ROUND
St. Bonaventure (21-11) vs. Syracuse (23-9)
Monday, March 21 | Carrier Dome | 7 p.m.

St. Bonaventure Postseason Guide

Syracuse Game Notes

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. – For the third consecutive year, the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team is playing in the Second Round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament, as it meets the BIG EAST's Syracuse Orange Monday night. The Bonnies got to the Second Round by virtue of their largest WNIT win in school history, defeating Lehigh by 34 points, 77-43, on Thursday evening at the Reilly Center. The Orange, who trailed at the half in their opening-round game against Monmouth, exploded for 46 second-half points en route to a 77-53 win over the Hawks.

While playing in just its seventh WNIT game Monday, St. Bonaventure set three team WNIT records and two individual WNIT records in its win against Lehigh in the First Round. Aside from the largest margin of victory, the Bonnies also scored the most points in a WNIT game in school history (77), while holding Lehigh to the fewest points by an opposing team in a WNIT contest (43). Redshirt junior Armelia Horton grabbed a season-best and career-high-tying 10 rebounds for the most caroms by a Bona player in a WNIT game, and sophomore Alaina Walker dished out a career-establishing six assists for the most helpers in a WNIT matchup.

Last Time Out
Jessica Jenkins hit five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 20 points as St. Bonaventure (21-11) led from start to finish, securing a 77-43 win over Lehigh (21-11) in the First Round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament Thursday night.

Number Crunching
The battle in the low blocks for rebounds could be a deciding factor in Monday's contest. Syracuse enters as the nation's leader in rebounding margin at +13.5 a game, averaging 45.2 caroms per game. By comparison, St. Bonaventure averages 33.3 rebounds per outing, and has only grabbed 45 or more rebounds in a game twice this year – 47 against Canisius and 45 at Marist. However, the Orange allow their opponents to corral an average of 31.8 rebounds, while the Bonnies allow 33.1.

Style of play is a factor in those numbers, as Syracuse has attempted 1,863 shots on the year, compared with 1,585 for St. Bonaventure. The Orange has allowed their opponents to take 1,814 shots, while the Bonnies have allowed 1,638. That's a combined total of 454 more field goal attempts Syracuse has had an opportunity to grab rebounds on than St. Bonaventure. On the year, St. Bonaventure is 14-2 when out-rebounding its opponent, and just 6-9 when being out-rebounded. Syracuse is 22-6 when out-caroming its opposition, and just 1-3 when being out-caromed.

Scouting Syracuse
 Syracuse finished the year with an RPI of 54 after losing in the BIG EAST Tournament Second Round to Georgetown, 61-60
 Sophomore center Kayla Alexander (14.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg) was named to the All-BIG EAST Conference First Team
 The Orange are 18-2 at home this year, and 58-14 at home since the beginning of the 2007-08 season
 Syracuse has won 40 consecutive non-conference home games (34 in the Carrier Dome)
 44.1 percent of Syracuse's points this year have been scored in the paint (991 points)
 Syracuse has recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history 
 The Orange was either ranked or receiving votes in the Associated Press Poll for eight straight weeks

St. Bonaventure vs. Syracuse
Series Quick Facts
Overall: Syracuse Leads, 6-2
At St. Bonaventure: Syracuse Leads, 3-1
At Syracuse: Syracuse Leads, 3-1
At Neutral Site: N/A
Most St. Bonaventure Points: 78 (two times)
Most Syracuse Points: 86 (Nov. 30, 1994: 86-78 )
Fewest St. Bonaventure Points: 37 (Dec. 7, 2001: 74-37)
Fewest Syracuse Points: 53 (Dec. 19, 1996: 78-53)
Largest St. Bonaventure Margin: 15 (Dec. 19, 1996: 78-53)
Largest Syracuse Margin:  37 (Dec. 7, 2001: 74-37)

In just four short years, head coach Quentin Hillsman has transformed the Syracuse Women's Basketball program into a predominate national program. Hillsman has led the Orange to three consecutive postseason appearances, four postseason victories and three straight winning seasons while winning 64.6 percent of his games since the beginning of the 2007-08 season.

The 2009-10 Orange, which won more than one postseason game for the first time in a single season, concluded its historic campaign with the most wins (25) in a season since it began competing in the NCAA in 1981-82. Syracuse had a player named to the All-BIG EAST Conference First Team for the second consecutive year and two freshmen, Kayla Alexander and Carmen Tyson-Thomas, were named to the All-BIG EAST Freshman Team.

Nicole Michael became the only player in program history to twice reach the 500-point plateau in a single season after recording five points against Michigan to bring her season point total to 501. Michael became SU's all-time leading scorer (1787) and rebounder (996) under the direction of Hillsman. She was also Syracuse's first Associated Press All-American, WBCA All-Region nominee for the State Farm Coaches' All-American team and Wooden Award Preseason Candidate.

Valuing The Rock
In its opening-round WNIT win over Lehigh Thursday, St. Bonaventure finished with its second-best assist-to-turnover ratio of the year with 14 helpers to just eight giveaways for a 1.75 ratio. The best ratio, 3.5, came back on Dec. 1 against Lafayette when the Bonnies had 14 assists and just four turnovers in a 72-63 win. Those four turnovers represent the fewest amount of turnovers by any team in Divison I this year, and established a regular-season program record. The Bonnies have the 9th-best ball-protecting team in the nation as they give The Rock away just 13.8 times per outing, but are 306th in the nation in assists per game at 10.1.

At Its Best Under 50
Syracuse is 0-4 on the season when it is held below 50 points, something that St. Bonaventure has done to its opposition this year 10 times. In those games the Bonnies are 10-0, picking up their 10th win in the 77-43 victory over Lehigh on Thursday. Furthermore, Bona has held six teams under 45 points this year, including two of the last three games.

Fine Off The Pine
Since head coach Jim Crowley changed the team's starting lineup on Feb. 19 against Fordham, the Bonnies have gone 5-1, with sophomore Chelsea Bowker reaping the biggest individual change. As a starter, Bowker was averaging only 6.7 points per game, but coming off the bench she's averaged 12.7 points – the second highest points per game average on the team in that span. Bowker has also doubled her field goal and 3-point percentages since the switch, shooting 61 percent from the field and 65.5 percent from 3-point range since entering into the starting lineup.

Tale Of Two Halves
This season, the Bonnies have averaged 28.3 points in the first half while allowing 24.3 points. In the second half, however, the Bonnies average 31.2 points and allow 29.7 points. Overall they have scored 999 second-half points and 907 points in the first half. They have also shot 289-384 from the free throw line in the second half, while going 136-187 from the charity stripe in the first half.

The Finisher
Despite being the team's second-leading scorer, junior Jessica Jenkins has been the team's offensive closer. In the last five minutes of games this year, the guard has scored a team-best 102 points – no one else on the Bona roster has more than 80 – while shooting 18-40 (45 percent) from beyond the arc and 38-43 (88 percent) from the free throw line.