By: Dylan Nuzzo, Assistant Sports Information Director
ST. BONAVENTURE (5-2, 0-0 ATLANTIC 10) at COLGATE (2-6, 0-0 PATRIOT LEAGUE)
Thursday, Dec. 9 – 7:00 p.m.
Hamilton, N.Y. – Cotterell Court
TV: ESPN+
The St. Bonaventure University women's basketball team heads out on the road to take on Colgate Thursday, Dec. 9 in Hamilton, N.Y. Tip is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The Bonnies will square off against their second straight Patriot League opponent.
OPENING TIP
·       The Bonnies are looking for a rebound following a 72-60 setback against Bucknell Monday evening at the Reilly Center. Maddie Dziezgowski led the Bonnies with 16 points and five rebounds off the bench. Tori Harris registered her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds while Asianae Johnson chipped in 16 points for the Bonnies.
·       Dziezgowski also finished with career-highs in made field goals (6), 3-pointers made (4) and minutes (33).
·       Thursday marks the first road game for the Bonnies since Nov. 20 when they took down Binghamton in another Central New York battle, 63-55.
·       The Bonnies are slated to play three out of their final four non-conference games on the road at Colgate, at Robert Morris (Dec. 18) and at East Tennessee State (Dec. 23). The lone remaining home non-conference matchup for the Brown and White is Sunday against Marshall.
BONNIES BITS
·       Entering Thursday's contest, the Bonnies are tied for first in the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 35.6 percent from the floor. The Bonnies do not allow opponents to shoot well from beyond the arc as well, holding their opponents to 25.5 percent from deep which ranks second in the A-10. Bona's is allowing just 56.5 points per game, the fourth-lowest total in the conference.
·       Interior defense has been a point of emphasis this season for the Bonnies as they block 4.0 shots per game, ranking third in the Atlantic 10 while their 32 total blocks also ranks fourth. As a team last season, the Bonnies blocked 55 shots in 21 games. Bonnies junior I'yanna lops sits fourth in the A-10 in blocks per game (1.5) and is sixth in blocks (12).
·       Senior guard Asianae Johnson continues to be one of the most efficient scorers in the conference, ranking sixth in the Atlantic 10 and second among guards in shooting percentage, hitting 46.5 percent of her shots. She is seventh in the A-10 in scoring, pouring in 15.5 points per contest while also ranking 10th in the A-10 in assists, handing out 3.4 helpers per game.
SERIES HISTORY
·       St. Bonaventure and Colgate are set to meet for the first time since Nov. 13, 2016 when the Bonnies bested the Raiders, 70-57. That win was extra special for the Bonnies as it marked the first career win for head coach Jesse Fleming. Thursday will be the 22nd meeting all-time with the Bonnies leading the series, 15-6.
·       The Bonnies have won eight straight matchups between the two teams with Colgate's last win coming on a neutral floor in 2004, 73-70, at the St. Bonaventure Shootout in Elmira, N.Y.
·       When the Bonnies and the Raiders met Dec. 19, 2015, it was the first season of playing quarters in women's basketball. The Bonnies held the Raiders scoreless in the first quarter of that game, taking a 10-0 lead after one. The only other time the Bonnies have held an opponent scoreless in a quarter was the next season against Stony Brook. Also during the Dec. 19 contest, Bonnies forward Katie Healy broke the all-time blocks record. She still holds the record with 155 blocked shots.
·       Bona's is 6-2 all-time on the road against Colgate.
COLGATE NOTES
·       Colgate enters Thursday's matchup with a record of 2-6 and have registered wins over UMBC (61-52) and Siena (56-54), who the Bonnies also beat Nov. 11, 50-42. The Raiders are coming off a 60-39 loss to Albany Sunday. The Raiders were picked to finished 10th in the Patriot League preseason poll.
·       The Raiders are coached by Ganiyat Adeduntan who is in her first season as head coach of the program. Adeduntan is familiar with the Atlantic 10, having spent the previous four seasons as an assistant coach at George Washington. In the summer of 2020, Adeduntan was named a top-50 impactful mid-major assistant coach by Silver Waves.
·       Colgate is led by Taylor Langan who averages 10.3 points per game and is also the team's leading rebounder, pulling down 6.7 boards per contest. Also averaging double figures for the Raiders are Alexa Brodie (10.0 ppg) and Sophia Diehl (10.0 ppg).
UP NEXT
·       The Bonnies return home to host Marshall Sunday, Dec. 12. Tip is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
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