ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The St. Bonaventure University women's basketball team used a strong second half effort to take down Daemen, 79-68, in an exhibition contest Wednesday at the Reilly Center.

Graduate Aaliyah Parker paced the Bonnies with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists. Fellow graduate Laycee Drake chipped in 13 points, five rebounds and three assists while freshman Ivona Djikanovic added 11 points, two rebounds and a pair of assists.

The Bonnies trailed the Wildcats at halftime, 44-32, before flipping the switch in the second half.

Bona's pulled back within four, 44-40, to begin the third quarter, opening the period with an 8-0 run.

The team teams traded scores until Mallory Heise knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:33 left in the period to tie the game at 56-56.

As time expired in the third, Djikanovic was able to get to the rim and convert, giving the Bonnies their first lead since the 7:03 mark in the first quarter.  

St. Bonaventure and Daemen traded baskets of the fourth quarter until Mackenzie Pettinelli's 3-pointer from the corner found nothing but net, putting the Bonnies ahead 71-68.

The Bonnies held the Wildcats scoreless over the final 2:10 of the game, capturing the win.

Brillana Boyd tallied five early points for the Bonnies in the first quarter of Wednesday's exhibition, pushing the hosts ahead early, 9-4.

Daemen took a 19-11 lead late in the first before Kaylee Krysztof snapped the cold spell with a 3-pointer.

GAME NOTES

• The Bonnies finished the contest shooting 44.3 percent (27-for-61) from the floor while Daemen shot 46.8 percent (29-for-62) from the field.
• Bona's bench dominated the Daemen bench, outscoring the Wildcats, 30-10.
• The Brown and White shot 56.3 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent from beyond the arc in the third quarter to get back in the game.

QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH JIM CROWLEY
"Daemen is a very successful program and they came in here and played really hard and really confident. In the first half we had some disruptions, some nerves, didn't do the things that we had been practicing and then in the second half we were able to get some stops to get our pace and tempo."

UP NEXT
The Bonnies officially open the 2025-26 season Monday, Nov. 3 when they host Mansfield. Tipoff is slated for 6:00 p.m. at the Reilly Center.

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