ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – After last Wednesday's 68-56 victory over D'Youville, the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team enters a busy week of competition, poised to host Mercyhurst and Binghamton at the Reilly Center on Nov. 11 and Nov. 14, respectively.
 
Head coach Jim Crowley will be looking for his team to make adjustments in some areas and bring forward momentum from the season-opening win in others.
 
SCOUTING MERCYHURST
The Bonnies narrowly bested the Lakers last season in Bona's penultimate non-conference matchup of the year, winning 60-57 on the road. Elyse MacDonough and Brillana Boyd led all SBU returners in that game with nine points each.
 
The Lakers return over 73 percent of their 2025-26 minutes and four starters from that contest against SBU, also bringing back current sophomore Sofia Wilson, who dropped in 23 points off the bench against the Bonnies last year. With recent experience against the program, Bona looks to gameplan against a Mercyhurst team which loves to stretch the floor.
 
"They really spread you out, and they all have a willingness to shoot the three. They did a great job with that last year when we went to their place and they have a number of folks who are very capable three-point shooters," Crowley said.
 
"If we're late to our position, playing with our hands down or reacting to the ball, they're going to get looks that they're good at," Crowley said. "We're really going to have to perform at a high level of pace and discipline defensively to disrupt that and not let them get comfortable on the three-point line."
 
ENERGY FROM START TO FINISH
Against D'Youville, the Bonnies allowed a 46.1 percent field goal percentage in the first quarter. As the game progressed, however, the hosts bolstered defensively, holding the Saints to a 33.3 percent success rate or lower from the floor in each remaining quarter. Crowley hopes his squad can continue the defensive efforts of those final three quarters moving forward into this week's battles.
 
"Hopefully we continue to play the way we did the last three quarters, specifically defensively," Crowley said. "We just didn't have the right energy to start the game, whether it was nerves or whatever it might be. I'm looking for a better start, but looking to carry over some of the defensive adjustments we made."
 
ROOKIE RUSH
Freshman Ella Trinkaus posted a stellar performance in her collegiate debut against D'Youville, pouring in 21 points off the bench on 8-for-12 shooting from the field, including a pair of three-point buckets.
 
"Ella is very talented," Crowley said. "She plays really hard and she's really smart."
 
Trinkaus powered the Bonnies to the victory as the team's leading scorer, contributing the most points to a season opener in program history since Bonnies Hall of Famer Jessica Jenkins' 22-point effort in a 2010 win over Binghamton. Heading into two contests at the Reilly Center this week, she will get a chance to put her talents on display for the home fans once again.
 
"Ella is someone we obviously recruited for a while… her game fits our play really well," Crowley said. "It was great to see her teammates set her up that way."
 
BUSY DAYS FOR THE BONNIES
Both of Bona's contests this week line up as doubleheaders at the Reilly Center as the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team will host Cornell on Nov. 11 and Lafayette on Nov. 14. With the added attendance from doubleheaders, Crowley hopes his squad will capitalize on the opportunity to attract new fans.
 
"Maybe we get a new set of eyes or an old set of eyes that hasn't returned yet and sees something that we are capable of," Crowley said. "Any chance we get to play in front of new eyes is a chance for people to see what we're capable of and a chance to get them to come back."
 
IN REVIEW
Come catch the Bonnies live in the Reilly Center this coming Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. against Mercyhurst and next on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Binghamton. For fans unable to attend, the action will be streaming live on ESPN+.
 
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