ST. BONAVENTURE (16-15, 7-11 A-10) vs. DREXEL (21-10, 13-5 CAA)
Thursday, March 19 – 6:00 p.m.
St. Bonaventure, N.Y. – Reilly Center
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Bonnies Online Network

The St. Bonaventure University women's basketball team returns to the postseason for the first time in a decade when they host Drexel in the first round of the WNIT Thursday, March 19. Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m. at the Reilly Center.

Tune into the Bonnies Online Network at 5:30 p.m. for the pregame show.

TICKETS
All season ticket holders will receive a free ticket equal to the number of season tickets allocated to their account. Season ticket holders can access their tickets by logging into their Vivenu account.

Those looking to purchase tickets may do so by CLICKING HERE.  Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.

All fans are invited to a pregame gathering beginning at 5:00 in the Hall of Fame room. Light concessions, a cash bar and SBU swag will be available courtesy of Alumni Engagement. The pregame event is free, but registration is required by CLICKING HERE.

All St. Bonaventure students will be admitted free of charge.

SETTING THE STAGE
Bona's WNIT berth marks the first postseason appearance for the Brown and White since the 2015-16 season and will be the first home postseason game since the 2013-14 season.

The Bonnies finished the season 16-15 overall and 7-11 in Atlantic 10 play, improving their overall win total by 10 from the previous season.

Laycee Drake paces the Bonnies with 15.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

Drexel finished the year 21-10 overall and 13-5 in Coastal Athletic Association play.

The Dragons are led by Amaris Baker who is averaging 19.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Drexel is coached by Amy Mallon who is in her sixth season at the helm and carries a 120-63 record with the Dragons.

The winner of Thursday's contest between the Bonnies and Dragons advances to take on Middle Tennessee State in the second round.

60 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
Bona's is 12-3 this season when allowing 60 or less points, giving up 61.3 points per game. Rhode Island touts the best scoring defense in the A-10, allowing just 53.8 points per contest.

DEFENDING THE THREE
The Brown and White currently sit fifth in the Atlantic 10 and 85th in the NCAA, holding opponents to a 28.9 shooting percentage from beyond the arc this season.

The Bonnies have held opponents to five or fewer 3-pointers made 14 times this season, including a season-low one made three in the season opener against Mansfield Nov. 3.

DRAKE TURNING HEADS
Bonnies graduate Laycee is one of the most improved players in the country this season. In 28 games last season at UAlbany, Drake averaged 3.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists across 8.4 minutes per game. She finished the year with nine steals and shot 37.9 percent from the field.

This season, Drake leads the Bonnies in scoring, rebounds and assists. She is averaging 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Drake has registered 52 steals and is shooting 43.6 percent from the field while making a career-high 34 3-pointers.

Drake currently ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 in field goals (184), sixth in field goal percentage (43.6), seventh in scoring (15.3) and ninth in rebounding (6.3).

PARKER'S PROWESS
Aaliyah Parker surpassed 1,500 career points and 700 rebounds this season, making her one of just 27 active players nationally to achieve those numbers. Her 333 career steals stand sixth among all active players while her 2.82 steals per game are behind only Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame, Ny'Ceara Pryor of Texas A&M and Taylee Chirrick of Montana State.

This season she ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 in steals per game (2.2), fifth in steals (65) and is 10th in free throw percentage (77.8 percent).

MAC ATTACK
Mackenzie Pettinelli has been a staple in the Bonnies lineup since joining the program as a freshman last season. She has appeared in all 61 games during her career and has made 59 starts for head coach Jim Crowley.

She is averaging 5.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists across 28.2 minutes per game while shooting 42.3 percent from the floor and 36.3 percent from beyond the arc.

DREXEL NOTES

• Drexel enters the WNIT 21-10 overall and were 13-5 in Coastal Athletic Conference play. The Dragons advanced to the CAA Tournament semifinals this season, falling to Hofstra in overtime, 53-49. Drexel won 13 out of its last 16 games of the season. The Dragons finished last season 17-13 overall and were picked to finish second in the CAA preseason poll, earning a pair of first-place votes.
• The Dragons are led on offense by Amaris Baker who is averaging 19.1 points per game which ranked second in the CAA. Laine McGurk also averages double figures for Drexel, chipping in 12.6 points per game. Deja Evans is third on the team in scoring at 9.9 points per contest while pulling down a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game.
• Drexel is coached by Amy Mallon who is in her sixth season at the helm of the Dragons. She has a career head coaching record of 120-63 and has guided the Dragons to three seasons of 20 or more wins, including 28 wins in her second season in 2021-22.

SERIES HISTORY
The Bonnies and Dragons are set to meet for the third time Thursday evening with the all-time series record sitting at 1-1. Bona's got the better of Drexel in the first meeting in December 2014, scoring a 43-32 win over the Dragons at the Brown University Classic. The two sides met the very next season in the Preseason WNIT in Philadelphia with Drexel coming out on top, 58-46.

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