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Women's Basketball
Brown and White head to Philadelphia to take on La Salle
Jan. 25, 2008
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
ST. BONAVENTURE (13-6, 1-3) at LA SALLE (9-10, 1-3) DATE: Jan. 26, 2008 TIP-OFF: 5:00 p.m. LOCATION: Philadelphia, Pa. ARENA: Tom Gola Arena CAPACITY: 6,138 WEB VIDEO: www.GoBonnies.com LIVE STATS: www.GoBonnies.com SERIES: La Salle leads, 10-5 LAST MEETING: L, 68-67 (1/18/07) UP NEXT: vs. Duquesne - Wednesday, Feb. 30, 7:00 p.m. AT A GLANCE After snapping the club's three-game losing streak with its first Atlantic 10 win over Fordham, St. Bonaventure hits the road for the 15th time this season for a conference clash at La Salle. Despite dropping three of four contests away from Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center, the Bonnies will look to get back on track in their second visit to the City of Brotherly Love this season. The Explorers entered league play with an 8-7 mark, but have suffered losses in three of their last four games with their single triumph at Fordham. SERIES HISTORY Tonight's matchup will be the 16th meeting between the two conference rivals with the Explorers holding a 10-5 all-time advantage over the Bonnies. The Brown and White have dropped four of five to La Salle with their most recent victory coming via an 82-77 overtime triumph in 2005. Following consecutive losses at Tom Gola Arena, the Bonnies will look to record just their second win in Philadelphia since a 77-60 victory on Jan. 6, 2002. THIS DAY IN BONA BASKETBALL The Bonnies are 4-3 all-time when playing on January 26 dating back to the first season with actual dates in the program record books (1986-87). St. Bonaventure has posted two straight wins on this date, including a 57-56 victory over La Salle in 2003. Scouting the Explorers La Salle enters tonight's contest with a 9-10 mark after dropping three of four games to begin Atlantic 10 Conference play. The Explorers are paced on the offensive end by A-10 preseason first team selection Carlene Hightower and her 16.9 points per game. The senior forward from Philadelphia ranks third in the league in scoring and sits only behind Bona sophomore Dana Mitchell with seven 20-point performances. She is also one of only seven players in the conference to post at least 30 points in a contest. Hightower is joined in double figures by sophomore guard Jamie Walsh, who averages 10.7 points per game. La Salle and the Bonnies shared two common opponents during the non-conference portion of the schedule as both clubs picked up wins over Albany, while the Explorers lost at Binghamton compared to the Brown and White's two wins over the Bearcats. Following a pair of conference road contests, La Salle returns home where the club holds a 4-4 mark this season. Last Time Out: Bonnies survive scare from Fordham The St. Bonaventure women's basketball team used a 15-6 run down the stretch to turn a late one-point advantage into a 59-49 victory over Fordham on Wednesday evening at Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center. Sophomore Dana Mitchell posted her A-10 leading 10th game with 20 or more points, while extending her double digit scoring streak to 19 games as the league's leading scorer registered 21 points on a 9-of-13 performance from the floor. For the 10th time this season and fourth in her last five games, junior Katelyn Murray reached the double digit plateau with 13 tallies. After Fordham cut the Bona advantage to 44-43 with just over five minutes remaining, the Brown and White responded with four consecutive baskets and 15 of the game's 21 points to seal the club's fourth win at home. On the Road in the A-10 Since their arrival in the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Bonnies have posted a 29-140 all-time mark on the road in the league. The Brown and White have never picked up more than four victories in A-10 gyms in a season and have gone winless on the road on four occasions. The Bonnies are 12-67 in conference facilities during the month of January. In seven appearances at Tom Gola Arena, St. Bonaventure has managed just a single win in Philadelphia with a 77-60 triumph on January 6, 2002. Dipping into Double Digits With a win at IPFW, the Bonnies became the 20th team in school history to post double figure wins and the first to reach 10-plus wins in back-to-back seasons since the 1998-99 and 1999-00 clubs each posted ten wins in consecutive seasons. St. Bonaventure also became the fastest team in the program record books to 10 wins, breaking last season's January 2 date by 11 days. Under head coach Jim Crowley, the Brown and White have surpassed 10 wins on two previous occasions, including last season's 16 victories that sit second all-time in single-season wins. Best Beginning in the Books With a 11-2 start to the season, the Bonnies established the best start in school history through 13 contests previously held by the 1992-93 editions' 9-3 beginning. The Bonnies next victory will make them just the 10th team in program history with at least 14 wins. Leading the League Sophomore sensation Dana Mitchell continues her scoring surge and sits atop the Atlantic 10 scoring chart through 19 games as her 20.0 points per contest is the highest among all A-10 players. Mitchell ranks 15th in the nation in scoring and is third among second-year players. Double Trouble The scoring surge over the last 12 games from junior Katelyn Murray along with the guaranteed double digit effort from sophomore Dana Mitchell place the two atop the Brown and White stat sheet with 20.0 and 10.5 points per game, respectively. The dynamic duo has reached double figures a combined 29 times with 13 games of at least 20 points. Through 19 games, Mitchell and Murray are the third highest scoring combination in the Atlantic 10 at 30.5 points per game. The Bona combo only trails the Kate Mills/ Pam Rosanio (32.7) duo from Massachusetts and the Theresa Lisch/Katie Paganelli duo (31.4) from Saint Louis. Back to Business Including last season's program-tying 16 wins, the Brown and White's 29 victories in the last season and a half are more than the program's 27 total wins in the previous three years combined. The Bona women posted nine triumphs in each season from 2003-2006. Road Warriors Although the Bonnies were treated to a brand new home playing surface named after St. Bonaventure legend Bob Lanier, the Brown and White have no complaints regarding their heavy road schedule. Head coach Jim Crowley has directed his team to eight true road wins and nine triumphs away from the Reilly Center. As of Jan. 25, the Bonnies' eight victories on opponent's home floors were tied for second most in the nation. First in the Books In just her second season with the Bonnies, sophomore Dana Mitchell has showed a penchant for putting the ball through the basket in her first 49 collegiate contests. The reigning Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team selection has led the Brown and White in scoring in every game this season but four, while ranking first in the league with 20.0 points per game. Since her arrival on campus, Mitchell has paced her club in scoring 28 times. Records on the Road Following 19 games of St. Bonaventure's 2007-08 campaign, the Bonnies matched one feat accomplished by last season's 16-15 club, while surpassing another mark with a win at Cornell. With six consecutive victories away from the Reilly Center, the Bonnies tied the mark set by last season's edition by defeating Florida Atlantic, Colgate, Canisius, Fairleigh Dickinson, IPFW and Binghamton in a row. The Bonnies also recently broke the school record for most true road wins in a season with eight. Bona only needs two more wins to tie the program mark for the most single-season wins away from the Halftime Lead=Victory The Bonnies are 22-2 dating back to last season when owning an advantage heading into intermission. St. Bonaventure suffered its first two defeats after leading at the break in two of the last four contests against Atlantic foes Saint Joseph's and Rhode Island. Out of Conference Success Dating back to last season's six-game win streak to conclude the non-conference slate, the Bonnies have notched 16 victories in their last 19 games outside of the Atlantic 10, including five in a row at the Reilly Center. St. Bonaventure also is 16-6 in its last 22 non-conference contests away from home. For Starters In the Bonnies first 19 games of the season, head coach Jim Crowley has sent out the same starting five for the opening tip in every contest but one. The combination of juniors Tiara Johnson, Katelyn Murray and Erica Schiefen as well as sophomores Andrea Doneth and Dana Mitchell have started 17 games for the Brown and White in the club's 13-6 beginning. Junior Ashley Edwards was inserted into the lineup for one game when Johnson was out with an injury. Missing Pieces The Bonnies' 13-6 beginning to their 2007-08 campaign is even more impressive after looking at the team's injury report. Through the first 18 games of the season, three integral parts to the club's early season success have missed at least one game due to injury. Junior Ashley Edwards tops the list with 10 absences due to numerous back and ankle ailments. Freshman guard Armelia Horton has also missed 10 contests in her first season, while junior point guard Tiara Johnson didn't dress at Fairleigh Dickinson. However, the Brown and White suffered their biggest setback before the season even began when three-year starter Priscilla Edwards was sent to the shelf with a season-ending shoulder injury. Board Watch After missing 10 games earlier this season due to various injuries, junior Ashley Edwards is back in action on the floor as well as on the Bona all-time rebounding charts. After pulling down seven rebounds against Fordham, the 5-11 junior from Philadelphia moved into sole possession of 17th place in the record books with 460 career caroms. Heading into Saturday's contest at La Salle, Edwards is six boards shy of moving past Suzie Dailer's 466 rebound total. Sue Shay carries the all-time rebounding distinction after hauling down 952 career caroms throughout her four-year career. LEADER OF THE PACK After turning in one of the finest freshman seasons in program history, sophomore Dana Mitchell has picked up where she left off with the beginning of the 2007-08 season. In her first 19 contests of her second year, Mitchell has posted 19 straight double figure scoring efforts, including ten 20-plus point performances (1st in the A-10), one 30-plus point effort (1-of-7) as well as four double-doubles (t-5th in the A-10). The super sophomore leads the conference in scoring with 20.0 points per game, while ranking fourth in free throw (.824) and 11th in field goal percentage (.511). She has also proved to be a presence on the boards, hauling down 6.2 (17th in the A-10) caroms per contest for second place on the Brown and White. Double Digit Streak With 19 straight double figure scoring efforts to begin the season, sophomore Dana Mitchell has tallied 20 consecutive and 40 of her last 45 games with at least 10 points. The Fairless Hills, Pa. product currently owns the Atlantic 10 lead with ten 20-point games this season. Little Giant In her first season in the Brown and White, junior Tiara Johnson has excelled in her initial 18 Division I contests as a do-it-all quarterback for the Bonnies. In the absence of three-year starter Priscilla Edwards, Johnson has flashed the same attributes she displayed in the junior college ranks that attracted the Bonnies to the North Central Missouri State product. Through 18 games, Johnson leads St. Bonaventure in rebounding from the point guard position with 6.4 caroms per contest. The 5-9 junior has hauled down at least seven rebounds on nine occasions, including a season-high 16 boards at Florida Atlantic that matched the sixth best single-game rebounding performance in program history. Johnson has also provided a spark in the backcourt as she sits second on the club with 3.4 assists per contest with a career-high eight helpers vs. Niagara. Close Contests With 19 games into the 2007-08 season, the Bonnies own a 10-3 mark in games decided by 10 points or less. The Brown and White recorded six wins in the same category during all of last year. Atlantic 10 Accolades Following her 28 point and 10 rebound performance against Binghamton on Saturday, Dec. 29, sophomore forward Dana Mitchell was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week. The honor was Mitchell's first after garnering four Rookie of the Week awards as a freshman. The Fairless Hills, Pa. product was also named MVP of the St. Bona Shootout as well as earning All-Tournament honors at the Florida Atlantic Holiday Classic earlier this season. Triple Threat Thanks to the hot shooting from junior Katelyn Murray, the Brown and White rank second in the Atlantic 10 and 15th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage. With 19 games in the books, the Bonnies have connected from behind the arc at a rate of 35.9 percent. Murray leads the team with 33 trifectas on the season and ranks sixth in the A-10 with a 41.8 conversion rate from three-point land. Following 77 games in a Bona uniform, the Harrisburg, Pa. product ranks sixth all-time with 116 career three-pointers and recently passed 2006 Bona graduate Audrey Latendresse. Murray is only one triple shy of moving into the fifth spot in the trifecta record book currently occupied by Tricia Pawling. Suzie Dailer holds the all-time mark for most three-pointers in school history with 291. Taking Care of the Rock Through 19 games, St. Bonaventure has given up the ball just over 15 times per game that ranks third in the Atlantic 10 and 24th in the nation. The Bonnies own a 6-2 mark when having fewer turnovers than their opponent. Sophomore Andrea Doneth and junior Tiara Johnson are big reasons for the low number of giveaways as both rank in the top 15 in the conference in assist/turnover ratio. 500-Point Club Just 19 games into the 2007-08 season, three members of the Brown and White have already surpassed the 500-point mark in their careers. Earlier this season at Bowling Green, sophomore Dana Mitchell shattered the mark in just her 36th collegiate contest and currently has 773 tallies next to her name. Junior Katelyn Murray eclipsed 500 points at Colgate and pushed her career total to 624 tallies after three 20-plus point games this season. Fellow classmate Ashley Edwards recently passed 500 points in her hometown of Philadelphia against Temple and now owns 519 points. Season of StreaksAfter opening the 2007-08 season with five straight wins, the Brown and White picked up their second win streak of at least five wins with six victories in a row before falling at Syracuse. The longest win streak in program history stands at seven games and was most recently reached in 1979-80 on two different occasions. The Season of Winning After posting a 6-1 mark in the month of December during last season's record setting season, the Brown and White posted a 6-2 record this holiday season. Although the Bonnies opened the month with a loss to nationally ranked West Virginia, the club responded with consecutive victories at Florida Atlantic, Colgate, Canisius, Fairleigh Dickinson, IPFW and Binghamton before falling to Syracuse.
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