Jan. 29, 2008
Complete Game Notes
DATE: Jan. 30, 2008
TIP-OFF: 7:00 p.m.
LOCATION: St. Bonaventure, N.Y.
ARENA: Reilly Center
PLAYING SURFACE: Bob Lanier Court
CAPACITY: 5,780
TV: Time Warner SportsNet
Olean (Ch. 9) & Buffalo (Ch. 13) on Tape Delay
TALENT: Ben Wagner and Mark Collins
WEB BROADCAST: www.GoBonnies.com
SERIES: Duquesne leads, 26-10
LAST MEETING: W, 71-59 (2/18/07)
AT A GLANCE
Following consecutive conference victories
in the past week over Fordham
and La Salle, St. Bonaventure returns to
Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center
for its first of two meetings with
Duquesne this season. The Bonnies
will look to record their fifth victory on
their fresh new playing surface after
beginning the 2007-08 campaign with
a 4-1 mark at home. The Dukes enter
tonight's contest with an 11-9 record,
but have dropped three of five games
since entering A-10 action by an average
of just over eight points per outing.
SERIES HISTORY
Tonight's matchup will be the 37th
meeting between the two conference
rivals with the Dukes holding a 26-10
all-time advantage over the Bonnies.
The Brown and White have dropped
16 of 19 to Duquesne with their most
recent victory coming in last season's
71-59 triumph at the Reilly Center.
Despite falling in five of the last six
meetings on the St. Bonaventure campus,
the Bonnies were victorious in six
straight at home between 1990 and
1997.
THIS DAY IN BONA BASKETBALL
The Bonnies are 3-3 all-time when
playing on January 30 dating back to
the first season with actual dates in
the program record books (1986-87).
St. Bonaventure has faced Duquesne
on this date twice with victories in
both contests in 1997 and 1988.
HEAD COACHING MATCHUP
ST. BONAVENTURE HEAD COACH
Jim Crowley
@ St. Bonaventure: 83-135 (8th)
Overall: 122-173 (11th )
Vs. Duquesne: 1-10
DUQUESNE HEAD COACH
Suzie McConnell-Serio
@ Duquesne: 11-9 (1st)
Overall: Same
Vs. St. Bonaventure: 0-0
Scouting the Dukes
Duquesne enters tonight's contest with an 11-9 overall mark
and a 2-3 record in A-10 action after posting only seven total
victories all of last season. The Dukes are led by Atlantic 10
Player of the Year candidate Kristi Little and her 17.9 points
per game that places her second in the league behind Dana
Mitchell. The guard from Altoona, Pa. has reached double
figures in every game this season and ranks second in the
conference and 16th nationally in assists (5.7) and first
and 9th in steals (3.7) through the first 20 games. Little is
joined in the backcourt by fellow double digit scorer Keri
Pryor, who registers 11.9 tallies per outing. The Little and
Pryor scoring tandem ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 with a
combined 29.8 points per contest. Thanks to the scoring
prowess throughout its roster, Duquesne visits the Reilly
Center as the A-10's most prolific offense scoring a leaguehigh
69.2 points per game. The Dukes and Bonnies shared
four common opponents during the non-conference slate
with both teams notching wins vs. Binghamton, IPFW and
Niagara, while falling to nationally ranked West Virginia. Led
by former WNBA Coach of the Year Suzie McConnell-Serio,
Duquesne owns a 5-5 mark on the road in her first season in
charge.
Last Time Out: Bona records second straight A-10 win
The St. Bonaventure women's basketball team recorded a
15-2 run midway through the second session to clinch a
60-54 victory at Tom Gola Arena on Saturday evening. The
win was just the Bonnies second all-time victory at La Salle
and their first since an 82-77 overtime win on January 6,
2002. For the 16th time this season, sophomore Dana Mitchell
paced the Bonnies in scoring with 16 points for her 20th
double digit scoring effort of the season. Bona received
production from throughout its roster as eight players entered
the books, including a career-high nine points from
senior guard and Philadelphia native Megan Ellis. After La
Salle cruised for 10 consecutive points to knot the score at
36-36, the Brown and White poured in 15 of the game's next
17 points en route to their largest margin of the contest at
51-38. The Bonnies connected on three triples during the
spurt and never let La Salle within seven points down the
stretch.
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 had
no complaints regarding their heavy road schedule.
Head coach Jim Crowley has directed his team to nine
true road wins and 10 triumphs away from the Reilly
Center. As of Jan. 29, the Bonnies' nine victories on
opponent's home floors were tied for second most in
the nation.
Home Court Advantage
After five official games have been played on Bob Lanier
Court at the Reilly Center, the St. Bonaventure women's
basketball team possesses a 4-1 record on the fresh new
playing surface. The Bonnies will take part in their second
home contest in the last 3 games tonight against the Dukes
after defeating Fordham in their last home appearance. Although
the Brown and White suffered a loss to Saint Joseph's
in their A-10 home opener, the club began 2007-08 with
wins over Bucknell, Albany and Niagara. With a win tonight
over Duquesne, the Bonnies will become just the 7th team
in school history to notch wins in five of their first six home
contests. The 2001-02 club hold's the best home start in
the all-time Bona record books with an 8-1 beginning. The
Bonnies own a 46-50 all-time mark at home in January.
On the Road in the A-10
Since their arrival in the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Bonnies
have posted a 30-140 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
13-67 in conference facilities during the month of January.
However, St. Bonaventure posted a 60-54 triumph over the
Explorers for the program's second ever victory at La Salle.
Leading the League
Sophomore sensation Dana Mitchell continues her scoring surge
and sits atop the Atlantic 10 scoring chart through 20 games as
her 19.8 points per contest is the highest among all A-10 players.
Mitchell ranks 14th in the nation in scoring and is third among
second-year players.
Back to Business
Including last season's Division I program-tying 16 wins, the
Brown and White's 30 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.
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.
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 50 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 19.8 points per game. Since
her arrival on campus, Mitchell has paced her club in scoring
29 times.
Records on the Road
Following 20 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 one more win to tie the
program mark for the most single-season wins away from the
Reilly Center with 11.
Halftime Lead = Victory
The Bonnies are 23-2 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 five contests against Atlantic foes Saint Joseph's and
Rhode Island.
OutofConference 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 20 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 19
games for the Brown and White in the club's 14-6 beginning.
Junior Ashley Edwards was inserted into the lineup for one
game when Johnson was out with an injury.
Missing Pieces
The Bonnies' 14-6 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 11 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 10 rebounds in the previous two contests, the 5-11 junior
from Philadelphia moved into sole possession of 17th place
in the record books with 463 career caroms. Heading into
Wednesday's contest vs. Duquesne, Edwards is three 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 20 contests of her
second year, Mitchell has posted 20 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 19.8 points per game, while ranking fourth in free throw (.833)
and ninth in field goal percentage (.504). She has also proved to be
a presence on the boards, hauling down 6.1 (17th in the A-10) caroms
per contest for second place on the Brown and White.
Triple Threat
Thanks to the hot shooting from junior Katelyn Murray, the Brown and White rank
second in the Atlantic 10 and 42nd in the nation in three-point field goal percentage.
With 20 games in the books, the Bonnies have connected from behind the arc
at a rate of 36.0 percent. Murray leads the team with 35 trifectas on the season and
ranks ninth in the A-10 with a 40.7 conversion rate from three-point land. Following
78 games in a Bona uniform, the Harrisburg, Pa. product ranks fifth all-time with 118
career three-pointers and recently passed 2006 Bona graduate Audrey Latendresse
and Tricia Palwing. Murray is 36 triples shy of moving into the fourth spot in the
trifecta record book currently occupied by current Bonnies' assistant coach Courtney
Mattingly's 154 three-pointers. Suzie Dailer holds the all-time mark for most
three-pointers in school history with 291.
Taking Care of the Rock
Through 20 games, St. Bonaventure has given up the ball just over 15 times per
game that ranks third in the Atlantic 10 and 31st 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 20 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 789 tallies next to her name. Junior Katelyn Murray
eclipsed 500 points at Colgate and pushed her career total to 630 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 523
points.
Season of Streaks
After 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.
