Feb. 8, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
AT A GLANCE
St. Bonaventure will look to get back
on track as it heads to Charlotte after
dropping consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference
clashes heading into tonight's
game against the 49ers. Despite
posting 10 wins away from Bob Lanier
Court at the Reilly Center earlier this
season, the Bonnies have failed in
three of their last four attempts on the
road with the club's lone conference
road win at La Salle. With a victory at
Halton Arena, the Brown and White will
match the school's all-time Division I
single-season record of 16 wins as well
as the program's most triumphs away
from the Reilly Center with 11 in a
season. Charlotte enters this evening's
contest with a 14-10 mark with losses
in three of its last four games after enjoying
a seven game winning streak.
SERIES HISTORY
Tonight's matchup will be just the 4th
meeting between the new conference
rivals with the 49ers holding a 2-1
all-time advantage over the Bonnies.
Despite notching a win in the
first matchup between the two teams,
Charlotte has been victorious in the
final two meetings by an average of 23
points per game. The Brown and White
suffered a 78-39 defeat in their only
visit to Halton Arena on Feb. 10, 2006.
THIS DAY IN BONA BASKETBALL
The Bonnies are 3-4 all-time when
playing on February 9 dating back to
the first season with actual dates in
the program record books (1986-87).
However, the Brown and White
defeated Massachusetts in their last
appearance on this date, 56-50.
Scouting the 49ers
Charlotte enters tonight's contest with a 14-10 overall
mark and a 5-3 record in the Atlantic 10 Conference
despite dropping three of its last four games with all
three losses away from home. The 49ers boast five
players averaging above 7.5 points per game led
by junior Danielle Burgin's 11.3 tallies. The thirdyear
center also leads the club in rebounding (8.5)
and blocks (1.5) in her third season on the floor,
while ranking in the top five in the conference in
both categories. Burgin is joined in double digits by
fellow A-10 preseason second team selection Sabrina
Gregory and her 10.7 points per game. The fourthyear
guard and reigning A-10 third team selection
leads the conference in free throw percentage at an
88.1 percent rate, while ranking fourth in the league
with 4.21 helpers per game. Rebounding has been an
integral part to Charlotte's early season success as the
49ers ranks second with 42.2 caroms per game with a
league-best 16 boards on the offensive end. The 49ers
own a 9-2 mark at home this season with their nine
wins by an average of almost 19 points per game.
Last Time Out: Hot-shooting Spiders defeat Bonnies
The Spiders shot a sizzling 52.9 percent from the floor and
placed three players in double digits en route to a 62-48
victory over the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team
Wednesday evening on Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly
Center. Despite conceding only 62 points on the night, the
Spiders connected on 29-of-55 field goals while forcing
the Bonnies to shoot their second lowest percentage of the
season at a 29.8 percent rate. Bonaventure's 48 points also
matched the club's third lowest scoring output of the season
equaling its 48-point effort at Rhode Island earlier this
year. Junior Erica Schiefen reached double figures for the
seventh time this season with a team-high 11 points, while
fellow classmate Tiara Johnson added 10 points and eight
rebounds. Despite suffering through a 4-for-19 shooting
performance from the field, sophomore Dana Mitchell tallied
her fifth double-double of the year with 10 points and 12
caroms. The Atlantic 10's leading scorer matched her lowest
offensive effort of the season, but extended her double digit
scoring streak to 24 games dating back to last year.
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 Feb. 8, the Bonnies' nine victories on opponent's
home floors were tied for second most in the nation.
Home Court Advantage
After seven official games have been played on Bob Lanier
Court at the Reilly Center, the St. Bonaventure women's
basketball team possesses a 5-2 record on the fresh new
playing surface. The Bonnies notched their second straight
victory at home following a 59-49 triumph over Fordham
with a thrilling 62-61 come-from-behind win vs. Duquesne.
Although the Brown and White suffered losses to Saint
Joseph's in their A-10 home opener as well as to Richmond
in their last home appearance, the club began 2007-08 with
wins over Bucknell, Albany and Niagara. The 2001-02 club
hold's the best home start in the school record books with
an 8-1 beginning. The Bonnies own a 32-50 all-time mark at
home vs. the Atlantic 10 in February.
On the Road in the A-10
Since their arrival in the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Bonnies
have posted a 30-141 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
17-70 in conference facilities during the month of February.
However, St. Bonaventure posted a 60-54 triumph over the
Explorers for the program's second ever victory at La Salle.
Scouting
Double Trouble
The scoring surge from junior Katelyn Murray in conference
play along with the guaranteed double digit effort
from sophomore Dana Mitchell place the two atop the
Brown and White stat sheet with 19.0 and 10.6 points per
game, respectively. The dynamic duo has reached double
figures a combined 35 times with 13 games of at least 20
points. Through 23 games, Mitchell and Murray are the
third highest scoring combination in the Atlantic 10 at
29.6 points per game.
Bringing it Back....- to-Back
For the second season in a row, the Bonnies have secured double digits
in the win column under head coach Jim Crowley with 15 victories
in 2007-08. Following their thrilling win over Duquesne, the Brown
and White established the school mark for most wins in consecutive
seasons since entering the Division I level in 1986-87 with a combined
31 wins over the past two seasons. This year's edition of the Brown and
White moved past the 1990-91 and 1991-92 team's total of 30 wins in
consecutive seasons. The all-time record for wins in two straight years
currently sits at 33 and was established under former Lady Bonnies
boss Mary Jane Telford in the program's final two years in Division II.
Court Smarts
Not only have the Bonnies enjoyed a successful start to their season
on the court, junior Katelyn Murray displayed the Brown and White's
ability in the classroom with her recent academic achievement. The
5-9 guard was named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District
I first team by the College Sports Information Directors of America
for her performance on and off the floor. Murray is in the midst of her
best season in the Brown and White with averaging a career-best 10.6
points per game, while carrying a 4.0 cumulative grade point average
in biology. The Harrisburg, Pa. native sits second on the club in scoring
with a team-best 41 three-pointers on the season. She has reached
double digits in 12 contests, including three games of 20 or more
points through the Bonnies' first 23 games. Murray has started 73 of 91
contests since arriving on campus and has developed into one the best
three-point shooters in school history as her 124 career triples rank
fifth all-time.
Back to Business
Including last season's Division I program-tying 16 wins, the Brown and
White's 31 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.
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
4th team in program history with at least 16 wins.
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.
Leading the League
Sophomore sensation Dana Mitchell continues her scoring surge
and sits atop the Atlantic 10 scoring chart through 23 games as
her 19.0 points per contest is the highest among all A-10 players.
Mitchell ranks 17th in the nation in scoring and is fourth among
second-year players.
First in the Books
In just her second season with the Bonnies, Dana Mitchell has
showed a penchant for putting the ball through the basket in her
first 52 collegiate contests. The reigning Atlantic 10 All-Rookie
team selection has led the Brown and White in scoring in every
game this season but five, while ranking first in the league with
19.0 points per game. Since her arrival on campus, Mitchell has
paced her club in scoring 29 times.
Super Sophomore
Second-year post player Dana Mitchell is quickly evolving into
one of the premier players in program history. Through 23 games
this season, the 6-1 forward is one of only three players in the Atlantic
10 to rank among the top 15 in points per game (19.0/1st),
field goal percentage (.486/11th) and free throw percentage
(.833/4th). The UMass duo of Kate Mills and Pam Rosanio are the
only other two members of the A-10 joining Mitchell in the elite
club. Mitchell is also creeping up the single-season record book
charts with her offensive outburst on the court. Following her
10-point effort against Richmond, Mitchell moved into 12th place
with 438 points on the season and needs only 10 points to move
into the top 20 all-time scorers in program history. Thanks to her
80-plus percent clip from the stripe, the Fairless Hills, Pa. product
ranks in eighth place with 120 made free throws in 2007-08.
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 seven
contests against Atlantic foes Saint Joseph's and Rhode Island.
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 33
rebounds in the previous five contests, including a season-high
10 caroms vs. Duquesne, the 5-11 junior from Philadelphia moved
into sole possession of 14th place in the record books with 486
career rebounds. Heading into tonight's contest at Charlotte,
Edwards is five boards shy of moving past Lisa Marquis' 490 rebound
total. Sue Shay carries the all-time rebounding distinction
after hauling down 952 career caroms throughout her four-year
career.
Bonnies in the National Rankings
St. Bonaventure's 15-8 start to the 2007-08 season hasn't gone
unnoticed as numerous national outlets around the country
have ranked the Bonnies among the top 150 teams in America.
The club's nine true road victories and ten overall wins
away from Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center has helped
boost the Brown and White's profile up the charts.
Close Contests
The Bonnies own a 11-3 mark in games decided by 10 points
or less and hold an unblemished 4-0 record in game decided
within five points. The Brown and White also are 13-1 when
possessing an edge with under five minutes remaining in a
game.
Records on the Road
Following 23 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.
For Starters
In the Bonnies first 23 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 22
games for the Brown and White in the club's 15-8 beginning.
Junior Ashley Edwards was inserted into the lineup for one
game when Johnson was out with an injury.
Double Digit Streak
With 23 straight double figure scoring efforts to begin the
season, sophomore Dana Mitchell has tallied 24 consecutive
and 44 of her last 49 games with at least 10 points. The Fairless
Hills, Pa. product currently owns the Atlantic 10 lead with ten
20-point games this season.
Defensive Dynamo
A key ingredient to the Bonnies' success in the 2007-08 campaign
has been the club's consistent play on the defensive side
of the ball. Through 23 games, the Brown and White have only
conceded 61.4 points per game that ranks in the top half of the
Atlantic 10. The Brown and White own a 7-1 mark when limiting
opponents to under 60 points per contest, while only six
teams have surpassed 65 tallies against Bona this season. In
the club's last six games, the Bonnies' defense has surrendered
just 57.7 points per.
Free Means Free
After starting the season slow from the stripe, the Bonnies have
swiftly picked up their production at the free throw line of late.
Led by sophomores Andrea Doneth and Dana Mitchell, St.
Bonaventure has moved into fifth place in the league by connecting
at a rate of 72.0 percent. Through 23 games, Mitchell
sits fourth in the conference at 83.3 percent, while her fellow
classmate Doneth is five spots below with a 78.1 conversion
rate. Five members of the Brown and White roster are connecting
at better than 70 percent at the free throw line.
Inside the Numbers
Scoring in double digits not only has benefitted the Bonnies'
individual statistics as it has also equated to numerous wins for
the Brown and White this season. St. Bonaventure owns a 9-4
mark when three players reach the double digit plateau and
are a perfect 4-0 when four surpass 10 points. Digging further
into the season box scores, the Bonnies possess a 9-3 record
when sophomore Dana Mitchell and junior Katelyn Murray register
double figures and 5-2 when junior Erica Schiefen posts
10+ points.
Step Up
With the graduation of departed senior Audrey Latendresse
and the season-ending injury to Priscilla Edwards, multiple
Bonnies have stepped up their performance in the 2007-08
season. Five members of the Brown and White have improved
their previous year's scoring average with sophomore Dana
Mitchell providing the biggest jump at 5.9 points followed by a
3.3 boost from junior Katelyn Murray.
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 23 contests of her
second year, Mitchell has posted 23 straight double figure scoring
efforts this season, including ten 20-plus point performances (1st
in the A-10), one 30-plus point effort (1-of-9) as well as five doubledoubles
(t-5th in the A-10). The super sophomore leads the conference
in scoring with 19.0 points per game, while ranking fourth in
free throw (.833) and 11th in field goal percentage (.486). She has
also proved to be a presence on the boards, hauling down 6.4 (13th
in the A-10) caroms per contest for second place on the Brown and
White.
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.
Little Giant
In her first season in the Brown and White, junior Tiara Johnson has excelled in
her initial 22 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 22 games, Johnson leads St.
Bonaventure in rebounding from the point guard position with 6.5 caroms per
contest. The 5-9 junior has hauled down at least seven rebounds on 10 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 is first on the club with 3.4 assists per
contest, including a career-high eight helpers vs. Niagara.
Missing Pieces
The Bonnies' 15-8 beginning to their 2007-08 campaign is even more impressive
after looking at the team's injury report. Through the first 23 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 toped the list early with 10 absences
due to numerous back and ankle ailments. Freshman guard Armelia Horton has
missed 14 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.
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
third in the Atlantic 10 and 42nd in the nation in three-point field goal percentage.
With 23 games in the books, the Bonnies have connected from behind the
arc at a rate of 35.9 percent. Murray leads the team with 41 trifectas on the season
and ranks 11th in the A-10 with a 40.2 percent conversion rate from three-point
land. Following 81 games in a Bona uniform, the Harrisburg, Pa. product ranks fifth
all-time with 124 career three-pointers and recently passed 2006 Bona graduate
Audrey Latendresse and Tricia Pawling. Murray is 30 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 23 games, St. Bonaventure has given up the ball just over 15 times per
game that ranks fourth 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
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 831 tallies
next to her name. Junior Katelyn Murray eclipsed 500 points at Colgate and
pushed her career total to 670 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 540 points.
We're Going Streaking
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
Bonnies just saw their three-game conference winning streak snapped with a loss
at Dayton.
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.
