Feb. 29, 2008
Game Notes 
GAME DAY CENTRAL
DATE: March 1, 2008
TIP-OFF: 1:00 p.m.
LOCATION: St. Bonaventure, N.Y.
PLAYING SURFACE: Bob Lanier Court
ARENA: Reilly Center
CAPACITY: 5,780
WEB BROADCAST: www.GoBonnies.com
TALENT: Brad Randall
SERIES: Xavier leads 13-3
LAST MEETING: L, 78-55 (1/28/07)
UP NEXT: Atlantic 10 Championship
AT A GLANCE
After seeing its three-game winning streak snapped at Massachusetts, St. Bonaventure returns home for the final regular season contest of the year when Xavier visits Bob Lanier Court this afternoon for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off. With a win over the reigning Atlantic 10 Conference champions, the Bonnies will secure a program record 19 wins on the season as well as register the school's third ever .500 finish in league play with seven wins in A-10 action. Only five other club's in program history have reached the seven-win mark with eight victories as the all-time high. The Brown and White will also aim for their eighth win at the Reilly Center in 2007-08 to match the school's third most single-season home triumphs in the Bona record books. Xavier enters today's contest with a 20-8 mark, including wins in 10 of 12 games with its only two losses coming to Dayton.
SERIES HISTORY
Today's matchup will be the 17th meeting between the two conference foes with Xavier holding a commanding 13-3 all-time advantage over the Bonnies. The Musketeers have captured five straight wins over St. Bonaventure as well as 11 of the last 12 matchups. Despite two of the most recent four meetings being decided by nine points or less, Xavier owns a 16.7 all-time average margin of victory over the Bonnies. The Brown and White have beaten the Musketeers just once in the last 10 years thanks to a 72-68 triumph at the Reilly Center on February 25, 2002. All three of the Bonnies' wins in the all-time series have taken place at home, while Xavier has left St. Bonaventure with two straight victories.
THIS DAY IN BONA BASKETBALL
The Bonnies own a 0-4 all-time mark when playing on March 1 dating back to the first season with actual dates in the program record books (1986-87). The Brown and White's last two matchups on this date occurred at the Atlantic 10 Tournament, including an 84-71 loss to Xavier in the 1995-96 campaign.
HEAD COACHING MATCHUP
ST. BONAVENTURE HEAD COACH
Jim Crowley
@ St. Bonaventure: 87-139 (8th)
Overall: 126-177 (11th)
Vs. Xavier: 1-7
XAVIER HEAD COACH
Kevin McGuff
@ Xavier: 126-58 (6th)
Overall: Same
Vs. St. Bonaventure: 5-0
Scouting the Musketeers
One of the most dominant Atlantic 10 programs over the past 10 years, Xavier heads into the Reilly Center with a 20-8 (10-3) mark for its fourth straight 20-win season. The reigning A-10 Champions have advanced to the postseason in eight of the last nine seasons, including five trips to the NCAA Tournament. The third place Musketeers are in the midst of a 12-game stretch in which they have captured 10 wins with their only losses coming via a series sweep by interstate rival Dayton. After beginning the conference season with a defeat at nationally ranked George Washington, Xavier has picked up four of five victories on the road in the A-10 with two straight prior to this afternoon's contest on Bob Lanier Court. A young Musketeers club is led by rising sophomore Amber Harris and the league's frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, Ta'Shia Phillips. The dynamic duo averages a combined 29.4 points and 20 rebounds per game. After being tabbed the A-10's top newcomer in 2006-07, Harris has continued to produce in her second season as she ranks eighth in the conference in scoring (15.4), second in rebounding (8.9) and first in blocked shots (2.6). Phillips has made her presence felt in the lineup immediately by connecting at a league-best .598 percent from the floor, while averaging 14.0 points (11th) and 11.1 (1st) rebounds per contest. The duo is joined in double digits by junior Jerri Taylor's 11.0 points per outing. Xavier also boasts the A-10's stingiest defense allowing teams to score just 56.8 points per game, while forcing opponents to shoot .356 percent from the floor.
Last Meeting: Turnovers plague Bonnies in loss at XU
The St. Bonaventure women's basketball team suffered a 78-55 setback at Xavier on Sunday, Jan. 28 at the Cintas Center. The Bonnies' 22 turnovers, including 14 in the first half, led to 21 Musketeer points on the day. Many of those turnovers led to easy lay ups as Xavier piled up 44 points in the paint compared to St. Bonaventure's 14. Senior Audrey Latendresse led the way for the Bonnies with 13 points, while Priscilla Edwards chipped in with 11 points and five rebounds. The Brown and White kept the Xavier faithful standing for the first 3:53 as they built an early 5-0 lead as Mitchell started with a fast break lay up, while Latendresse also converted in transition with a spot-up three-pointer. Trailing 9-4, Xavier used a 12-2 run to turn a nine-point deficit into a five-point lead at 16-11 with 13:21 remaining in the first half. However, the Bonnies would manage just one field goal to close the half as the Musketeers built a 15-point halftime advantage at 39-24 with a 15-5 spurt over the final 7:17 of the half. Xavier started the second on a 16-5 run to push the lead to 55-29 to put the game out of reach.
Home Court Advantage
After nine official games have been played on Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center, the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team owns a 7-2 record on its fresh new playing surface. The Bonnies opened the season with three straight victories over Bucknell, Albany and Niagara in its only non-conference clashes in their home building. Including wins over Fordham and Duquesne, the Brown and White have reeled off four wins in A-10 action at home with consecutive triumphs over nationally ranked George Washington and Saint Louis heading into today's meeting with Xavier. Only six teams in program history have notched at least eight wins in a season at the Reilly Center with an all-time high of 10 in 1990-91.
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 18.2 and 10.3 points per game, respectively. The dynamic duo has reached double figures a combined 41 times with 14 games of at least 20 points. Through 28 games, Mitchell and Murray rank as the fifth highest scoring combination in the Atlantic 10 at 28.5 points per game.
Last Time Out: Second half surge sends UMass past Bonnies
Massachusetts broke open a tie game at the half with a dominating second half performance to snap the St. Bonaventure women's basketball team's three-game winning streak and pick up a 70-50 victory for the Minutewomen on Wednesday evening at the Mullins Center. Sophomore Andrea Doneth paced the Brown and White in scoring with a career-high 21 points thanks to an 8-for-12 effort from the field for her fourth straight double figure performance off the bench. Junior Erica Schiefen was the only other Bonnie in double digits with 13 tallies. The Massachusetts defense caused problems for sophomore Dana Mitchell again as they limited the Atlantic 10's leading scorer to a season-low six points and 2-for-13 shooting from the floor. It was Mitchell's first contest below 10 points to break a 28-game double digit scoring streak since last season's eight-point effort against the Minutewomen in the Atlantic 10 Championship. Massachusetts doubled up the Bonnies in the second stanza by the count of 40-20 to take control of an even game at the half. The Brown and White managed just eight field goals in the final 20 minutes and converted just over 25 percent of their second half shots. Senior Pam Rosanio tallied 16 of her game-high 22 points in the second session, including nine straight points during a 24-2 Massachusetts run to take a 56-36 lead midway through the second half. The Bonnies never came closer than 16 points down the stretch, but suffered through a seven-plus minute offensive dry spell during the game-changing Minutewomen offensive explosion.
A Win Today Would......
Establish the school's all-time win mark at 19 games
Launch the Bonnies to seven Atlantic 10 wins to match the second highest total in school history
Make the 2007-08 edition of the Brown and White just the third team ever to finish .500 in league play
Push the Bonnies' home mark to 8-2 for the most wins in the Reilly Center since 1995-96
Give the club 35 wins over the last two years
Snap a five-game losing streak to Xavier and give the Bonnies four all-time wins over the Musketeers
1,000/500 Club
In the 36 years of St. Bonaventure women's basketball, only seven players have ever compiled 1,000 points and 500 rebounds during their careers in the Brown and White. Former Bonnie Audrey Latendresse was the last to join the elite club following the culmination of her four-year career last season with career totals of 1,101 points and 538 points. In just her second season at Bona, sophomore Dana Mitchell is primed for her invitation to the club as her numbers quickly creep towards the group standards.
Leading the League
Sophomore sensation Dana Mitchell continues her points production and sits atop the Atlantic 10 scoring chart through 28 games as her 18.2 points per contest is the highest among all A-10 players. Mitchell ranks 26th in the nation in scoring and seventh among second-year players. With one regular season game remaining, Mitchell will look to become just the third Bonnie and fifth sophomore ever to lead the Atlantic 10 in scoring. Hilary Waltman (1998-99) and Suzie Dailer (1992-93) were the only other Bonnies to do so. La Salle senior Carlene Hightower sits .1 below Mitchell in the scoring race heading into the final weekend of regular season action.
Double Digit Streak
Despite having her double digit scoring streak snapped in Massachusetts with a season-low six points, sophomore Dana Mitchell has tallied at least 10 points in 49 of 58 career contests. The Minutewomen have caused problems for Mitchell as two of her nine games under 10 points have been against UMass. The Fairless Hills, Pa. product currently ranks second in the Atlantic 10 with 11 20-point games this season, including a career-high 34 tallies at Cornell earlier in the year.
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 58 collegiate contests. The reigning Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team selection has led the Brown and White in scoring in every game this season but seven with 510 points on the year that ranks as the seventh highest single-season scoring performance in school history. Since her arrival on campus, Mitchell has paced her club in scoring 32 times.
Winning Ways
For the first time since 1990-91 and 1991-92 and only the second time ever in Division I, the Bonnies have clinched consecutive winning seasons at the top level of college basketball. The Brown and White's victory at Duquesne sealed a .500-plus record no matter how the remainder of the season plays out. Prior to the Bonnies arrival in D-I, Bona tallied four straight winning seasons between 1977 and 1981 as well as back-to-back positive campaigns in 1984-85 and 1985-86 all under former boss Mary Jane Telford.
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 18 victories in 2007-08. Following their second three-game conference winning streak of the season, the Brown and White established the school mark for most wins in back-to-back seasons with 34 combined triumphs including 2006-07's 16 victories. The previous mark was established in 1984-85 and 1985-86 when head coach Mary Jane Telford led the Bonnies to 33 consecutive victories in the school's last two seasons at the Division II level. Until the past two years, the Division I record for most wins in a two-year span stood at 31 victories as Telford guided her club's to 15 and 16 wins in two straight seasons.
Back to Business
Including last season's 16 wins along with a program record 18 victories in the 2007-08 campaign, the Brown and White's 34 victories in the last two seasons are more than the program's 33 total wins in the previous four years combined. The Bona women posted nine triumphs in each season from 2003-2006 and a mere six in 2002-03.
Beating the Best
After falling short in two previous attempts against nationally ranked Big East clubs West Virginia and Syracuse earlier this season, the Brown and White cashed in on their third opportunity as #14/13 George Washington fell victim to the Bonnies on Bob Lanier Court for the club's second ever victory over a nationally recognized program in school history. The 1993-94 edition of the Brown and White captured the school's first win over a ranked opponent 14 years ago when St. Bonaventure defeated #18/20 Rutgers 71-70 in the Reilly Center. The Bonnies' 63-60 upset of George Washington is one of just four victories over the Top 25 for Atlantic 10 schools this season.
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 10 true road wins and 11 triumphs away from the Reilly Center. As of Feb. 29, the Bonnies' 10 victories on opponent's home floors were tied for third most in the nation.
Atlantic 10 Efficiency
Despite a rocky start to the 2008 Atlantic 10 Conference campaign with three straight losses, the Bonnies reeled off three victories in a row to improve to an even 3-3 in league play before falling in three straight contests. The Brown and White's .500 start in A-10 action matched the program's second best beginning to the conference slate in school history as only four other teams equaled or bettered this season's beginning. With their win over Saint Louis, the Bonnies clinched their second three-game conference winning streak of the season. A win today over Xavier would give the Brown and White seven league triumphs to match the program's second highest win total ever in conference play, while cementing the school's third ever .500 finish in league play since their first season in the A-10 in 1986-87.
Bonnies in the National Rankings
St. Bonaventure's 18-10 start to the 2007-08 season hasn't gone unnoticed as numerous national outlets around the country have ranked the Bonnies among the top 120 teams in America. The club's 10 true road victories and 11 overall wins away from Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center as well as their victory over nationally ranked George Washington has helped boost the Brown and White's profile up the charts.
Halftime Lead = Victory
The Bonnies are 26-2 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 conference contests this season against Atlantic 10 foes Saint Joseph's and Rhode Island.
Close Contests
The Bonnies own a 14-4 mark in games decided by 10 points or less and hold a 13-1 record in games decided within six tallies. The Brown and White also are 16-1 when possessing an edge with under five minutes remaining in a game.
Taking Care of the Rock
Through 28 games, St. Bonaventure has given up the ball just over 15 times per game that ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 and 40th in the nation. The Bonnies own a 7-3 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.
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 11-5 mark when three players reach the double digit plateau and are a perfect 5-0 when four surpass 10 points. Digging further into the season box scores, the Bonnies possess a 11-3 record when sophomore Dana Mitchell and junior Katelyn Murray register double figures and are 6-3 when junior Erica Schiefen posts 10+ points.
Triple Threat
Thanks to the hot shooting from junior Katelyn Murray, the Brown and White rank first in the Atlantic 10 and 34th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage. Murray hasn't been the only weapon from long range as seven Bonnies connect better than 30 percent of their shots from downtown. With 28 games in the books, the Bonnies have connected from behind the arc at a rate of 36.7 percent. Murray leads the team with 50 trifectas on the season and ranks 8th in the A-10 with a 38.8 percent conversion rate from three-point land. Following 86 games in a Bona uniform, the Harrisburg, Pa. product ranks fifth all-time with 133 career three-pointers and recently passed 2006 Bona graduate Audrey Latendresse and Tricia Pawling. Murray is 22 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.
It's Raining Threes
This season's top three-point shooting team in the Atlantic 10 has helped continue a streak spanning almost four full seasons as the Brown and White have connected on at least one triple in 119 straight contests. It has been more than four years since the Bonnies last failed to connect from behind the arc as Bona shot 0-for-9 against Temple on February 14, 2004. The Bonnies have knocked down a season-high nine triples in two of their last four contests, while draining a stretch-best 12 trifectas against Niagara on December 6, 2005.
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 sixth place in the league by connecting at a rate of 71.4 percent. Mitchell sits fifth in the conference at 82.2 percent, while her fellow classmate Doneth is seven spots below with a 76.5 conversion rate through 28 games. Five members of the Brown and White roster are connecting at better than 70 percent from the free throw line. Bona owns a 14-5 mark this season when connecting on more free throws than its opponent.
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 in the 2007-08 season. In 28 contests of her second year, Mitchell has posted 27 of 28 double figure scoring efforts this season, including 11 20-plus point performances (2nd in the A-10), one 30-plus point effort (1-of-11) as well as six double-doubles (t-5th in the A-10). The super sophomore leads the conference in scoring with 18.2 points per game, while ranking fifth in free throw (.822) and 12th in field goal percentage (.479). She has also proved to be a presence on the boards, hauling down 6.4 (14th in the A-10) caroms per contest to lead the Brown and White. The 6-1 forward is also one of only three players in the Atlantic 10 to rank among the top 15 in points per game, field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
Board Watch
After missing 11 games 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 nine rebounds at Duquesne, the 5-11 junior from Philadelphia moved into sole possession of 13th place in the record books with 504 career rebounds. Heading into today's contest vs. Xavier, Edwards is 18 boards shy of moving past Jodi Urich's 522 rebound total. Sue Shay carries the all-time rebounding distinction after hauling down 952 career caroms during her four-year career.
On the Glass
Despite ranking 11th in the Atlantic 10 with 34.3 rebounds per contest, the Bonnies effort on the defensive glass along with timely boards have been key components to the Brown and White's success in 2007-08. With only one game remaining in the regular season, St. Bonaventure boasts one of the best rebounding defenses in the league allowing team's just 32.9 caroms per contest that ranks second among A-10 affiliates. The Bonnies also hold a 14-4 advantage when outrebounding opponents, while dropping six of nine games in which they are beaten on the boards. Led by sophomore Dana Mitchell and junior Tiara Johnson, who both rank among the A-10's best, the Bonnies have held the edge in rebounding in two of their last four contests.
Off the Bench
Although they have been outscored throughout the season, while dealing with a rash of injuries shortening the rotation, the Bona bench has proved to be an integral ingredient in the success of the Bonnies this season. Members outside of the Brown and White starting five have accounted for 12 double digit scoring efforts this season with St. Bonaventure holding a 10-2 mark when someone off the pine steps it up in the scoring column. After beginning the game on the floor during the first 23 contests in 2007-08, sophomore Andrea Doneth has excelled as instant offense off the bench in the last four games, averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 assists per contest, including a career-high 21 at Massachusetts.
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 5.1 points followed by a 3.0 boost from junior Katelyn Murray.
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 28 games, the Brown and White have only conceded 61.2 points per game that ranks in the top half of the Atlantic 10. The Brown and White own a 8-1 mark when limiting opponents to under 60 points per contest, while only eight teams have surpassed 65 tallies against Bona this season. In the club's last 11 games, the Bonnies' defense has surrendered just 60.5 points per game while limiting the league's highest scoring offense in George Washington to 60 tallies.
Positive Production
Although the plus/minus statistic is normally prominent in hockey box scores, the Bonnies have carried the on ice stat to the hardwood thanks to the Fast Model program used on the Bona bench. For the season, sophomore Dana Mitchell boasts the highest positive production at +102 followed by juniors Tiara Johnson (+85) and Erica Schiefen (+35). The Brown and White fare well on Bob Lanier Court according to the program's tabulations as three of five starters own positive rankings in the Reilly Center.
Series Sweeps
The Bona brooms have been busy during the 2007-08 campaign as the club has swept a pair of teams this season. Earlier this year, the Bonnies captured two wins over America East foe Binghamton, including a victory in Elmira at the St. Bona Shootout. With consecutive wins over Duquesne this season, the Brown and White posted their first Atlantic 10 series sweep since 2003-04's double dip over Massachusetts.
Records on the Road
In contradiction of the old saying, "There's no place like home," the Brown and White have established numerous records away from home with 10 true road wins and 11 triumphs away from Bob Lanier Court. With six straight road wins at Florida Atlantic, Colgate, Canisius, Fairleigh Dickinson, IPFW and Bighamton, the Bonnies equaled the school record for consecutive road wins. St. Bonaventure also holds the program record with 10 true road wins and need one more victory to surpass the all-time Bona mark of 11 wins away from the Reilly Center.
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 an 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 the first team in program history with 19 wins at any level.
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 recently had their second three-game Atlantic 10 Conference winning streak of the season snapped at Massachusetts. The all-time school record for most league wins in a row stands at four and has only been reached on two occasions in 2000-01 and 1993-94.
Little Giant
In her first season in the Brown and White, junior Tiara Johnson has excelled in her initial 27 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 27 games, Johnson sits second on the St. Bonaventure stat sheet in rebounding from the point guard position with 6.1 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 also second on the club with 3.3 assists per contest, including a career-high eight helpers vs. Niagara.
Missing Pieces
The Bonnies' 18-10 mark in the 2007-08 campaign is even more impressive after looking at the team's injury report. During their 28 games this 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 11 absences due to numerous back and ankle ailments. Freshman guard Armelia Horton has missed 19 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.
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 became the second player in St. Bonaventure women's basketball history to earn Academic All-America honors as Murray was named to the ESPN the Magazine All-America third team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. In her third year at St. Bonaventure, Murray carries a 4.0 grade point average in biology while averaging a career-best 10.3 points per game on the court. She was only one of three players selected to the three Academic All-America teams with a perfect mark in the classroom. Murray was eligible for All-America honors after being named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District I first team earlier this season. The Harrisburg, Pa. native is in the midst of her best season in the Brown and White as she ranks second on the club in scoring and third in assists (1.7), while leading the Bonnies to a program-best 18 wins. Murray's 133 career triples rank fifth all-time at St. Bonaventure, while her 50 trifectas and 38.8 percent conversion rate from behind the arc lead the Bonnies and place her among the most lethal shooters in the Atlantic 10 Conference. She joins Jodi Urich (1992-93) as St. Bonaventure's only Academic All-Americans.
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.
For Starters
In the Bonnies 28 games of the season, head coach Jim Crowley has sent out the same starting five for the opening tip in every contest but six. 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 18-10 beginning. Junior Ashley Edwards was inserted into the lineup for one game when Johnson was out with an injury, while freshman Cara Gustafson has earned her first five career starts in the Brown and White down the stretch of the season.
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.
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.
