Bona Women Still Dancing!
Sunday's Game at the RC
By Patrick Pierson
Sports Information Director
MADISON, Wis. — For the second straight game the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team overcame at 14-point halftime deficit with a nearly perfect second half, this time stunning Big Ten Conference foe Wisconsin 56-51 on the road Wednesday night in the third round of the WNIT at the Kohl Center.
With the win, St. Bonaventure moves into the quarterfinal round of the WNIT to face Big East member South Florida (24-10), who defeated Mississippi, 74-57, earlier in the evening. The game will be played at the Reilly Center on Sunday, March 29 at 1 p.m.
“This is group is really something,” said an emotional head coach Jim Crowley. “We were really frustrated with our first half performance because we played like a team I’ve never seen before. That being said, I’ve learned to never doubt this group because they have more fight and heart than any team I’ve ever coached.”
The Brown and White continue to add to their program record win total and now stand at 23-10 on the season heading into Sunday’s Elite Eight round. St. Bonaventure’s 23 wins are now tied for the fourth-best total by either a women’s or men’s team in St. Bonaventure history. The Bonnies are also the final A-10 basketball program still alive on either the men’s or women’s side.
Three players finished in double figurers for the Brown and White, but it was the Bona bench that made the difference during the second half comeback. The freshmen trio of Jessica Jenkins (Marion, Ohio/Marion Harding), Armelia Horton (Harlem, N.Y./Murry Bergtraum) and Megan Van Tatenhove (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Oostburg) combined to score 19 of their 23 points off the bench in the game over the final 20 minutes. For the game, the Bona bench out-scored Wisconsin’s subs, 26-2.
“The bench was tremendous tonight and was the catalyst during the last big run,” Crowley said. “They gave us so much energy when we needed it and that’s something they’ve done all season long.”
Junior forward Dana Mitchell (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) finished with team-best 12 points while adding eight rebounds, but it was the play of senior Ashley Edwards (Philadelphia, Pa./Central) combined with Mitchell’s late surge that helped the Bonnies produce a 40-30 edge on the glass. Edwards gathered a team-high nine rebounds and scored six points, highlighted by a jumper with 6:51 remaining that broke a 44-44 tie and gave the Bonnies their first lead of the game.
“Ashley was absolutely tremendous. She defended so hard and came up with rebounds that limited them to just one shot. I feel great for her and this senior class.”
It was a tale of two halves for St. Bonaventure, as the opening 20 minutes were a struggle for the Bonnies on both ends of the court. Wisconsin took full advantage of the Brown and White’s deficiencies, dealing the visitors their second 14-point halftime deficit, 32-18, in as many games.
Trailing 35-20 early in the second half, the Bonnies embarked on a 10-0 run that cut the deficit to five, 35-30, by the first media timeout. Katelyn Murray (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) ignited the spurt with her 194th career three-pointer, while Jenkins capped things with her first of three long range field goals during the half with 16:16 remaining.
Wisconsin built its lead back up to double-digits, 44-34, by the 11:20 mark, but the Bonnies refused to away as the Bona bench came to the rescue. Horton was the catalyst of the game-changing 12-0 run, scoring the opening six points vault the Brown and White from 10 down to up two, at 46-44. Jenkins knotted the game at 44-44 with another three-pointer, while Ashley Edwards buried a jumper from the left baseline to give the Brown and White their first lead of the game.
The Badgers tied the game at 46-46 with a pair of free throws at the 5:52 mark, but, again, it was Jenkins hitting from long range to make it 49-46 giving the edge back to the Bonnies for the final time.
Mitchell made it a two-possession game on a pair of occasions over the final four minutes with the last coming with 1:49 to play, at 53-49. Wisconsin cut it to a two-point game, 53-51, but failed to score over the final 1:26 as St. Bonaventure improved to 21-0 when leading with two minutes remaining.
For the game, St. Bonaventure shot just 40 percent (21-53), but finished with a 54 percent (13-24) clip in the second half. On the flipside, Wisconsin shot a staggering 62 percent (13-21) in the opening 20 minutes, but just 21 percent (6-29) in the second half.
The Bonnies magical WNIT run has been fueled by lockdown defense in the second half of both of their wins over West Virginia and Wisconsin. Over those two games, St. Bonaventure has given up a combined 40 points, eight field goals and has held its two opponents to a 16 percent (8-50) shooting clip in the second half.
Murray finished in double figures for the 51st time in her illustrious career with 10 points, while Jenkins also had 10 points that all came in the second half. Horton added eight points, as 10 different players played at least 13 minutes.
The combo of Teah Gant and Tara Steinbauer scored 35 of Wisconsin’s (19-15) 51 points. Gant led all scorers with 20 points.
Sports Information Director
MADISON, Wis. — For the second straight game the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team overcame at 14-point halftime deficit with a nearly perfect second half, this time stunning Big Ten Conference foe Wisconsin 56-51 on the road Wednesday night in the third round of the WNIT at the Kohl Center.
With the win, St. Bonaventure moves into the quarterfinal round of the WNIT to face Big East member South Florida (24-10), who defeated Mississippi, 74-57, earlier in the evening. The game will be played at the Reilly Center on Sunday, March 29 at 1 p.m.
“This is group is really something,” said an emotional head coach Jim Crowley. “We were really frustrated with our first half performance because we played like a team I’ve never seen before. That being said, I’ve learned to never doubt this group because they have more fight and heart than any team I’ve ever coached.”
The Brown and White continue to add to their program record win total and now stand at 23-10 on the season heading into Sunday’s Elite Eight round. St. Bonaventure’s 23 wins are now tied for the fourth-best total by either a women’s or men’s team in St. Bonaventure history. The Bonnies are also the final A-10 basketball program still alive on either the men’s or women’s side.
Three players finished in double figurers for the Brown and White, but it was the Bona bench that made the difference during the second half comeback. The freshmen trio of Jessica Jenkins (Marion, Ohio/Marion Harding), Armelia Horton (Harlem, N.Y./Murry Bergtraum) and Megan Van Tatenhove (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Oostburg) combined to score 19 of their 23 points off the bench in the game over the final 20 minutes. For the game, the Bona bench out-scored Wisconsin’s subs, 26-2.
“The bench was tremendous tonight and was the catalyst during the last big run,” Crowley said. “They gave us so much energy when we needed it and that’s something they’ve done all season long.”
Junior forward Dana Mitchell (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) finished with team-best 12 points while adding eight rebounds, but it was the play of senior Ashley Edwards (Philadelphia, Pa./Central) combined with Mitchell’s late surge that helped the Bonnies produce a 40-30 edge on the glass. Edwards gathered a team-high nine rebounds and scored six points, highlighted by a jumper with 6:51 remaining that broke a 44-44 tie and gave the Bonnies their first lead of the game.
“Ashley was absolutely tremendous. She defended so hard and came up with rebounds that limited them to just one shot. I feel great for her and this senior class.”
It was a tale of two halves for St. Bonaventure, as the opening 20 minutes were a struggle for the Bonnies on both ends of the court. Wisconsin took full advantage of the Brown and White’s deficiencies, dealing the visitors their second 14-point halftime deficit, 32-18, in as many games.
Trailing 35-20 early in the second half, the Bonnies embarked on a 10-0 run that cut the deficit to five, 35-30, by the first media timeout. Katelyn Murray (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) ignited the spurt with her 194th career three-pointer, while Jenkins capped things with her first of three long range field goals during the half with 16:16 remaining.
Wisconsin built its lead back up to double-digits, 44-34, by the 11:20 mark, but the Bonnies refused to away as the Bona bench came to the rescue. Horton was the catalyst of the game-changing 12-0 run, scoring the opening six points vault the Brown and White from 10 down to up two, at 46-44. Jenkins knotted the game at 44-44 with another three-pointer, while Ashley Edwards buried a jumper from the left baseline to give the Brown and White their first lead of the game.
The Badgers tied the game at 46-46 with a pair of free throws at the 5:52 mark, but, again, it was Jenkins hitting from long range to make it 49-46 giving the edge back to the Bonnies for the final time.
Mitchell made it a two-possession game on a pair of occasions over the final four minutes with the last coming with 1:49 to play, at 53-49. Wisconsin cut it to a two-point game, 53-51, but failed to score over the final 1:26 as St. Bonaventure improved to 21-0 when leading with two minutes remaining.
For the game, St. Bonaventure shot just 40 percent (21-53), but finished with a 54 percent (13-24) clip in the second half. On the flipside, Wisconsin shot a staggering 62 percent (13-21) in the opening 20 minutes, but just 21 percent (6-29) in the second half.
The Bonnies magical WNIT run has been fueled by lockdown defense in the second half of both of their wins over West Virginia and Wisconsin. Over those two games, St. Bonaventure has given up a combined 40 points, eight field goals and has held its two opponents to a 16 percent (8-50) shooting clip in the second half.
Murray finished in double figures for the 51st time in her illustrious career with 10 points, while Jenkins also had 10 points that all came in the second half. Horton added eight points, as 10 different players played at least 13 minutes.
The combo of Teah Gant and Tara Steinbauer scored 35 of Wisconsin’s (19-15) 51 points. Gant led all scorers with 20 points.
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