March 22, 2009

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - The St. Bonaventure women's basketball team will live to play another day.

In front of a record crowd of 2,123 fans, the Bonnies made the most of their first-ever postseason appearance by pulling out an incredible 68-63 win over Big East foe West Virginia in the second round of the WNIT on Saturday afternoon at the Reilly Center.

The Bonnies magical season will continue thanks to a huge second half comeback that saw the Brown and White hold the Mountaineers to just two second half field goals. St. Bonaventure out-scored West Virginia 40-21 in the second half and to increase its program record home win total to 13.

"I'm still kind of speechless," said head coach Jim Crowley. "It's a pretty special moment that hasn't really sunk in yet, but it's something these kids deserve and I couldn't be happier for them."

The Brown and White's win improves their record to 22-10 on the season and moves them into the third round of the WNIT. The Bonnies now face the winner of tomorrow afternoon's game between Wisconsin and Kentucky at 2:00 p.m. Check www.GOBONNIES.com for more information on the Bonnies next WNIT game in the upcoming days.

The win by St. Bonaventure was also the first postseason victory by any of the Big 4 women's basketball team in the Division I era.

Junior Dana Mitchell poured in a team-high 18 points, including 13 in the second half, on 7-of-13 from the field to go along with four rebounds. Mitchell's 18 points moved her out of a tie for seventh place on St. Bonaventure's career points list up three sports to fifth place with 1,437 career points.

Redshirt freshman Armelia Horton turned in the best game of her young career, tying a season-high with 13 points while collecting a career-best nine rebounds. Horton was perfect on the day, going 4-of-4 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free throw line in the victory. Senior Katelyn Murray also reached double figures for the home team, chipping in 14 points on 4-of-9 from the field, while adding two clutch free throws in the final seconds to seal the win.

For the game, the Bonnies shot 46 percent (24-52) from the field and 93 percent (14-15) from the free throw line. It was tale of two halves for West Virginia offensively, as the Mountaineers shot an incredible 63 percent (17-27) from the field in the first half, but just 10 percent (2-21) in the second frame on two made field goals.

Most of the first half belonged to West Virginia, as the visitors led for almost the entire frame. The Mountaineers drained from beyond the arc in the first stanza to build up a 42-28 halftime lead. The Bonnies 14-point first half deficit was the largest the Bonnies have faced all season and just the third time the Bonnies have trailed at home all year.

Senior Erica Schiefen would get the crowd back into it to start the second half when she buried a trifecta to cut WVU lead down to 11, 42-31, with 19:38 left in the second half. The Bonnies would creep even closer after an old-fashion three-point play by Horton, capping a 9-4 run, that would make the score 46-40 with 14:00 left in the game.

Back-to-back scores by Mitchell would continue the home team's momentum, bringing the Brown and White within two, at 50-48, for the first time since the 17:26 mark of the first half.

The Mountaineers would turn to the charity stripe to help stem the St. Bonaventure scoring run. West Virginia would take advantage of the Bonnies being in the bonus very early in the second half by going 6-for-6 from the line over a three-minute span to maintain a 56-52 with 8:27 remaining in the game.

After the teams traded scores over the next few minutes, Schiefen would connect on her second three-pointer of the half to bring the Brown and White within one, at 58-57. Mitchell would put the home team over the hump and give St. Bonaventure a 59-58 lead with just 3:40 left in the game after hitting an off-balance jumper.

The teams would once again trade baskets over the next two possessions setting up a down to the wire finish. Repella's lay-up off a West Virginia timeout tied the game at 63-63 with 1:57 left in regulation. Mitchell would give the Bonnies the lead right back with a driving lay in with just 1:27 left in the game.

After two missed three-pointers by the Mountaineers sandwiched around a St. Bonaventure turnover, Mitchell was sent to the free throw line. Mitchell hit one-of-two from the line to extend the Brown and White's lead to 66-63 with 22 seconds remaining.

West Virginia had a chance to send the game into overtime, but turned the ball over after Granberry stepped on the sideline trying to inbound the ball with just four seconds left in the game. Murray was fouled off the following inbound play and calmly sank two free throws to clinch the victory.

Schiefen also had solid game for the Bonnies, tallying eight points on 3-of-5 from the field and 2-of-3 from downtown.

Three Mountaineers (18-15) reached double figures in the game, led by Granberry's game-high 22 points on 6-of-15 from the field and 5-of-9 from three-point territory.