March 29, 2009

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - The St. Bonaventure women's basketball team's amazing postseason run came to end on Sunday afternoon after losing its WNIT fourth round game to South Florida 80-66 in front of 4,133 fans at the Reilly Center.

The crowd of 4,133 not only shattered the all-time record for most fans in attendance to watch a St. Bonaventure women's basketball game, it also broke the Big 4 women's basketball attendance as well.

"I told our kids at the end of the game that it's sad to have the season end, but you just had over 4,000 people cheer you off the floor," said head coach Jim Crowley. "That is something really special that they all deserve and I am sure they will never forget."

The Brown and White's magical season that saw the team collect a program record 23 wins, and make its first-ever postseason appearance, fittingly ended at home in the Reilly Center. The Bonnies were dominant in the RC this season, compiling a program record 13 home victories for the year.

The Brown and White were led by junior Dana Mitchell who poured in a team-high 14 points on 6-of-10 from the field to go along with three rebounds. Freshman Megan Van Tatenhove had a solid all-around game as well, chipping in 12 points on 4-of-7 from the field to go along with two assists and two steals.

Five Bulls reached double figures in the game led by senior guard Shanita Grace. Grace scored a game-high 20 points on 3-of-10 from the field and a perfect 13-of-13 from the free throw line. Jazmine Sepulveda and Jessica Lawson were next in line, pouring in 14 points apiece for South Florida in the victory.

For the game, the Bonnies shot 42 percent (22-52) from the field and 43 percent (6-14) from three-point land. South Florida (25-10) on the other hand, shot 50 percent (28-56) from the field and 85 percent (18-21) from the free throw line.

The only major difference in the game between both teams was rebounding. South Florida pounded the Brown and White on the boards 39-24, including 10 rebounds on the offensive end.

The Bonnies could not have gotten off to a better start coming out of the gates. Senior Katelyn Murray Katelyn Murray would drain a three-pointer on the Brown and White's first possession, and back-to-back scores by Mitchell and senior Erica Schiefen would follow to stake St. Bonaventure to an early 7-0 lead with 17:58 left in the first half.

A jumper by redshirt freshman Armelia Horton would stretch St. Bonaventure's lead up to 14-6.

South Florida would answer right back, however, with an old-fashion three-point play by Grace to make the score 14-9 with 11:17 remaining in the first. Grace would give the Bulls their first lead of the game, when she drained a three-pointer from the wing to make the score 15-14 USF with 10:21 left in the first stanza.

The Bulls would use a 6-0 run over the next two minutes of the game to extend their lead up to 23-18 with 7:20 remaining in the first. Sepulveda would hit an athletic lay in to make the score 29-20 USF.

Van Tatenhove would hit a pair of free throws, to end an almost three minute long St. Bonaventure scoreless drought, to cut the Bulls lead down to 29-22 with 4:06 remaining until halftime.

A 5-0 individual scoring run by junior Andrea Doneth just before half would bring the Bonnies within three, at 38-35, going into intermission.

Back-to-back three-pointers by Murray to start the second half would put St. Bonaventure back in front 44-42 with 17:20 left in the game. A jumper by Horton would keep the lead with the Bonnies at 50-48 with 14:07 to go in the second stanza.

USF would retake the lead after Sepulveda buried a trifecta from the short corner to make the score 53-51 with 12:22 left in the second. The Bulls would extend their lead up to seven when Sepulveda hit another three-pointer to make the score 62-55, with 8:59 remaining in the second half.

The home team would hang around after a jumper by Mitchell would bring the Bonnies within five, at 64-59 with only 6:20 left in the game. An old fashion three-point play by Mitchell would keep the Brown and White within striking distance, at 67-62, with 5:38 remaining.

From that point forward, however, it just looked like St. Bonaventure ran out of gas. Sepulveda would pad South Florida's lead when she intercepted a handoff attempt from Mitchell and took it the other way for a fast break lay in to make the score 71-62 with just 3:58 to go in the game.

The Bonnies just couldn't muster any offense the rest of the way, scoring just four more points down the stretch as USF pulled away for the victory.

Murray also had a solid game for the Bonnies tallying 11 points on 3-of-6 from three-point land in her final game in the Brown and White.

Today's game is the last for St. Bonaventure seniors Murray, Schiefen, Priscilla Edwards and Ashley Edwards. This senior class has helped set multiple program records including most wins in a single season, with 23 this year, and the most wins over a two-year span in program history, with 41. This group, in all, has collected 66 wins over their four years at St. Bonaventure.