Women’s basketball: Richmond has high hopes for Bonnies

By Trystan Rushia @trystanrushia

With the college basketball season around the corner, Gabby Richmond has high hopes for the St. Bonaventure Bonnies this year.

The 6-foot-1 redshirt junior forward wants to see all of her teammates go hard and leave everything on the court.

“When you play hard, you get the result you usually want- a win,” said the Chicago native.

Individually, Richmond said she needs to do her job as a rebounder and be a strong defender to help her team to the best of her ability.

“If they have a big post player who coach says is good, it’s my job to shut them down,” said Richmond. “I want to be consistent all-around: assisting, scoring points and playing great defense.”

Like Richmond, coach Jim Crowley wants consistency.

“Gabby had a great freshman year cut short to injury, but unfortunately, she was inconsistent last season,” said Crowley. “We need to know what we can count on, whether it’s defense, passing, screening or whatever it may be.

“We need to know that we can always count on her physicality and effort. If we count on all of that, we’ll get good things out of her.”

In the offseason, Richmond hit the gym and focused on her shooting ability. Last season she shot 35.4 percent from the field and averaged only 5.9 points per game, both lower numbers than her redshirt freshman season, when she shot 52.5 percent from the field and scored 9.4 points per game.

According to Richmond, Dayton and George Washington always are threats to the Bonnies in conference play.

“They both have great programs,” said Richmond. “Plus George Washington has two returning seniors. But I believe there is no one we can’t beat.”