WBB: Bonnies fall to Davidson in first round of A-10 tournament

photo courtesy of gobonnies.sbu.edu

RICHMOND, VA — One month ago, the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball game beat Davidson on back-to-back nights.

The Wildcats came ready to get revenge on Wednesday, however, winning by a score of 69-61 in the first round of the Atlantic 10 tournament.

Davidson was led by Cassidy Gould’s 25 points, 19 of which came in the first half.

“Gould is a really good player,” Bona head coach Jesse Fleming said. “Her teammates did a really good job of finding her today, especially in the first half.”

Davidson head coach Gayle Folks also had strong things to say about Gould’s performance.

“She does not care about a single statistic, just the win or loss,” Folks said. “She is probably the most selfless player I have ever been around.”

Gould’s teammate, sophomore Adelaide Fuller, followed up her effort with 17 points. Davidson senior guard Katie Turner, who scored 11 points, said that intensity was a key difference between this matchup and the teams’ first two contests.

“We went in with even additional intensity, and wanted revenge,” Turner said. “I hate losing, and I know the rest of these girls do too.”

St. Bonaventure was led by 18 points from Asianae Johnson and 17 points by Tori Harris. Johnson went to work late in the first half after a slow start.

“I was trying to give our team a kick start, since we were not ready,” she said.

Fleming took much of the blame for the loss during his postgame press conference.

“I need to do a better job preparing us for the zone,” Fleming said. “(Davidson) saw we did not hand the zone well. (They) changed a lot of things; maybe we should have rotated help on Gould.”

SBU was out-rebounded 45-35 in the game. SBU ends its season with a 6-14 record in a season shortened by COVID-19.

“Practices were fun because of the competitive nature of the team,” Fleming said. “I am really excited, and I really like our core.”

Fleming said that he’s not yet prepared to look forward to next season.

“I just want to sit back and appreciate these kids,” he said. “They are really hard workers, and they are really hurting today.”

NEW: Brown, Johnson lead Bonnies past Duquesne

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By Dustyn Green

ST. BONAVENTURE, NY — The St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team and head coach Jesse Fleming needed a bounce-back game on Monday night. They did just that by beating Duquesne, 72-55, at the Reilly Center.

The Bonnies came out fast to start the game.  Scoring came from all over for SBU. Senior forward Emily Calabrese had seven points in the first half, including a nice and-on3 from the rim.

“The ball movement was really good; I thought the ball moved really well tonight,” Fleming said of the hot start. “I am proud of the girls.”

The Bonnies took exactly what the doctor ordered. Sophomore guard Olivia Brown went 5-for-7 from 3-point range on her way to a 17-point performance.

“My teammates got looks for me which was amazing,” Brown said. “Everyone was getting shots.”

Redshirt junior guard Tori Harris and junior guard Asianae Johnson combined for 15 points in the first half. The duo’s explosion came in the midst of 63% shooting for the Bonnies in the opening frames.

The Bonnies took an 8-for-8 combination from the field for Calabrese and Brown to the locker room, and they led 46-21.

The Bonnies only saw six points fall before the third quarter media timeout fell. Upon the return, Deja Francis was called for an offensive foul, but Asianae Johnson scored two from the inside before picking up her third foul.

The Bonnies finished with only 12 points in the third quarter.

“Duquesne really knocked us out of our mojo coming out (in the 2^nd half with a press)” Brown said.

The woes continued in the fourth quarter, Brown had to get on the ground to corale the basketball. Duquesne went on a 6-0 run before Asianae Johnson who had 9 assists played hero again.

“(Johnson did a nice job at the end of the press creating the layup,” Fleming said.

Ny Langley finished with a game-high 17 points for the Dukes. Fleming praised the junior college transfer as “very physical.”

Brown and Calabrese finished with 17 and 11 points respectively. Their teammate, Johnson finished one digit shy of a double-double with 18 points and nine assists.

The Bonnies will round out the season in Philladelphia with contests against St. Joseph’s and Lasalle. Both games can be found on ESPN+.

“We just have to finish our fight now,” Fleming said.

WBB: Bonnies bested by Rhode Island on senior day

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By Anthony Goss

ST. BONAVENTURE, NY — Last Friday, the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team had won its third straight game and seemed to have turned a corner in its season. Just over a week later, they had their senior day spoiled at the hands of the Rhode Island.

URI (9-7, 9-4 A-10) defeated St. Bonaventure (5-12, 4-10 A-10), 69-49, at the Reilly Center Saturday afternoon, handing the Bonnies their second-consecutive loss.

Once the Rams grabbed the lead in the early minutes of the first quarter, they were in complete control until the final buzzer sounded. Up 10-5 in the first quarter, Rhody guard Marie-Paule Foppossi made a run of her own by scoring eight of the final 11 URI points in opening period, extending the lead to 21-12.

Foppossi and the Rams continued their hot start into the next quarter, adding four more three-pointers to a total of eight for the half. URI shot 60.7% from the field and 8-for-13 from three in the first twenty minutes.

“We just didn’t have the urgency to dribble through it and get it up there,” Fleming said.

After taking a 43-29 lead into the break, URI continued to make separation and grew the lead to as much as 22 in the second half. The scoring from both sides dwindled in the final two frames, and the Rams won by a score of 69-49.

The Rams controlled the tempo from start to finish, and their defense gave the Bonnies fits. URI brought guards up to pressure the ball, then dropped into a zone which seemed to disrupt the flow of the Bona attack.

“We needed to make some quicker decisions on the catch,” Fleming said. “Sometimes we would catch it on the wing and make a slow decision.”

Transition was an issue for Bona, as the Rams burned them with 18 fast-break points compared to just two from Jesse Fleming’s squad. URI forced the Bonnies into uncomfortable shots and pushed the ball for easy baskets.

“That’s what they wanted us to take was that mid-range,” Fleming said. “I think a lot of it though was our offense leading to their offense.”

Rebounding and free throw shooting were other areas where Bona struggled. The Rams outrebounded the Bonnies 37-24 and did not allow any foul shots from the Bonnies.

“I think we needed to take it to the rim stronger a little bit more,” Fleming said. “I think we need to get to our spots quicker.”

Leading scorer Asianae Johnson finished with only eight points and Tori Harris added nine points. The only Bonnie in double figures was I’Yanna Lops, who finished with 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting.

“She’s showing some really good flashes,” Fleming said. “I’d like to see her rebound a tick better, but other than that, I liked her efficiency today.”

Foppossi led all scorers with 22 points and had a plus-minus rating of 27. Johanna Muzet finished with 14 points and sharpshooter Catherine Cairns added 11 points on 3-4 from beyond the arc.

The Bonnies will be back in action when they host Duquesne on Monday night at 6 p.m. That game can be seen on ESPN+.

“We gotta get a move on and get ready for Duquesne.”

Bona splits pair of road games at George Mason, GW

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By Dustyn Green

WASHINGTON, DC — The St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team  put together a three-game win streak last week, but had it put to rest on Sunday against George Washington.

After beating Davidson in back-to-back home games last week, the Bonnies and head coach Jesse Fleming took care of business against George Mason on Friday, winning 72-62, but face-planted in a slow offensive effort on Sunday. The Bonnies were the victims of a 56-39 George Washington win.

Bona junior guard Tori Harris led the Bonnies in Friday’s contest with 16 points and 10 rebounds, her third double-double of the year. Junior guard Deja Francis followed her with 12 points and assisted on six occasions. Junior guard Asianae Johnson and senior Emily Calabrese chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Bonnies led for 35 minutes, out-scoring the Patriots by no more than four points in a single quarter. Patriots star Rachel Balzer would threaten with 6:36 remaining by making two shots from the charity stripe that cut the SBU lead to eight points, but Francis and Harris made crucial plays. Francis hit one from the charity stripe, and Harris followed down low with a layup.

George Mason forward Dajjah Jefferson had a game-high 25 points to go with 10 rebounds.

After winning by double digits on Friday, the team was slowed down on Sunday afternoon. Sophomore guard Olivia Brown attempted to find a pathway to victory. Brown, who led the way in scoring with 13 points, also tallied four steals on the afternoon.

Despite the 13 points from Brown, the Bonnies could not secure a win. Sophomore guard I’yanna Lops chipped in 12 points, but first-half shooting woes proved too much to overcome for the Bonnies. The team shot a lackluster 26.9% in the first half. The Bonnies found themselves down 25-15 heading into the locker room.

To start the second half, things looked a little different for St. Bonaventure. Brown came out firing on all cylinders to start the third frame. She hit two big 3-pointers to lead the Bonnies on an 8-0 run, but GW had an answer.

The Colonials went on a 6-0 run to finish the third quarter, and held on the rest of the way. Ali Brigham had 15 points on the day and led both teams in scoring.

The Bonnies were out-rebounded in both games, as the Patriots held a 39-24 advantage on the boards, while GW out-rebounded Bona, 30-18.

SBU returns home this coming Saturday, when it hosts Rhode Island at the Reilly Center.

Bona women beat Davidson on back-to-back nights

photo: Connor Raine/The Intrepid

By Connor Raine

ST. BONAVENTURE, NY — The St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team put up over 70 points on back-to-back nights against Davidson.

After defeating the Wildcats at home on Sunday, 71-58, the Bonnies once again hosted Davidson on Monday night in the second half of a back-to-back at the Reilly Center.

This season has been a tough one for the Bonnies, who currently sit at 11^th in the Atlantic 10 conference with a 4-10 record. However, the team’s record doesn’t show for the chemistry displayed this weekend to sweep the doubleheader.

After winning big on Sunday, the Bonnies returned to the court with slow start on Monday, as they trailed 15-7 after the first quarter. The Bonnies shot only 27% from the field in the first quarter. This was their lowest shooting percentage (by quarter) from the field in the contest.

The Bonnies were able to make up some ground in the second quarter, converting on 46% of their shot attempts from the field. The Bonnies trailed only by four points going into halftime.

“Today we came out a little flat,” said St. Bonaventure head coach Jesse Fleming. “I was proud to see us battle back.”

Led by Asianae Johnson, who scored points 20 points and collected and two assists, the Bonnies were able to bounce back and secure the victory late in the third quarter where they were leading by as many as 12 points.

“It is amazing to win back-to-back, our team had to play 80 minutes in two days,” said Johnson, a junior guard.

Also contributing to the scoring was I’yanna Lops with 13 points and seven rebounds, and Tori Harris contributed with critical 3-pointers in the game, totaling 12 points and seven rebounds. Jurnee President and Deja Francis each had 11 points.

Johnson was named A-10 player of the week this past week for her double-digit scoring performances against Saint Louis and Dayton.

“At the end of the day I am proud of my accomplishments, I have been putting in so much work and everyone can see it,” said Johnson.

This accomplishment was well deserved, as Johnson also had a career night Sunday in the first game of the double header, shooting 8-for-11 from the field totaling 18 points. Johnson is now averaging 14 points per game on the season and shooting 47% from the field.

“Well deserving (of her accomplishment),” Fleming said. “I don’t think she has missed a day since the end of July when we returned to campus. She couldn’t shoot outside of three feet a year ago, now she has a very strong pull up jumper.”

The Bonnies look to continue their two-game winning streak as they travel to Fairfax, Virginia on Friday evening to take on the 3-14 the Gorge Mason Patriots. The Patriots are currently 0-10 in league play and are sitting in last place in the A-10 conference.

On Sunday, the lady Bonnies will take on George Washington in Washington D.C, which will conclude a two-game road trip. Gorge Washington is currently 1-9 in conference play and 4-12 overall sitting at 13^th in the A-10.

“We have to find a way to win on the road,” Fleming said.

Three out of the four Bonnies wins this season have come at home. The Bonnies are looking to flip the switch and gain two wins on the road and are coming into the weekend road trip with momentum after winning two straight against Davidson.

Bona women fall to VCU in overtime

photo courtesy of gobonnies.sbu.edu

By Dustyn Green

ST. BONAVENTURE, NY — Mistakes can be crucial late in any college basketball game, and that proved true for the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team on Sunday.

Asianae Johnson was issued a technical foul in the overtime period of a 59-57 loss to VCU at the Reilly Center, and the Bonnies had a shot to win the game on its last shot, but a Tori Harris three-point attempt rimmed out as the overtime clock expired.

Despite the mistakes throughout the game, the Bonnies had four players reach double-figure scoring on Sunday. Harris, a junior guard, led the way for SBU with 18 points and six rebounds. Johnson, a junior, followed closely behind with 15 points. Sophomore Olivia Brown and junior Deja Francis joined with 12 and 13 points, respectively.

Brown hit three clutch three-point shots, shooting 4-for-8 from beyond the arc on the day, which kept the Bonnies in the game after trailing early in the second half.

Despite the efforts from his team, head coach Jesse Fleming had a strong message during his press conference following the loss.

“Close doesn’t matter,” Fleming said. We need to find a way to start winning games. There are tears in that locker room and it’s tough for them, but life’s not fair. Win, lose, whatever, we go back to work. That’s all you can do.”

Although Fleming acknowledged there was some slopy play throughout the game, he also acknowledged the ability of his team to acknowledge the mistakes and improve on them as the contest progress.

“We need to do a little better job on reads late,” Fleming said. “We need to be a little more locked in to defend some assignments. We got screwed up in (the defense) that we were in, and that’s a coaching mistake.”

The Rams were led by Sydnei Archie and Tera Reed with 17 and 15 points, respectively. Maddison Hattix-Covington added 10 points for the Rams.

The Bonnies, who fell to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in the A-10, will welcome La Salle to the RC on Friday at noon. The game’s broadcast of the contest can be seen on ESPN+.

Three takeaways: Bona women fall late at St. John’s

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By Sean Casey

QUEENS, NY — The St. Bonaventure women’s basketball was four points away from winning its first road game since Jan. 30, 2019, in the team’s last non-conference game of the year.

In a true game of back-and-forth runs, St. John’s bested the Bonnies by a final score of 60-57.

The Bonnies had three players reach double-digit scoring, as Asianae Johnson scored a game-high 14 points, Deja Francis scored 11 points and Tori Harris finished with 10 points.

It was a close game throughout that had many lead changes, brought out many emotions, and was hardly fought by both teams. Although the Bonnies did not get the result they wanted, there were some takeaways from the game.

Slow Start

The Bonnies played a solid 2nd, 3rd, and 4^th quarter, but the first quarter was subpar. It did not seem like they came out with the energy that was needed when on the road against a bigger school such as St. John’s.

They scored only ten points in the quarter, shooting 33% from the field. They also had five turnovers, the majority of which were unforced caused by either a travel or bad pass. St. Johns also had a poor first quarter, only scoring 13 points, so if the Bonnies were able to come out with energy, the result of the game may have looked different.

Pace of the Game

Overall, the pace of the game was a slow one.

The Bonnies rarely pushed the ball in transition and appeared take their time and play in their half-court offense. This is not necessarily a negative thing because they did get good looks and open shots through their offense.

They did not convert on many looks that were designed for shooters, shooting 4-14 from three, but when they did hit, every made three-pointer felt back breaking for the opposition, and it boosted the energy of the Bonnies significantly.

When they did push the ball, the usually got an easy basket. The pace the team plays at is good, but going forward in the season, they should look to push more off defensive rebounds and turnovers.

Held Their Own Against Bigger School

St. John’s is a much larger school than St. Bonaventure and is supposed to handle match ups like these.

St. John’s is a Big East school in New York City, which means that by default, have an edge in recruiting over a smaller school in a lower conference which the Bonnies play in.

Despite the differences, the Bonnies proved that they belonged to be on the court with the Red Storm. It was a game of runs, and the Bonnies stayed competitive the whole game with their largest lead (12 points) coming in the 3^rd quarter. They adapted to the different defenses that were thrown their way that included man-to-man, zone and press, out rebounded St. John’s, and fought until the last second to try and win the game.

The away game losing streak continues, but St. Bonaventure hopes to make that come to an end with Atlantic 10play upon them. Their next game is New Year’s Day, as they look to even their 0-1 A-10 record vs the Dayton Flyers.

Harris shines, Bona women win in return to Reilly Center

photo courtesy of gobonnies.sbu.edu

By Dustyn Green

ST. BONAVENTURE, NY — It had been nearly nine months since head coach Jesse Fleming and the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team took the floor at the Reilly Center.

The Bonnies took care of business on Tuesday night with a 67-57 victory over Binghamton, despite giving Bearcats senior forward Kaylee Wasco 14 points in the opening half.

 “I feel really good about us going forward,” Fleming said after the win. “Once we knew we could do it, I thought we played really well for a lot of stretches. We (made mistakes); we still have to trust exactly what we are trying to do.”

The Bonnies were able to come out of the gate strong and attacked the boards early in the first half, winning the rebounding battle 21-10 at halftime. By the final buzzer, SBU had 50 rebounds to Binghamton’s 33. 

However, to start the second half, Fleming watched his players give up a 10-0 run to the Bearcats.

“I want to grade every possession on, ‘Hey did we play the way we wanted to play that possession’,” Fleming said. “I never sit there and say ‘here we go again.’ It is just about how can we get back to being us.”

Fleming thought his team needed to be “cleaner” defensively and in the post, but he likes what he has seen thus far.

Despite some struggles defensively and issues with the pace, the Bonnies impressed Fleming with 50 rebounds. Tori Harris, a redshirt junior guard who transferred to the program from James Madison, was instrumental in the win, racking up 10 boards to accompany 20 points. Junior guard Asianae Johnson followed right behind with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Deja Francis scored 13 points.

“Whenever I see a chance to go get a rebound I try to,” Harris said. “We always make it a big deal to rebound during practice. We talk about how last year, we didn’t focus on rebounding enough.”

Fleming stressed the importance of rebounding to his team’s success.

“We have no chance if we cannot rebound the ball,” Fleming said. “Today we went 4-for-15 from three and won the game because of the way we rebounded the basketball. I am thrilled about the rebounding.”

Bona improved to 1-1 with the win, while BU fell to 0-2 with the loss. The Bonnies will travel to Buffalo on Saturday, where they will take on the Bulls at 2 p.m.