Jan. 14, 2008

Game Notes in PDF format

GAME DAY CENTRAL
DATE: Jan. 15, 2008
TIP-OFF: 7:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Philadelphia, Pa.
ARENA: Liacouras Center
CAPACITY: 10,206
WEB RADIO: None
LIVE STATS: www.GoBonnies.com
WEB VIDEO: www.GoBonnies.com
SERIES: Temple leads, 27-15
LAST MEETING: L, 84-60 (3/3/07)

AT A GLANCE
St. Bonaventure returns to the road following its first home game in 52 days for a pair Atlantic 10 contests beginning at Temple this evening. After picking up an NCAA-leading eight true road triumphs in the nonconference portion of their schedule, the Bonnies will look to continue their road magic in Philadelphia against the perennially strong Owls. Temple enters tonight's game with a 7-10 mark with losses in its last four games by an average of 20 points per contest.

SERIES HISTORY
Tonight's matchup will be the 43rd meeting between the two conference rivals with the Owls holding a 27-15 all-time advantage over the Brown and White. Following nine consecutive defeats to Temple by an average of 19.7 points per game, the Bonnies will look to pick up their first win over the Owls since a 83-76 triumph in the Reilly Center on Jan. 20, 2002.

THIS DAY IN BONA BASKETBALL
The Bonnies are 3-5 all-time when playing on January 15 dating back to the first season with actual dates in the program record books (1986-87). St. Bonaventure last played on this date in the 2005-06 campaign against Temple, falling 74-65 in the City of Brotherly Love. Bona also defeated the Owls on this date 10 years ago, 90-74, at the Reilly Center.

HEAD COACHING MATCHUP
ST. BONAVENTURE HEAD COACH
Jim Crowley
@ St. Bonaventure: 81-133 (8th)
Overall: 120-171 (11th )
Vs. Temple: 1-12

TEMPLE HEAD COACH
Dawn Staley
@ Temple: 158-77 (8th)
Overall: Same
Vs. St. Bonaventure: 12-1

Bonnies in the National Rankings
St. Bonaventure's 12-4 start to the 2007-08 season hasn't gone unnoticed as numerous national outlets have ranked the Bonnies among the top 100 teams in the country. The club's eight true road victories and nine overall wins away from Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center has helped boost the Brown and White's profile up the charts.

First in the Books
In just her second season with the Bonnies, sophomore Dana Mitchell has showed a penchant for putting the ball through the basket in her first 46 collegiate contests. The reigning Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team selection has led the Brown and White in scoring in every game this season but three, while ranking first in the league with 20.3 points per game. Since her arrival on campus, Mitchell has paced her club in scoring 26 times.

Records on the Road
Following 16 games of St. Bonaventure's 2007-08 campaign, the Bonnies matched one feat accomplished by last season's 16-15 club, while surpassing another mark with a win at Cornell. With six consecutive victories away from the Reilly Center, the Bonnies tied the mark set by last season's club by defeating Florida Atlantic, Colgate, Canisius, Fairleigh Dickinson, IPFW and Binghamton in a row. The Bonnies also recently broke the school record for most true road wins in a season with eight. As the Brown and White return to the road for a pair of away contests at Temple and Rhode Island, Bona only needs two more wins to tie the program mark for the most single-season wins away from the Reilly Center with 11.

Bonnies in the National Rankings
Chart National Ranking
Massey Ratings 92
RealTime RPI 102
Jeff Saragin 104
CollegeRPI 117

Out of Conference Success
Dating back to last season's six-game win streak to conclude the non-conference slate, the Bonnies have notched 16 victories in their last 19 games outside of the Atlantic 10, including five in a row at the Reilly Center. St. Bonaventure also is 16-6 in its last 22 non-conference contests away from home.

Atop the A-10
Following the official start to the college basketball season, the Bonnies own one of the best starts among Atlantic 10 Conference affiliates. St. Bonaventure is one of only five teams in the league with double digit victories and was the last school in the conference to suffer their second defeat.

Back to Business
Including last season's program-tying 16 wins, the Brown and White's 28 victories in the last season and a half are more than the program's 27 total wins in the previous three seasons combined. The Bona women posted nine triumphs in each season from 2003-2006.

For Starters
In the Bonnies first 16 games of the season, head coach Jim Crowley has sent out the same starting five for the opening tip in every contest but one. The combination of juniors Tiara Johnson, Katelyn Murray and Erica Schiefen as well as sophomores Andrea Doneth and Dana Mitchell have started 14 games for the Brown and White in the club's 12-4 beginning. Junior Ashley Edwards was inserted into the lineup for one game when Johnson was out with an injury.

Missing Pieces
The Bonnies' 12-4 beginning to their 2007-08 campaign is even more impressive when looking at the team's injury report. Through the first 16 games of the season, three integral parts to the club's early season success have missed at least one game due to injury. Junior Ashley Edwards tops the list with 10 absences due to numerous back and ankle ailments. Freshman guard Armelia Horton has missed seven contests in her first season, while junior point guard Tiara Johnson didn't dress at Fairleigh Dickinson. However, the Brown and White suffered their biggest setback before the season even started when three-year starter Priscilla Edwards was put on the shelf with a season-ending shoulder injury.

LEADER OF THE PACK
After turning in one of the finest freshman seasons in program history, sophomore Dana Mitchell has picked up where she left off with the beginning of the 2007-08 season. In her first 16 contests of her second year, Mitchell has posted 16 straight double figure scoring efforts, including eight 20-plus point performances (1st in the A-10), one 30-plus point effort (1-of-6) as well as three double-doubles (t-4th in the A-10). The super sophomore leads the conference in scoring with 20.3 points per game, while ranking second in free throw (.829) and ninth in field goal percentage (.513). She has also proved to be a presence on the boards, hauling down 6.2 (16th in the A-10) caroms per contest for second place on the Brown and White. Books