Bonnies Take On Temple In A-10 Quarterfinals

March 3, 2007

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At A Glance
St. Bonaventure picked up its first win at the Atlantic 10 Tournament since March 3, 2000 with a 63-60 comeback win over seventh-seeded UMass yesterday afternoon. The 10th-seeded Bonnies will now take on second-seeded Temple today in the quarterfinals. The Brown and White are 5-19 all-time in A-10 postseason play, including 1-0 against Temple.

Bona vs. Temple Series Info
Temple has taken nine-straight from the Bonnies and owns an 26-15 edge in the all-time series. The Owls overcame an early deficit in this years meeting and pulled away in the second half for a 73-55 win at the Reilly Center. St. Bonaventure and Temple have met one time in A-10 Tournament action back on March 8, 2005. The Bonnies rolled to a 82-56 win at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.

Pair of Bonnies earn All-Conference Accolades
Senior Audrey Latendresse and freshman Dana Mitchell each earned Atlantic 10 All-Conference women's basketball honors on Wednesday in voting done by the A-10's head coaches. Mitchell was named to the All-Rookie team, while Latendresse earned a spot on the Academic All-Conference squad. A native of Repentigny, Quebec, Latendresse ranks 12th in Bona record books with 1,087 career points and 13th with 532 rebounds. Latendresse was also recognized for her academic achievements early this year as she was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 1 team. This marks the second year in a row and 11th time in program history the Brown and White have placed someone on the All-Rookie team. Mitchell's team-high 13.4 points per game ranks 15th in the A- 10 and is third among conference freshmen.

Last Time Out: Bonnies top UMass to advance to Quarterfinals
St. Bonventure overcame a 16-point second half deficit to stun seventh-seeded Massachusetts, 63-60, in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament on Friday evening at the Cintas Center. St. Bonaventure rolled off an improbable 21- 3 run midway through the second half to take its first lead in nearly 30 minutes. A jumper by Maripier Malo with 1:15 to play proved to be the game-winner as the Bonnies held on down the stretch.

Scouting the Owls
The Owls enter today's tilt on a nine-game Atlantic 10 postseason win streak having won three-straight A-10 Championships. Led by Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Kamesha Hairston, Temple finished in second place in the A-10 this season with a 13-1 record. The Owls lone loss came in the season finale against No. 8 George Washington at the Smith Center. Temple leads the conference and ranks 10th in the country in rebound margin (+9.5). Hairston averages a teambest 19.3 points per game and 8.8 rebounds. All-Conference center and the leagues Most Improved Player Lady Comfort has enjoyed a breakout junior campaign, averaging 13.0 points and 6.8 boards.

Making History
In 33 years of St. Bonaventure women's basketball only six players have ever compiled 1,000 points and 500 rebounds during their career. Senior Audrey Latendresse became the 15th player in program history to score 1,000 points in her career on Feb. 4 and the seventh player to join this prestigious list (below) on Feb. 8. She currently sits in 12th place in the Bona record books for career points and 11th in rebounds.

Front Line Force
It has been apparent since the season opener that the Bonnies' frontcourt is going to be the team's strong point this season. The three-headed monster of senior Audrey Latendresse, sophomore Ashley Edwards and freshman Dana Mitchell have combined to score 54 percent (33.9 per game) of the team's points and 49 percent (18.2 per game) of the rebounds. There have been seven occasions in which each member of the trio has scored in double figures and 18 games when at least two have. Mitchell leads the way with 13.2 points per game, while while Edwards is averaging a team-best 7.6 boards. Latendresse is second on the team at 12.5 points per game.

Free Means Free
Struggling to knock down the three-point shot, St. Bonaventure has picked up the slack at the free throw line this season. Despite shooting 13 less free throws than its opponents, the Bonnies have made 21 more than the opposition. The Brown and White lead the Atlantic 10 with a 75.4 percent clip from the stripe - a figure that ranks 22nd in the nation - and have just two players shooting below 70 percent.

No Sophomore Slump
After turning in one of the most productive freshmen campaigns in program history, sophomore Ashley Edwards is determined to make sure people recognize that last year wasn't a fluke. Standing 5-foot-11, Edwards is the leading returning rebounder in the A-10 and is back at it again this season. The Philadelphia, Pa. native has registered six double-doubles - including three in the last six regular season games - and has led the Bonnies in rebounding 18 times this season. Edwards' teamhigh 7.6 boards per game ranks fifth in the conference, while her 8.2 points per game are fourth on the team. Edwards has grabbed 10 or more boards in a game nine times this season. She has also shown improvement in the shooting department where she has raised last year's 39 percent shooting percentage to 45 percent (86-191). Over the last six regular season games, Edwards averaged 9.0 points and 9.8 boards per game.

The General
With the abundant success of the Bona catching the headlines, it's been the electrifying play of Priscilla Edwards that's got St. Bonaventure heading in the right direction. The Bonnies floor general is led the team in assists (4.2), steals (15) and blocks (10) in conference play. She was also third on the team in scoring (9.7) and rebounding (4.6). Against Dayton, Edwards posted 12 points, a season-high nine assists, five rebounds and a career-high four blocks. The Harlem, N.Y. native has finished with at least 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in four conference games. Edwards had scored in double figures 14 times this season, including nine against the A-10. The junior point guard currently leads the team in assists (114), steals (38) and blocks (18). Edwards has now dished out over 100 assists in two-straight seasons and is the first player to do so since Suzie Dailer did it from 1993-95.

Living Up To The Hype
Prior to even stepping foot on the St. Bonaventure campus, freshman Dana Mitchell was being portrayed as one of the most decorated recruits in program history. After her first 29 games in the Brown and White uniform, it's obvious that the 2006 Philadelphia Inquirer Female Athlete of the Year is more than just hype. Mitchell has earned A-10 Rookie of the Week honors four times, including the last one of the season, and has led the Bonnies to a 12-9 mark since being inserted into the starting lineup. Mitchell's 13.2 points per game leads the team, while her 53.8 percent shooting percentage is fourth in the A- 10. She has scored in double figures 21 times this season, including 20 of the last 25 games, and 12 league games. Mitchell ranks third among A-10 Rookies in scoring and fifth in rebounding (5.5).

There's No Place Like ... The Road?
St. Bonaventure has not only eclipsed its win total (9) from all of last season, but has now clinched its first winning season since 1997-98. 11 of those wins have come away from the Reilly Center, including a stretch of six-straight from Dec. 4- Jan. 2. The Bonnies seven true road wins so far are the most in one season under head coach Jim Crowley and are tied with the 1991-92 club for the most road wins in a season. The Bonnies are also 4-1 on neutral courts this season.

The A Team
Last season, post players Audrey Latendresse and Ashley Edwards showed that they were one of the upand- coming frontcourt tandems in the conference. This season, the frontcourt duo is out to prove they are. They have started 56 of the last 57 games together and through 29 games this season, Edwards and Latendresse have combined to average 20.5 points and 12.6 rebounds per game game while shooting 44 percent (215-492) from the field. On Nov. 19 against Columbia, Edwards (14 points & 12 rebounds) and Latendresse (18 points & 13 rebounds) became just third Bonnie duo in the last 10 years to each record a double-double in the same game. Edwards has six double-doubles while Latendresse has three. They have combined to lead the team in rebounding in all but six games and scoring 13 times.

Window Cleaners
Despite being undersized, the Bonnies have used hustle and quickness to gather 36.6 rebounds per game. St. Bonaventure has dramatically improved last seasons -4.7 rebounding margin per game by out-rebounding its opponent 19 times, while surrendering a league-low 32.1 boards per game. The Brown and White's +4.5 rebound margin is second in Atlantic 10 and 33rd in the nation. Four players average over 4.5 rebounds per game for St. Bonaventure led by sophomore Ashley Edwards' 7.6 boars per contest.

Playing Smart
Head coach Jim Crowley doesn't just preach hard work on the court, but in the classroom as well. All 11 members of this year's team finished the 2006 fall semester with at least a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) as the team finished with a cumulative GPA of 3.63 - the highest among St. Bonaventure's 14 sports. Crowley's teams have finished in the top 25 of the WBCA Academic Team Honor Roll three times.

Aud-Trey
Senior post player Audrey Latendresse has opposing defenses scratching their heads as she has shown there is more to her game than battling inside. Latendresse has developed a deadly shooting touch from the outside and leads the team with 51 threepointers. She ranks 13th in the A-10 in threes per game (1.65). Latendrese has hit at least three trifectas in a game four times this season, including a career-high five against Charlotte on Senior Day. Latendresse is currently in sixth place in the Bona record books with 108 career trifectas.

Taking Charge
Senior Audrey Latendresse has endured her share of bumps and bruises during her four seasons. Latendresse has perfected the art of taking a charge and has taken 104 charges in her career, including 18 this season. She took 40 last season, 36 as a sophomore and 10 as a freshman. Latendresse has passed the torch to sophomore Erica Schiefen this season. Schiefen has taken 12 charges in her sophomore campaign.

Are We There Yet?
From Nov. 30-Jan. 9, St. Bonaventure played nine of its 10 games on the road or at a neutral arena. After traveling over 4,000 miles and spending 72 hours on the Covered Wagon bus, the Bonnies returned home with a 7-2 record away from the Reilly Center hardwood. The Brown and White posted the program's first five-game road winning streak since entering Division I in 1986-87 during their time away. Below is a look at the Bonnies odometer over those six weeks.