By Aaron M Smith
ST. BONAVENTURE, NY – Saturday’s matinee was just another round in the eternal battle of offense versus defense. This time, defense ruled.
Jessica Jenkins scored 16 points and Megan Van Tatenhove chipped in 13 points as the St. Bonaventure Bonnies opened Atlantic 10 play with a 61-53 victory over the Duquesne Dukes at the Reilly Center.
The Dukes, who entered the game as the highest scoring team in the A-10 conference averaging 72.2 ppg, started the scoring when Wumi Agunbiade found Jocelyn Floyd, who flashed to the foul line for a short jumper.
After Alaina Walker unsuccessfully tried to split a trap at mid-court, Alex Gensler found a streaking Orsi Szecsi for an easy layup and a 4-0 lead.
The Dukes combined full court pressure and extending their half-court defense throughout the first half in an attempt to take away the SBU three-point threat. The Brown and White quickly countered with dribble penetration by both Walker and Amelia Horton, and the strategy paid off.
Layups by both of the guards forced Duquesne to drop back, freeing up the three-point line. Jenkins quickly took advantage and after hitting a triple in front of the Dukes’ bench, the Bonnies led 17-13.
Agunbiade, who entered the game averaging 15.6 ppg, picked up her second foul at the 11:08 mark and was forced to sit for the rest of the half. Held scoreless in the first half, the sophomore sensation would finish the game with just 8 points.
Late in the first half, Jenkins would hit her third 3 of the game when Jordan McGee was able to corral a loose ball, and find the Marion, OH senior on ball reversal. The Bonnies would enter the half leading 27-18.
The second half would take on a similar theme, as both teams were extremely physical. Both teams would trade baskets for most of the second half until a pair of layups by Jocelyn Floyd, trimmed the Bonnies’ lead to a nail biting 6-point advantage, 43-37.
Despite shooting just 3 free throws in the first half, the Brown and White would spend a lot of time at the charity stripe, going 15 for 17. For the game, they would finish shooting 18 for 20 from the free-throw line. The Dukes would finish just 7 for 9 from the line.
A pair of free throws by Alex Gensler would again cut the lead to 8, 55-47. The Bonnies would quickly respond with an old fashioned three-point play by Van Tatenhove to extend the lead, 58-47. The next trip down, Cece Dixon would take a Doris Ortega pass on the wing for a three pointer, and the Bonnie’s lead was never again in danger.
Logging the most minutes in a game since her injury in the December 18th game against the University of Buffalo,Van Tatenhove, a senior from Sheboygan Falls, WI, would score 9 of her 13 points and add 7 rebounds in the second stanza. Her first rebound of the game was the 500th of her career, making her just the 9th player in Bonaventure history to score 1,000 points and have 500 rebounds.
Jessica Jenkins’ 3 trifectas in the game leave her just 13 short of the Atlantic 10 all-time record for career three pointers. The record is currently 291 held by former St. Bonaventure player, Suzie Dailer.
Duquesne falls to 12-4 on the season with the loss. St. Bonaventure improves to 14-2. The Bonnies travel to Philadelphia on Wednesday, January 11th for a 7 p.m. tip-off with the Temple Owls. The Dukes are home on January 11th for a 7 p.m. tip-off with Xavier.
Leave a Reply