PHILADELPHIA – Playing without starting point guard Armelia Horton, St. Bonaventure (20-2, 7-0 Atlantic 10) rolled past La Salle (9-12, 3-3 A-10) Saturday afternoon, 75-57. Senior Jessica Jenkins led a trio of Bona double-figure scorers behind eight 3-pointers and a season-high 28 points to keep the Bonnies in sole possession of first place in the league.
Jenkins’ fifth 3 represented the 300th of her career, and the eight 3-pointers tied a season high in that category as the Bonnies won their ninth straight game and 20th overall for the fourth consecutive season. The Ohio native now has knocked down five or more 3-pointers in a game 23 times in her career.
Senior Megan Van Tatenhove added 16 points, and sophomore Doris Ortega finished with double-figure points for the fourth straight game with 12.
The victory also helped the Bonnies maintain the nation’s best road record as they are now 9-0 on the year and one of just three unbeatens on the road in the country.
SBU shot a season-high 52.7 percent from the floor as it defeated La Salle for the fifth straight time. The triumph evened head coach Jim Crowley‘s career record (213-213) for the first time since his second game at Bonaventure on Nov. 19, 2000.
Horton, who was nauseous, came into the contest as one of seven Bonnies averaging 7 or more points per game at 7.8 per contest – fourth-best on the Bona roster.
With Bonaventure leading by just one, 14-13, early in the first half, the Bonnies rattled off seven straight – five from Jenkins – to take a 21-13 lead. The cushion would expand to double figures later in the half, and for the final 25 minutes of the game SBU led by no fewer than 12 points.
The Brown and White scored a season-high 43 first-half points en route to a 43-27 halftime lead. Included in that point total was a season-best 61 percent from the floor as Bona put three scorers in double figures in the opening 20 minutes for the first time this year.
La Salle was led offensively by Jada Payne as she tallied 11, while Nadia Duncan and Brittany Wilson each added 10.
St. Bonaventure returns to action as it heads to Pittsburgh to battle Duquesne on Wednesday. The meeting will be the second of the year between the Bonnies and Dukes, as SBU claimed a win in the first contest. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
Game Notes: Coaches and staff on both teams wore sneakers as part of the nationwide Coaches vs. Cancer … the all-time series is now tied at 10-10 … sophomore Ashley Zahn logged her first game action since Jan. 14 and scored one point … 22 of Jenkins’ 23 5+ 3-point games have come since the start of her sophomore season … freshman Tatiana Wilson played in her first game since Dec. 22 at Colgate … Van Tatenhove pulled down seven boards as part of Bonaventure’s 34-25 rebounding edge … SBU turned the ball over just nine times.
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