By SPENCER BATES
RICHMOND, VA — The St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team ran into tough opposition in the form of Atlantic 10 leaders, Richmond, and suffered a tough 98-60 loss.
Entering the affair, Bona coach Jim Crowley noted that he was hoping to see his team shake off the slower offensive starts they have had as of late. And for the most part, they accomplished this task, scoring 21 points in the first quarter. Unfortunately, they conceded 31 in the frame, putting them behind the 8-ball.
However, the overall better start to the game from the Bonnies was followed by a good portion of minutes in which their offense went stagnant while the Spiders’ flourished.
With just over eight minutes left in the first half, Bona trailed by just eight, but in response Richmond embarked on a 37-8 run, putting the visitors in an inescapable hole.
But the Spiders were not done there. Just for good measure, they put together a 13-1 run in the fourth quarter as well.
St. Bonaventure guard Mackenzie Pettinelli (1) swings a pass out to the wing. (St. Bonaventure Athletics)
Spurring along Richmond’s offense was Rachel Ullstrom, who finished with a game-high 30 points while shooting an impressive 85% (12-for-14) from the floor. She was backed up by other double-figure performances by Maggie Doogan, who had a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double, Ally Sweeney, who finished with 14 points and Anna Camden, who tallied 11 on the night.
For the Bonnies, Dani Haskell carried the offensive baton, scoring a team-high 14 points with Zoe Shaw and Caitlin Frost contributing 12 and 11 points respectively.
“We just really ran into a really good Richmond team,” Crowley said. “Obviously, our defense wasn’t at the level that we wanted to be, but a lot of that credit goes to Richmond. I was proud of how we shared the basketball and did some things offensively. But, obviously, you play a team at this level on their home court who’s playing really well, you got to have an exceptional defensive performance. So, some really good things to grow on and to learn from and to keep improving on.”
St. Bonaventure guard Zoe Shae (32) looks to drive against her defender. (St. Bonaventure Athletics)
The Bonnies return home for their next game, a matchup with another high-flying A10 team in Davidson, on Jan. 18. Tip-off for that game is set for 1 p.m.
