By SPENCER BATES
ST. BONAVENTURE — At times during its game against UMass, the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team looked like it was recycling the script from its previous game, but late mental lapses brought the story to a different end this time around.
The Bonnies entered their contest with the Minutewomen on the back of their first Atlantic 10 win of the season — a 14-point second-half comeback, completed with just seconds on the clock.
The hosts, after finding themselves in a double-figure hole after the first quarter, were in search of a similar resounding come-from-behind result. And oftentimes, they came close.
Bona managed to go on several scoring runs throughout the game, cutting big UMass advantages into one or two-possession leads at most. But once it faced some adversity in the form of a run-breaking bucket or a momentum-disrupting timeout from the visitors, the scoring dried up, allowing for UMass to reestablish control.
“I was proud of our battle back, I thought … when we were able to take care of the ball, we got pretty effective looks,” Bona coach Jim Crowley said. “We hurt ourselves. We dug a hole and it was too big of a hole for us to fully overcome. When we really needed a play on the defensive end, we just couldn’t get it. … We were late positioning wise, and they were able to get the ball where they wanted it and they took advantage of that in the second quarter.”
St. Bonaventure guard Dani Haskell (22) rises up for a layup through contact. Haskell had a game-high 29 points for the Bonnies against UMass. (Spencer Bates)
The inconsistencies on the defensive side of the floor were prevalent for the Bonnies throughout all four quarters. At a certain point in the second frame, Crowley implored for his players to “stop reacting” and look to be more proactive because it was those lapses that allowed UMass to be able to respond whenever Bona started to build up some momentum.
“Defensively, we talk a lot about being in position before you need to be in position,” Crowley said. “Don’t react, be where you’re supposed to be. We weren’t where we were supposed to be, so everything was reacting and that really killed us on the offensive glass. … Even though we played them in the second, third and fourth quarter, we were able to score more than them, we just kept giving away positions inside or a free throw or an offensive rebound. For us to grow, we got to stop hurting ourselves.”
Crowley’s statement rings true when considering the box score as well. The Bonnies lost the battle on the boards by a significant 40-26 margin and were outscored 44-16 in the paint.
Megan Olbrys’ presence for the Minutewomen was a big reason for that.
Prior to the game, Crowley pointed out that the battle for positioning inside was going to be one to watch as what Caitlin Frost had in size on Olbrys, the latter had the physicality to negate that. So, the assignment on Olbrys became not just one for Frost, but for Tamar voor de Poort and Gabby Robinson Forde as well.
Still Olbrys found her way to the bucket scoring a team-high 18 points for UMass.
“We ran everybody at (Olbrys) and she got us,” Crowley said. “Even the other folks too, (Chinenye Odenigbo) got a couple really low scores. … Those are areas that we just have to be able to count on our defense all game, and we’re just not there yet.”
St. Bonaventure forward Caitlin Frost (21) looks to drive to the basket. (Spencer Bates)
Offensively there were a number of lapses for Bona as well. Numerous traveling violations were called on the hosts, contributing to a total of 24 turnovers for the game. But according to Crowley, it was not because of his players thinking too far ahead of themselves, but, in fact, it was the opposite.
“I don’t think we were ready when we got it,” Crowley said. “I think it was, ‘I got it, oh, I’m open.’ Instead of getting it and going right away. When we did that, we had some good possessions. … We were getting ready after the catch and that’s not our offense, and that leads to, obviously, some issues.”
In the scoring department for Bona, Dani Haskell tied her season-high in points with 29 on just over 47% from the field. Zoe Shaw added 13 points of her own on nearly 56% from the field.
But as for what it will take for his side to be able to sustain their scoring runs and start to turn some of the losses they’ve had into wins, Crowley said that it is not a need for more experience or an increased effort physically. Instead, there is a mental leap he is hoping his players are able to take.
“It’s not the physical side of it, I think sometimes we think it might be, it’s not, it’s the mental,” Crowley said. “To make sure you’re doing all the little details right. Even if you’re not involved in a play early, it’s going to get to you. And if you’re not ready, now you’re reacting instead of being there, ready. And then, being ready to start. We consistently struggle to start and it’s hurt us.”
The Bonnies will have the chance to make these corrections in their next game, an away fixture at Richmond, who has won each of its last three A10 affairs, on Jan. 15. Tip-off for that game is slated for 6 p.m.
