By SPENCER BATES
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Behind a strong second-half effort, the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team snapped its 11-game losing streak with a come-from behind 48-41 win over La Salle on the road.
It was far from the prettiest start for the Bonnies and Explorers alike, with the sides combining for a 15-11 scoreline at the break which favored the latter.
The second quarter was specifically difficult for Bona as it scored just two points in the entire frame. La Salle had relatively better luck in the quarter, scoring 11 points.
However, both sides managed to leave the majority of their scoring woes in the first half as shots started falling with much more regularity after the intermission. And when it came to the Bonnies, a maintained pace of play and a sustained effort on the defensive end, as the offense started to find its legs, saw them claw back into the game and eventually steal a win on enemy territory.
“I’m just really proud of our group for sticking with it,” Bona coach Jim Crowley said. “We had, obviously, a very rough second quarter. But we kept defending, and we were able to get some better tempo in that fourth quarter. I’m just really proud of how hard we played, how well we played together, and how we stayed consistent with our defense.”
One of the biggest reasons for Bona’s success on the day was the presence of Caitlin Frost. Finishing with an 11-point, 15-rebound double-double, Frost was pivotal in both keeping the Bonnies alive early on and seeing them over the line in the end.
“We know that Caitlin has that in her,” Crowley said. “Obviously it’s a challenge as a freshman, at times, to find your comfort. And I think today she just played really hard. She kept so many possessions alive, really kind of kept us in the game in the first half and also did some really good things defensively. So, I’m just really proud of her, how hard she played and the way she delivered all game.”
But it was not her efforts alone that spurred Bona to victory. Dani Haskell, after scoring just two points in the first half — the lone two points the Bonnies scored in the second quarter — she scored 17 in the second half. Driving aggressively at the basket and benefiting off good passes from her teammates, she finished as the game’s leading scorer with 19 points.
“That’s what you want out of your leader, (the ability) to just kind of stay with it,” Crowley said. “I thought she got herself to the line early, and when she saw a ball go in I think that helped. She continued to get herself to the basket and got a few layups. And then, I thought she really ran the floor hard a couple times, got herself open, and her teammates did a really good job of getting the ball to good spots, and she communicated really well to get those shots.”
Crowley also specifically highlighted the persistence his team showed on the offensive end by the players who did not have the ball in their hands. The off-ball work, according to him, was just as crucial as the on-ball efforts as they produced more chances to attack the La Salle basket.
“We’ve been really working on being aware off-ball and what we can do off-ball to create some extra opportunities for ourselves,” Crowley said. “I thought, early in the game, we were getting opportunities and we weren’t able to finish them off. And then, later in the game, we took advantage of those, and obviously that allowed us the separation.”
The win was a much needed result for St. Bonaventure which now has its second win of the Atlantic 10 season and will carry some momentum into its next game, an away fixture against Duquesne on Feb. 26 at 11 a.m.
