By SPENCER BATES
ST. BONAVENTURE — Come Nov. 11, the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team will have the chance to do something it has not done in over a decade — start a season with three consecutive wins.
After handily dispatching Mansfield in its season-opener and stealing a solid win over Niagara on the road, the Bonnies turn their eyes to Binghamton with the chance to make some positive history. Head coach Jim Crowley, since his return to Bona, has been using his ‘Moneyball’ methodology in an attempt to bring this program back to the mountaintop it was at towards the end of his first stint with the team while navigating the modern era of college hoops. And while they may be through just two games of a long season, there is plenty to be positive about with this year’s Bonnies.
Laycee Drake and Aaliyah Parker look like the real deal. Plain and simple, the duo provide Crowley’s team with a one-two punch that will make game-planning for the Bonnies a tough task, no matter who they are facing. Drake’s abilities to break a press and hit a big, momentum-swinging bucket, which was put on display against Niagara, make her a problem for opposing defenses. Parker can also handle the ball, but where she can make the biggest impact is driving through the lane, fending off defenders for tough buckets.
The two combined for 29 points in their most recent win, a 74-56 victory over the Purple Eagles.
But Bona is far from a two-trick pony. Around the figureheads of Drake and Parker, Crowley has himself an ensemble ready to play their part the moment their number is called.
Mallory Heise came off the bench against Niagara and finished with a solid 14 points after draining two 3s and going a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Elyse MacDonough, Brillana Boyd and Ivona Djikanovic have all made themselves pivotal assets through the first two games of the year as well.
Crowley will need that supporting cast to play their part as they embark to face the Bearcats, as they have won each of their first two games of the season by an average of 49.5 points. Granted, one of those games was against Div. III SUNY Geneseo and the other was against Div. II Bloomsburg.
So, while there may not be a ton to go off of in terms of what Binghamton will look like going against a Div. I opponent, Bona will have to keep an eye out for Kendall Bennett, Bella Pucci, Leah Middleton and Yanniah Boyd who all average over double figures in points through their first two games of the year.
Bennett will be a big focal point for the Bonnies as she averages nine boards per contest with Yanniah Boyd holding the next closest average with five per game. Pucci and Meghan Casey will most likely be the lead guards for Binghamton with Pucci averaging two assists and just under four steals per game and Casey contributing just under 10 points per game to go along with four assists and four steals.
St. Bonaventure will tip-off against Binghamton on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. with the game being broadcast on ESPN+.
