Undefeated Bonnies focus on defense
Ryan Papaserge
Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: Sports
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The Bonnies opened this year's slate on the road for the first time since 2003, defeating Binghamton, 63-42, Nov.13. Sophomore guard Jessica Jenkins led the team with 17 points, shooting 3-7 from three-point range. The Bearcats were held to a 30.4 percent shooting from the field. They shot 29.2 percent in the second half.
On Sunday, the Brown and White beat Akron 67-37 on Bob Lanier Court, outscoring the Zips 40-17 in the second half. Senior forward Dana Mitchell led the Bonnies with 16 points, and freshman guard Alaina Walker recorded nine rebounds.
Coach Jim Crowley has been pleased with Walker's development, who leads the team with six rebounds per game.
"(Walker's) one of the best rebounding guards I've seen," Crowley said. "She's defending the ball very well. She's getting better away from the ball, and she's still getting a better feel for the offense. As that continues to grow, she's going to be even more valuable."
The Bonnies won on the road against Canisius, another Big Four rival, 65-47 Wednesday. Mitchell scored 22 points in the victory with Jenkins adding a career high 19 points.
Crowley credited an environment similar to the one created at the Reilly Center during the Nov. 6 exhibition against Mansfield for motivating his team's performance.
"I thought it was a really good win for us," Crowley said. "It was a hostile environment. They had raised their WNIT banner; it was their home opener. They had a nice crowd and they really came after us. It was really good to see us stick with our game plan, stay with what we do and wear them down, having success as the game progresses."
Redshirt sophomore guard Armelia Horton left the game in the second half with a concussion. Horton missed yesterday's game against Niagara, and her status for Tuesday's game against Lafayette is unknown. Crowley said, "her chances are unlikely."
The Brown and White lead the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense, allowing just 44 points per game. Opponents have shot just 34.5 percent against the Bonnies, a statistic Crowley attributes to hard work by all of his players.
"We're able to pressure the ball better, not allowing people to get into the rhythm that they would like," Crowley said. "I think our kids have bought into the philosophy of sending everything together, not just one-on-one or two-on-two, sending five people against five and really covering up for each other."
Jenkins was second in the A-10 in three-point field goals per game, shooting 10-for-19 after three games this season. The sophomore made two of seven from beyond the arc against Niagara.
Crowley said Jenkins has begun to prove she can fill the void Katelyn Murray left behind in the starting lineup.
"It's going to be interesting once teams start to game-plan for her," Crowley said. "(Jenkins) is a good player. We knew (Jenkins) was a good player. We saw it daily in practice last year, and we saw it in some games … We need that in our offense, opportunities being created for 3-point shots."
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