Unbeaten women welcome Falcons
Ryan Papaserge
Issue date: 12/11/09 Section: Sports
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Entering tomorrow's game, the Bonnies hold a 9-0 record as the lone undefeated team in the Atlantic 10 Conference, and remain one of only 16 remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division I.
The Falcons enter the matchup with a 6-2 record, including a 66-60 upset victory over Vanderbilt, then ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press poll, Dec. 4. The five-time defending Mid-American Conference (MAC) champions are led by junior guard Lauren Prochaska, who enters tomorrow's contest averaging 15.6 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game.
Coach Jim Crowley sees tomorrow's game as a tough test for the Brown and White, which has dropped its last three decisions against Bowling Green.
"We've played them now for three straight years. They've handled us really well," Crowley said. "It's a very difficult matchup, but it's another great game for us in prepping for the conference (schedule). They're extremely well-coached, really committed to what they do, and they do it really, really well."
The Brown and White opened the week with a 61-43 victory over the Red Foxes (4-4) on Sunday. Senior forward Dana Mitchell led the team with 22 points and ten rebounds, recording her first double-double of the season.
The victory earned the Bonnies three votes in this week's ESPN/USA Today Top 25 poll, the first time the team has received votes on the list. Additionally, they received one vote in the Associated Press poll, the second consecutive season the Brown and White has managed to do so.
However, Crowley remembered what occurred after the Bonnies received votes last season.
"Last year, we got a couple votes after beating Michigan State (Dec. 7)," Crowley said, "And went on and got drilled by Bowling Green (Dec. 14). So, it's nice to be recognized, but we can't stop doing what we're doing and focusing on that."
Wednesday, the Bonnies defeated Big Four rival Buffalo (1-7), 78-57, at the Reilly Center, outscoring the Bulls 44-28 in the second half.
Mitchell led the Bonnies with 19 points and six rebounds, while sophomore guard Jessica Jenkins added 14 points. Redshirt sophomore guard Armelia Horton recorded 11 points and eight rebounds in the victory.
Crowley credited his team's second-half performance for keeping the Bonnies' undefeated season alive.
"I thought we played a very good second half," Crowley said. "We committed one turnover in the second half, shot around 50 percent. We really played aggressive, we dribbled and played inside."
Senior guard Andrea Doneth left Wednesday's game with an apparent ankle injury. Crowley said that the injury was "too early to evaluate," but he expects Doneth to be ready for tomorrow's game against the Falcons.
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