Jan. 9, 2010

Box Score

OLEAN, N.Y. - Dana Mitchell scored a game-high 22 points to lead St. Bonaventure to a 75-63 victory over Saint Louis Saturday afternoon at the Reilly Center in the Atlantic 10 Conference opener for both teams.

Amanda Kemezys led the Billikens (6-10, 0-1) with 15 points and nine rebounds, including six on the offensive glass. Katie Paganelli added 12 points and six boards, while Lauren Woods and Kathryn Hester tallied 10 points apiece. Woods and Janisha Gearlds tied for game-high honors with four assists apiece.

Armelia Horton had 18 points and a team-high seven rebounds for St. Bonaventure (13-3, 1-0). Andrea Doneth recorded 12 points, six rebounds and four assists.

St. Bonaventure shot 63.6 percent (14-of-22) from the field in the first half, yet the Bonnies managed just a four-point halftime lead due to the Billikens' strong showing on the offensive glass. Saint Louis turned nine first-half offensive rebounds into 13 second-chance points.

Paganelli nailed two 3-pointers from the right wing, sandwiched around a Kemezys layup, to give the Billikens an early 8-6 lead. St. Bonaventure used an 11-3 spurt to gain a 17-11 advantage, only to see Saint Louis respond with a 9-0 flurry of its own. Hester began the run with a turnaround jumper, and Paganelli buried a trey following a Billiken offensive rebound. Hester made a layup to put the Bills in front, then rebounded her own miss and put it back for a 20-17 SLU edge.

Mitchell scored five points in a 7-0 St. Bonaventure run that gave the Bonnies a 24-20 lead. Jacy Bradley's 3-pointer narrowed the gap to one point, and following a Mitchell layup, Kemezys rebounded her own miss and converted to trim the St. Bonaventure lead to 26-25.

The Billikens came up empty on five straight possessions, and the Bonnies took advantage to build the margin to 33-25. Kemezys turned an offensive rebound into a conventional 3-point play to make it a 33-28 game. Doneth and Hester each made both ends of a 1-and-1, Mitchell sank one charity toss, and Woods connected on a jumper from the left wing to whittle the SBU lead to 36-32 at the break.

The Billikens quickly pulled even in the second half, as Kemezys netted a layup and Woods hit a pull-up jumper from the left wing. The Bonnies scored five of the next six points before Ayriell Robinson, who finished with eight points and five rebounds, made a steal and layup to pull SLU to within two, 41-39. St. Bonaventure scored on its next three possessions to take a 47-41 advantage, and the Bonnies' lead remained in the four- to eight-point range for several minutes until two Alaina Walker free throws gave SBU a 59-50 cushion.

Saint Louis chipped away, however, and made it a two-possession game late. Paganelli collected her own missed 3-point try, made a layup and was fouled. Her free throw chopped the St. Bonaventure advantage to 67-63 with 1:18 remaining. But on the Bonnies' next possession, Mitchell swished an 18-footer from just inside the top of the key as the shot clock was winding down to restore a six-point lead. The Billikens were shut out from there, and St. Bonaventure made six consecutive free throws to seal the victory.

St. Bonaventure finished the game at 54.8 percent from the field. More telling, however, was the Bonnies' advantage from the free-throw line, as the A-10's leading foul-shooting team was 28-of-35 to the Billikens' 16-of-21. The Bills shot 35 percent from the field.

The Billikens play their A-10 home opener Wednesday, Jan. 13, against Massachusetts. Game time at Chaifetz Arena is 7 p.m.