by Mikael DeSanto
Sports Editor
The St. Bonaventure University women’s basketball team won its second straight conference game tonight, defeating the visiting Duquesne Dukes 69-56.
“It was definitely a team win,” Bonnies head coach Jesse Fleming said. “We got five kids in double-figures, we defended like crazy; I thought Gabby [Richmond] was huge protecting the rim. She flew around, everybody did, we got deflections and that is how we have been playing for a little over a week now. [I’m] just excited to see where we’re going on this journey.”
Richmond, a graduate forward, along with freshman guard Jalisha Terry, junior guard Mariah Ruff, sophomore guard Mckenna Maycock and junior forward Matea Britvar made up the five players in double figures for the Bonnies (8-12, 2-5 A10).
The Bonnies started the game off by going on a 10-2 run through the first four minutes. But the Dukes (10-11, 3-5 A10) began to make a push back into the lead before the Bonnies pushed their lead back to near double digits, ending the first quarter up 19-11.
Both teams spent a majority of the second quarter matching each, with many baskets coming just seconds apart from each other. Neither team was able maintain control of the momentum for very long, and the game would head into the half with the Bonnies leading 33-27.
“That’s been two games now we absolutely have a better energy,” Fleming said. “We’re small, whatever, we get in there, we’re tough, we’re driving the ball constantly, we’re not settling, just all those little things.”
Terry and Richmond each scored eight points in the first half to lead the Bonnies. Sophomore guard Julijana Vojinovic topped the Dukes with eight points of her own.
The game remained a back-and-forth match between the Bonnies and the Dukes through the third quarter. But a pair of three-pointers late in the quarter by Ruff helped to extend the Bonnies lead to 47-34 as the game reached its final quarter.
The Dukes began to rally in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead back to single-digits, 53-44 with 4:38 to go in regulation. But Maycock responded by scoring eight straight points for the Bonnies, during which the Dukes only answer was a lone three by freshman guard Halle Bovell. The Dukes continued to push, but it fell short and the Bonnies secured the victory.
“This year I think I started off nervous because I was playing way more than I did last year and it was a different role,” Maycock said. “I think I needed the time to get into this, I am trying to contribute as much as I can to the team and I think I’m getting there.”
Despite lacking the size of the Dukes, the Bonnies out-rebounded them 39-33 and outscored them in the paint 32-22. They also scored 12 points off of 11 Dukes turnovers.
“Obviously, I’m very disappointed in our effort. Our effort wasn’t there and we lost to a very well-coached basketball team,” Dukes head coach Dan Burt said. “They beat us, and that is the only way to describe it. We have been inconsistent all year long, and tonight further validates that. We were soft, we lacked physical toughness; we are just a basketball team that doesn’t have an identity.”
Maycock led the Bonnies in scoring for the game with a career-high 14 points, along with five rebounds. Richmond added a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, while Ruff scored 13, Britvar scored 12 and Terry scored 12.
“Her handle is getting better, and I heard she had some good defensive games last year, but she is just locked in,” Fleming said of Maycock’s performance. “It is really hard to play against her when she is locked in because she is athletic, she is long, she can move, she can get underneath people, take away rhythm shots and she can rebound.”
Sophomore guard Julijana Vojinovic led the Dukes with 12 points and seven rebounds.
The Bonnies next game will be on Wednesday when Davidson comes to the Reilly Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
desantmj13@bonaventure.edu
