Courtney of GoBonnies.com
By Jonathan Sawyer
Sports Assignment Editor
The St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team earned themselves a double bye in the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Richmond by finishing the regular season play being one of the top four teams in the conference. The Bonnies will take on the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
The Rams defeated the Richmond University Spiders in the second round of the A10 Tournament by a score of 62-42. The Rams held the Spiders to 22 percent from beyond the arc and 27 percent from the field.
The last time the Bonnies and Rams faced off, the Rams got the better of the Bonnies winning 57-42. The Bonnies were led by senior forward Katie Healy with 19 points, and that was about it for the Bonnies. They were just 18 percent from three- point land and 35 percent from the field.
The Bonnies are going to have to work the ball inside to open up the three point shot. Doing so will get the defense moving and will open opportunities that the Bonnies have taken advantage of all season. Part of the reason they are 23-6 is because of the ball movement and team work they have throughout the team. The Bonnies average 14 assists per game. They also rely heavily on their defense and moving off turnovers. The Bonnies average seven steals per game and off those steals creates fast breaks.
Keys for the Bonnies:
• They will need to hit their shots when they get the opportunity. Leading the Bonnies in three- point percentage is senior guard Nyla Rueter with 37 percent sophomore guard Mariah Ruff with 32 percent and sophomore forward Miranda Drummond with 37 percent. These three women are lethal from beyond the arc, when they get going.
• The Bonnies will have to keep their hands in the passing lanes and force the Rams to take contested shots and limit them in the post.
• The Bonnies will need to get to the basket and put the Rams on their heals. Post presence from Healy and Richmond will help open up the three point shot.
sawyerjp15@bonaventure.edu
