The Big 4 women's hoops season came to a close Sunday afternoon as the St. Bonaventure women lost in the WNIT quarterfinals to South Florida.
Canisius also had a record-setting year while UB and Niagara struggled during the regular season but found some success in conference tournament play.
Meanwhile the beat goes on at the NCAA tournament, or perhaps more aptly named the UConn Invitational.
Join a live chat on women's college basketball, both local and national, at 10 a.m. today
--- Amy Moritz
WNIT Quarterfinal
At the Reilly Center
South Florida 80, St. Bonventure 66
Game analysis: South Florida shot 50 percent from the field for the game with five players in double figures despite Bona playing good defense at times. The Bonnies simply couldn't keep up the scoring pace against a deep, talented, fast, and big South Florida lineup. The Bulls also controlled the boards for second chance points.
How Bona lost: They were very much in the game when Dana Mitchell hit a traditional 3-point play with about 5:30 left but the Bonnies ran out of gas. They missed shots and turned the ball over and couldn't get over the 5-7 point hump. Free throws over the final 1:30 of the game turned a seven-point loss into a double-figure deficit.
Turning point: Jazmine Sepulveda hit a fastbreak jumper off a Bona turnover to give the Bulls a 71-62 lead with 3:58 to play. That was the play that finally broke the Bonnies back.
Player of the game: Jessica Lawson scored 14 points with 14 rebounds for the Bulls while Shantia Grace was 13 of 13 from the line and finished with 20 points.
Player of the game II: Bona freshman Megan Van Tatenhove had 12 points in 24 minutes off the bench is one of the reasons why expectations will be high again for Bona next year.
Stat of the game: 4,133 fans were at the Reilly Center -- the largest crowd for a women's basketball game in Big 4 history. While South Florida, a member of the Big East, plays in some big arenas in front of big crowds, coach Jose Fernandez was impressed with this atmosphere.
"This is as tough an environment as I've seen," Fernandez said. "We couldn't hear ourselves think on the bench. If they can continue to get this type of crowd in the Atlantic 10 this will be one of the toughest places to play in the country.
What's next: St. Bonaventure reflects on a record-setting 23-11 season and prepares for next year.
Women's hoops fans, log in to Campus Watch on Monday for a live chat on Big 4 and national women's basketball. Chat tip-off time is 10 a.m.
--- Amy Moritz
March 29, 2009 - 11:55 AM | Comment
OLEAN -- Word on the street is that 3,000 fans have already bought their tickets to the quarterfinal WNIT game scheduled to tip off in about an hour in the Reilly Center between St. Bonaventure and South Florida.
This could be one of the largest crowds in Big 4 history to watch a stand-alone women's game.
But South Florida, well, this might be the last team in the WNIT field the Bonnies would want to face. At 8-8 in the Big East, the Bulls were on the bubble for the NCAA field and their high-powered offense, love for transition and abilty to turnover opponents makes for a daunting challenge for Bona.
While the Bonnies have set program records, so too has South Florida. It's 24 wins are the most ever recorded in a single season by a men's or women's basketball team at the school while it's 2,649 total points has set a program record, too.
Check back for updates during and after the game.
Halftime: Janae Stokes made a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer to give South Florida a 38-35 halfime lead. The Bulls led by as many as nine in the first half, but Bona continued to play good defense and limited their own turnovers. Freshman forward Megan Van Tatenhove has 10 points off the bench.
It feels like a winable game for the Bonnies, especially if they can ride the wave of the crowd in the second half.
Official attendance is 4,133 setting a new Big 4 women's hoops record. The previous mark was 4,017 when the University at Buffalo hosted North Carolina in Alumni Arena in 2000.
Post game: Bona lost it in the final five minutes, losing, 80-66. The Bonnies finish their season 23-11, led by Dana Mitchell's 14 points.
--- Amy Moritz
Former Buffalo State basketball coach Dick Bihr entered another Hall of Fame today.
Bihr was inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the Glens Falls Civic Center’s Heritage Hall during this weekend’s state Federation Tournament in high school basketball.
Bihr, who is also a member of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and the Buffalo State Hall of Fame, was the head coach of the Bengals for 25 years. He compiled an overall record of 449-211, won 11 State University of New York Athletic Conference titles and led Buffalo State to 12 NCAA Division III tournaments. He was also named SUNYAC Coach of the Year six times.
Before coaching at Buffalo State, Bihr was the head coach at St. Joe's for eight years, winning 121 games and two Manhattan Cup titles.
Bihr was the only collegiate inductee among this year’s class, which also included: Fred Ahart (Roscoe boys), Rich Castellano (Northport girls), Tim Leary (St. Francis Prep boys), Bill Merna (Ogdensburg boys), Ken Strube (Shenendehowa girls), Dean Schott (Lyons boys), Cecil Watkins (contributor) and Bob Zeh (Oneonta boys and girls). There are now 113 members in the Hall of Fame.
Other Western New Yorkers inducted to the hall include coaches Martha Altmire (Olean girls), Bill Bilowus (Lackawanna boys), Dick Harvey (Kenmore West boys), Bob Hettler (Amherst boys), Robert MacKinnon (Canisius High, Canisius College), Pat Monti (LaSalle boys), Mel Palano (Bishop Timon-St. Jude boys) and players Larry Costello (Niagara U.) and Bob Lanier (Bennett High, St. Bonaventure).
---Keith McShea
March 26, 2009 - 11:14 PM | Comment
The hole on the St. Bonaventure women's resume was that signature road win.
The Bonnies got it Thursday night. In a big way.
Overcoming another 14-point halftime deficit, Bona defeated Wisconsin, 56-51, in Madison in the WNIT third round.
Bona also trailed West Virginia by 14 points in their second-round win last Saturday.
They may be the cardiac kids of the WNIT, but they seem to get the job done.
The unsung heroine of the game was senior Ashley Edwards who had nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals and set the tone defensively in the second half to spark the Bona comeback.
The Bonnies now get to host South Florida at 1 p.m. Sunday in the Reilly Center in the WNIT quarterfinals.
--- Amy Moritz
March 25, 2009 - 10:33 AM | Comment
UConn violated NCAA rules in the recruitment of former guard Nate Miles Yahoo! Sports is reporting.
The report indicates that Miles was provided with lodging, transportation, restaurant meals and representation by Josh Nochimson – a professional sports agent and former UConn student manager – between 2006 and 2008, according to multiple sources. As a representative of UConn’s athletic interests, NCAA rules barred Nochimson from having contact with Miles or from providing him with anything of value.
Adrian Wojnarowski, a St. Bonaventure graduate, and Dan Wetzel are excellent journalists who provide detailed accounts of phone records between Nochimson and the UConn staff. The phone calls are the smoking gun that could land the Big East program on probation. It will also be interesting to see how the Huskies players react during their Sweet 16 matchup against Purdue.
---Rodney McKissic
Perhaps no guard in the country has improved his NBA draft status more over the last two weeks than former Niagara Falls High school star Jonny Flynn. But the Syracuse sophomore point guard told Bud Poliquin of the Syracuse Post-Standard that he is returning to the Orange for his junior year.
"I'm coming back to Syracuse," Flynn said. "That's it. I'm coming back to Syracuse. There is no 'as of right now.' I'm coming back to Syracuse. Yeah. I'm coming back to Syracuse."
If Flynn returns next season, the Orange would return all five starters from this year's Sweet 16 team, a team that could very well be one of Jim Boeheim's best ever.
In addition to Flynn, the Orange return Paul Harris, Flynn's high school sidekick and guards Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins. Also back are big men Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson and the incoming freshmen class of Brandon Triche, James Southerland and DaShonte Riley. And don't forget Iowa State transfer Wes Johnson who some say is good enough to elevate the Orange to an elite level.
It all starts with Flynn and if he's true to his word, the Orange could be the pre-season No. 1.
---Rodney McKissic
WNIT Second Round
At the Reilly Center
Final: St. Bonaventure 68, West Virginia 63
Game analysis: The Bonnies played strong defense in the second to pull out the win, holding West Virginia to just 2-for-21 from the field in the second half. Dana Mitchell did what she does, scoring 18 points including drives along the baseline to help the Bonnies chip away at West Virginia lead that was 14 at the half.
How Bona won: Defense. In the second half the Bonnies concentrated on getting stops without much concern for the score. Switching in their man-to-man defense they held West Virginia to 9.5 percent from the field in the second half. Good shot selection and general hustle after loose balls -- a Bona trademark -- made the difference.
Turning point: With 5:16 to play, Erica Schiefen hit a 3-pointer to bring Bona within one, 58-57, and made the Bonnies feel more comfortable and confident.
Turning point II: Dana Mitchell hit a jumper in the lane with 4:25 to play to give Bona its first second-half lead, 59-58.
Player of the game: In true Bona fashion, every player on the roster contributed. Mitchell had 18 points but the unsung heroine may be freshman guard Armelia Horton who had 13 points and nine rebounds.
Stat of the game: That glaring 2-for-21 field goal percentage by West Virginia in the second half.
Stat of the game II: The announced attendance was 1,962 but unofficially there were around 2,500 fans, many who came after halftime.
What's next: The Bonnies advance to the third round playing the winner of Sunday's game betwen Wisconsin and Kentucky. The game will likely be on the road but date and time are still to be announced.
--- Amy Moritz
March 21, 2009 - 12:13 PM | Comment
OLEAN -- A few weeks ago, the halls of the Reilly Center were hollow and the warmup music wasn't even on an hour before the Bona women's regular season finale against Charlotte.
Today, an hour before game time, the music is pumping, the lights are bright and fans are already filing into their seats.
Winning creates interest.
The Bonnies make their post-season debut this afternoon, hosting West Virginia in the second round of the WNIT.
The record crowd for a women's basketball game at the Reilly Center is 1,751 fans. Early word is that the game could draw 3,000 and frankly, that doesn't feel like much of a stretch.
While WVU runs with the Big East these days, from 1977 to 1995 the Mountaineers were members of the Atlantic 10 and a familiar foe for old-school Bona fans.
--- Amy Moritz
March 21, 2009 - 12:03 PM | Comment
Day One of the NCAA tournament was predictable but Day Two featured six upsets.
The biggest shocker was No. 13 seed Cleveland State's 84-69 rout of No. 4 Wake Forest in Miami. Then No. 12 Arizona, who many believed didn't deserve to even be in the tournament, knocked off No. 5 Utah, 84-71.
MAAC champion and No. 9 seed Siena had one of the toughest first-round matchups of anyone, playing Ohio State in Dayton, yet still managed to stun the Buckeyes, 74-72, in double overtime. Now they have to play No. 1 Louisville, who should breeze to the Final Four. The Cardinals won't face an opponent seeded higher than No. 9 until the Elite Eight. No. 12 Wisconsin, another bubble team last week, defeated No. 5 Florida State and No. 10 USC, behind Taj Gibson's 10-for-10 shooting, beat No. 7 Boston College.
Day Three of the Dance will be a lot like Day One - not much drama - but if you're looking for a sure-fire, bet-the-house, 100-percent but don't-call-me-if-I'm-wrong upset special try:
No. 6 UCLA over No. 3 Villanova - I know, I know this game is being played in Philly, but UCLA last lost on the road over a month ago at Arizona. The Bruins play more like a Big East team than a finesse West Coast squad and will not be intimadated by the Wildcats physical defense.
---Rodney McKissic
