Game analysis: Sometimes a young team has to learn how to finish games. At home. Against conference opponents. Welcome to Sunday's lesson for the St. Bonaventure women in a 67-59 loss to Temple in the Reilly Center. The Bonnies led by seven points with six minutes to play, but missed shots and failed to rebound as the Owls came away with the win on the Atlantic 10's Opening Day.
Turning Point: Tyonna Williams hit a three-pointer with 1:26 left to give Temple a 61-59 lead.
Player of the Game: Temple's Victoria Macaulay had 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Bona standout: Freshman Emily Michael scored 12 points hitting all four of her three-point attempts.
Walker in, Zahn out: Alaina Walker returned to the Bonnies after missing nearly two weeks with a head injury. A steady force on defense and a calming presence on offense, she scored nine points with eight rebounds in 34 minutes off the bench. The bad news was that Ashley Zahn left the game after getting hit in the mouth. She played just 13 minutes. Crowley did not know the extent of the injury after the game.
Key stat: Temple had 15 offensive rebounds which they turned into 12 second-chance points.
Key stat II: Temple created 21 points off 14 Bona turnovers.
The 100-win club: Fifth-year Temple head coach Tonya Cardoza won her 100th career game. Her overall record is 100-46.
What It Means: Bona loses its Atlantic 10 opener and has its 18-game regular season conference win streak snapped.
In the House: 527 in the Reilly Center.
He said it: “We can’t blow another lead because we don’t rebound. That’s on our players to correct. It’s not all of sudden that you magically make an adjustment. You know how to box out. It burned us before. Let’s not let it happen again.” -- Bona coach Jim Crowley
Up next: The Bonnies play at Richmond on Wednesday.
--- Amy Moritz
www.twitter.com/amymoritz
