Bonnies Remain Perfect, Jenkins Breaks A-10 Record In Win

St. Bonaventure University Athletic News

Social Media Recap Coming Soon Highlights & Postgame Coming Soon CHARLOTTE, N.C. – St. Bonaventure (18-2, 5-0 Atlantic 10) erased a 13-point second-half deficit, and senior Jessica Jenkins broke the A-10 career 3-point record with six 3's as the Bonnies moved into sole possession of first place in the league with a 68-63 win over Charlotte (12-7, 4-1 A-10) Saturday night. A 13-0 run bridging both halves put Charlotte up 34-24 with 18:50 left, and the 49ers stretched that margin to 38-25 with 16:30 remaining. A 10-0 Bonaventure response – six from Jenkins and four by classmate Megan Van Tatenhove – in just more than one minute trimmed the deficit to only three, 38-35. The clubs then traded buckets until a pair of Doris Ortega free throws with 4:28 left gave the Bonnies their first lead, 56-55, since a 24-23 advantage at the 4:12 mark of the first half. That lead remained the Brown and White's for the duration of the contest, as the veteran group continued its best-ever start to a season. Jenkins – who scored a game-high 23 points – went 6-10 from 3-point range to break the record of 291 career 3's, which was held by SBU's Suzie Dailer ('95) and Cathy Jones of George Washington. The Marion, Ohio native now has 293 trifectas in her career. Jenkins, who hit a program-record nine 3-pointers against the 49ers last year, has knocked down 19 3-pointers against Charlotte in the last three games. The nation's best road team at now 8-0 on the campaign, Bonaventure snapped Charlotte's six-game winning streak and extended its own winning streak to seven straight. The 18 wins are tied for the second-most in the entire country with No. 7/8 Maryland (18-1) and No. 10/12 Ohio State (18-1). The victory was the 85th for the senior class of Van Tatenhove, Jenkins, Armelia Horton and Jennie Ashton, tying it for the most all-time with the 2011 class. It's also the third win already this year by the Bonnies over a team picked higher than them in the A-10 preseason poll. Van Tatenhove scored 18 points, including a 3-pointer with just two minutes remaining to give the Bonnies a 63-59 cushion. Ortega finished with 10 points, while junior Alaina Walker continued her consistent play with a season-high 11 rebounds and nine points. Holding a 24-21 lead with 4:42 left in the opening half, Charlotte closed the frame on an 8-0 run to open up a 29-24 halftime advantage. However, with the Bona response in the second stanza, it is now 3-0 on the year when trailing at the half on the road. The Bonnies shot just 34.5 percent (10-29) from the floor in the first half and turned the ball over six times – their game total for each of the previous two contests. The second half was a near complete reversal from the first as they shot a blistering 52 percent (13-25), including a 56-percent clip (5-9) from 3-point range. Charlotte placed four players in double-figure scoring, led by 11 each from Gabby Tyler and Hillary Sigmon. Jennifer Hailey and Ephiphany Woodson each added 10 points for the 49ers, who dropped just their second home game (7-2) of the season. St. Bonaventure's difficult conference-opening slate continues as it returns home to the Reilly Center to host Saint Joseph's on Wednesday. The Hawks (13-5 overall, 3-1 A-10) were picked to finish 5th in the league in preseason voting. The contest will be the fourth time already this A-10 slate that the Bonnies battle a team picked to finish ahead of them in the league ledger. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. from Bob Lanier Court. Game Notes: The all-time series is now tied, 4-4 … CeCe Dixon and Chelsea Bowker provided the only other scoring for St. Bonaventure as they tallied five and three, respectively …Charlotte shot just 18.2 percent (2-11) from 3-point range … SBU, the nation's 13th-best free-throw shooting team, connected from the line at just 56 percent (14-25) … the taller 49ers won the battle on the glass, 44-35 … Bonaventure is now 8-0 on the year when wearing brown uniforms.