Van Tatenhove’s Game-Winner Stuns Dayton, #25 Bona Remains Perfect

St. Bonaventure University Athletic News

February 11, 2012 Social Media Recap Coming Soon More Highlights & Postgame Coming Soon DAYTON, Ohio – Senior Megan Van Tatenhove's basket with 23 seconds remaining capped a 15-point road comeback by No. 25/RV St. Bonaventure (24-2, 11-0 Atlantic 10 Conference) over Dayton (16-6, 8-2 A-10) as the Bonnies grabbed a stranglehold of the A-10 race with a 56-55 win Saturday afternoon. Van Tatenhove finished with a game-high 17 points and sophomore CeCe Dixon stepped up with 13 points and three 3-pointers on an afternoon when leading scorer Jessica Jenkins tallied just three points. The win extends Bona's program-best 13-game winning streak, keeps it firmly atop the A-10 standings and clinches a first-round bye (top 4 teams) at the A-10 Championship next month. St. Bonaventure – picked 6th in the A-10 Preseason Poll – has now defeated every team chosen to finish ahead of it as the Flyers, who along with Temple, were favored to win the league crown. The Bonnies also defeated Temple on the road earlier this season. After getting down by 15 points, 19-4, not even seven minutes in, the Bonnies showed why they're the only unbeaten in the A-10 as they gutted their way back to trail by just one, 29-28, at the half. That effort was led by Van Tatenhove – who also corralled eight rebounds in the game – as she tallied 13 in an opening frame in which Jenkins was blanketed with a defender and did not score. Much of the work was done inside as UD had a 10-0 and 14-4 scoring advantage in the paint on two separate occasions. The Flyers closed the half with just 16-14 edge in that category. A back-and-forth second stanza in front of 2,484 spectators saw the game tied three times and the lead change seven different occasions. SBU's first lead of the day came on Jenkins's lone 3-pointer at the 14:10 mark, 35-34. Sophomore Chelsea Bowker gave the Bonnies a 48-47 lead with a baseline 3 with just more than five minutes to play. However, Dayton responded and held the lead for the final five minutes until Van Tatenhove's heroics in the waning seconds. Sophomore Doris Ortega added 12 critical points for Bonaventure, and while she scored just four points, junior Alaina Walker grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds. The game was a matchup of the league's best offense (Dayton, 72.2 points per game) and second-best defense (St. Bonaventure, 54.3 points per game) – a battle which the Bonnies won by holding Dayton to its lowest scoring output in its 10 A-10 games. Justine Raterman recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, while Cassie Sant led UD with 12 points and Patrice Lalor added 11 for the Flyers. After allowing UD to shoot 42 percent (13-31) from the field in the first half, the Bonnies locked down in the second frame in limiting the Flyers to just 29-percent shooting (9-31). SBU held Dayton to just three made 3's on the day – tied for the second-fewest the Flyers have made in a contest this year. St. Bonaventure will have a week off before it returns home to the Reilly Center to face Xavier on Homecoming Weekend. The game will be broadcast nationally by CBS Sports Network and is the first game of a doubleheader with the men's team. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. on Feb. 18 from Bob Lanier Court. Game Notes: Jenkins wore No. 3 in her home state of Ohio in memory of a friend; Walker sported No. 14 … the game was Dayton's Play 4Kay as the Flyers donned pink jerseys … SBU is now 2-7 at UD Arena … SBU committed 10 first-half turnovers, tied for the second most this season and finished with 17 for the game … Bonaventure is now 4-0 when trailing at the half on the road … the teams finished tied on the boards, 39-39 … after going 7-9 from the line in the first half, Bona's did not attempt a free throw in the second half while Dayton went 7-9 ... Dayton finished the game with a 32-24 edge in points in the paint.