By Anthony Gannon
Sports Assignment Editor
The women’s basketball team just came off its most successful season ever (31-4).
Now that the season is done, major issues arise for next season after losing three starters and big bench contributors in Armelia Horton, Jessica Jenkins, Megan Van Tatenhove and Jennie Ashton, respectively. The group will be difficult to replace, but the Bonnies’ recruiting has only just started showing its promise.
“Well, anytime you lose players like we’re losing, it’ll be tough to recover,” coach Jim Crowley said. “Right now, the hope we have for the program is the highest it’s ever been. I’m excited for the future and what this season did for us as a program.”
The most successful run in the history of the women’s program led to national recognition for the once-fledgling Bonaventure program, but the team’s record success won’t change the system for what got the team here, according to Crowley.
“Really, it’s only just beginning for what we want to do,” Crowley said. “Our goals won’t change, we’re still focusing on improving, and as long as we’re improving every week then our season will be a success no matter what the record.”
The team wasn’t too upset about being bounced from the NCAA Tournament earlier this week, despite being dominated by Notre Dame’s aggressive defense, 79-35. Once the players got over the loss on the court, they left the emotion of the game there and knew what it meant for the team as a program, according to Crowley.
Notre Dame jumped out to a 16-2 lead and never looked back.
“Once we got off the court and let everything hit us, we were OK,” Crowley said. “We played a really good basketball team and unfortunately we couldn’t get the breaks we needed to make it more of a game. The ride home wasn’t too bad, though. We met the expectations for our season.”
With three minutes left in the game, coach Jim Crowley pulled his seniors for the last time. The crowd rose and cheered.
Jenkins, Van Tatenhove, Horton and Ashton are leaving a sizable hole in the Bonnies’ rotation, being the winningest four-year class in the history of the program (98-37).
This season saw the first NCAA Tournament berth and victories, and the first Atlantic 10 regular-season championship in program history, and the first Sweet 16 for Bonaventure since a man named Lanier took
the men to the Final Four in 1970.
gannonam10@bonaventure.edu
