By Zach Waltz
Sports Assignment Editor
The women’s basketball team defeated the Charlotte 49ers 81-62 in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament tonight.
The Bonnies had four players in double-digit scoring. Sophomore forward Katie Healy led the team with a career-high 28 points. She also contributed 12 rebounds and a game-high five assists. Both Healy and sophomore forward Hannah Little had three blocks on the night, as well. Little had a double-double with 20 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Senior forward Chelsea Bowker was 4-9 for three-point shots, giving her 12 points on the night. Sophomore point guard Emily Michael chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds.
Healy’s double-double was her eighth of the season, and Little’s was her 10th. Healy’s 28 points are a Bonaventure postseason high, while Little’s 15 rebounds also set a school postseason high. With those rebounds, Little furthered her hold on the school’s single season record which she broke during the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Bowker is now 14 points away from scoring 1,000 points in her career.
Charlotte led the Bonnies at halftime 26-25. Senior point guard Ny Hammonds had 10 points in the first half for the 49ers. She finished the game with 23 points, leading the team. Junior guard Hillary Sigmon also contributed 15 points to the 49ers’ offensive attack. Charlotte’s leading scorer, redshirt junior forward Gabby Tyler, was out for the game due to injury. Sophomore guard Kira Gordon led the team with seven rebounds.
Coach Jim Crowley said the Bonnies came back in the second half with boosted energy, which eventually led to the win.
“I was really proud of our energy in the second half,” Crowley said. “I certainly think the crowd had something to do with that. We talked at halftime of letting the crowd energize us. We defended much better in the second half. We took the paint away, and once we got stops, we were able to get our engine going a bit.”
The Bonnies had six transition points, which was crucial in sparking their offensive attack. Crowley said the team’s success in the transition was the result of them practicing it all week and playing good defense to get them in the right position.
“They’ve been very disciplined with execution, and it’s worked for us,” Crowley said. “As they’ve gotten to know each other better, they have the ability to go in transition. We don’t have great depth, so we have to make sure that our wind is in the right place to push the ball like that. We worked on it all week, so it was nice to see us execute it and get good stops so we could.”
Little started the game with only three rebounds and struggled to score. She said she made a mental adjustment at halftime to turn her game around.
“I just stopped thinking about it,” Little said. “The first half, I was in my head, and I was freaking myself out because they were sagging off on me.”
Healy said her success tonight stemmed from her teammates’ play. According to her, it’s easy to heat up when your teammates are also playing well.
“Everyone did their part,” Healy said. “Nyla made shots, Emily kept the tempo, Hannah went after the glass and Chelsea knocked down shots. That gave me confidence. I made my first couple shots, so I had confidence to shoot the ball, and I think we all just took good shots.”
The Bonnies will travel to Bowling Green Monday night for the second round of the WNIT. Crowley said the Bonnies’ need to play like they play at home in order to get a win.
“Winning that game is going to be a heck of a challenge,” Crowley said. “They’re undefeated at home. We haven’t played well on the road recently. For us to continue our growth, we have to play better away from home.”
waltzzd12@bonaventure.edu
