Expectations can be hard to meet, and the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team is finding this out the hard way. Going into the season, the Bonnies were projected to finish fourth in the Atlantic 10. Yet, as the season nears its end, the Bonnies find themselves with a 14-12 (4-9) record and an inconsistent, under-performing roster.
Katie Healy is the star of the program, but this year has been difficult for the junior forward.
Prior to the season, the conference named Healy a first-team, all-conference player. But for all the hype, Healy’s production has fallen from last year. In the 2013-2014 season, Healy averaged 18.8 points and three assists per game. This year, her numbers are down to 13.6 points and 2.4 assists per game. Healy is the best player on the team, and the Bonnies will only go as far as she carries them. The team is young, and if Healy can set an example of how to play, the rest of the team will follow.
Likewise, redshirt sophomore Gabby Richmond is not playing as well as she did last year. The forward’s offensive numbers have fallen from 9.4 points and 1.2 assists per game to 6.7 points and 0.6 assists per game. Perhaps the most telling statistic for Richmond is her shooting percentage which has fallen from 52.5 percent a year ago to a meager 36.6 percent this year.
Richmond has talent, and she has played some excellent games this year. But for the Bonnies to succeed going forward, Richmond will need to play well consistently.
Junior guard Nyla Rueter has also under-performed. She has seen a slight dip in her points per game – 10.1 this year compared to 10.8 last year – and her assists per game – 0.8 this year and 1.3 last year – and while the differences in these categories is negligible, when the team is struggling, any decrease is important.
Rueter’s shooting percentage has fallen from 43.2 percent a year ago to 37 percent this year. Rueter does much of the ball handling for the team, so she needs to record more assists. As the primary ball handler, Rueter needs to be viewed as a threat. Her scoring needs to go up to make her harder to defend.
Also in the backcourt is junior guard Emily Michael, who like many of her teammates, is having a sup-par season. Michael rarely shoots, passing up easy shots or driving lanes to pass to well-guarded teammates.
Although she is not one of the team’s major offensive weapons, Michael has seen her numbers drop as well. While her shooting percentage has risen slightly from 30.2 to 33.3, her assists per game have dropped from 2.6 to 1.8. Michael has shown that she can score – she netted 11 points against Rhode Island – but she is sporadic.
In a season that has been disappointing so far, one good thing has happened for the Bonnies. Freshman guard Mariah Ruff has begun to emerge as an impact player. She scored 25 points against Rhode Island and added an additional nine against George Washington. Ruff is playing well, and if the rest of the team can start moving in the right direction, she will be a vital asset going forward.
The 2014-2015 campaign has been marked by inconsistency. With three games remaining before the Atlantic 10 tournament, all is not lost for St. Bonaventure. With a little luck and a consistent effort from all five starters, the Bonnies can still have a successful season.
