by Mikael DeSanto
Sports Assignment Editor
Another strong start for the St. Bonaventure University women’s basketball team propelled the team to its third win of the season, beating Rider 60-47 Sunday afternoon in the second of two games at the UCF Thanksgiving Classic.
The Bonnies (3-3) opened the game on a 7-0 run, four points of which came on a pair of jumpers from junior forward Matea Britvar. The first quarter would finish with the Bonnies up 17-7, highlighted by five points from both freshman guard Jalisha Terry and junior guard Mariah Ruff.
Rider (3-2) began to climb back into the game in the second quarter, as they doubled up the Bonnies 16-8 to cut the lead to two at the half. Senior center Julia Duggan helped pick up the slack for Rider, scoring six points and grabbing three rebounds in the second quarter.
Ruff and Terry tied at the half for top in points for the Bonnies with nine. Duggan paced Rider with seven points in the first half, followed by senior guard Robin Perkins with five, all of which she scored in the second quarter.
But the Bonnies reclaimed control of the game in the third quarter after the teams matched each other to start. After a back-and-forth affair through most of the quarter, the Bonnies went on a 7-2 run in the final two minutes to take a 41-31 lead.
The teams continued to trade scores through the first half of the fourth quarter, then hit a cold streak where no points were scored between the 6:43 and 4:32 marks.
The Bonnies controlled play throughout the rest of the quarter, though Duggan and Perkins led a push to dig into the lead. The Bonnies capped off the game with Terry scoring five straight points on free throws within the final minute and a half of play, securing the win.
Ruff led the Bonnies offensively with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists. Terry was second in points with a career high 14.
Duggan put up a double-double for Rider with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Rider also got 11 points and four rebounds from Perkins, making her second on the team in points for the game.
The Bonnies return to the court on Wednesday, Nov. 30, when they take on Stony Brook in the Reilly Center at 5:30 p.m. The game is a part of a double-header, as the men will take on Siena at 8 p.m.
desantmj13@bonaventure.edu
