BY NATE SOLOMON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Saint Joseph’s shot 56% from the field and made nine of its 18 3-pointers as the Hawks defended home court against the St. Bonaventure women Thursday, winning 92-61.
Saint Joseph’s set an early tone, outscoring the Bonnies 27-13 in the first quarter and 28-16 in the second quarter to take a commanding 55-29 lead. The Hawks kept the gas pedal pressed, leading by as many as 35 in the final quarter to snap a three game skid.
For the second consecutive game, Bonaventure senior forward I’yanna Lops surpassed 20 points, this time recording 22 points off 9-of-15 shooting. She connected on a pair of 3-pointers and hauled in five boards.
Graduate guard Nikki Oppenheimer notched a new career-high in points, scoring 17 and connecting on a trio of 3-pointers. She also went a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Ten different Hawks found the scoring column, led by three in double figures. Talya Brugler had 18 to pace Saint Joseph’s, Mackenzie Smith had 15 points and Laura Ziegler had 14.
The Hawks dominated the paint, scoring 44 points down low compared to 24 for the Bonnies. The hosts outrebounded Bonaventure 38-26 and ran the fastbreak, scoring 16 points in transition compared to just three for the Bonnies.
Bonaventure will continue its Philadelphia road trip Saturday when it visits La Salle at 2 p.m. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on WSBU 88.3 FM.
solomonj20@bonaventure.edu
