SCORE: UAlbany 64, St. Bonaventure 48
LOCATION: Broadview Center - Albany, N.Y.
RECORDS: UAlbany 9-1, 0-0 America East | St. Bonaventure 3-6, 0-0 Atlantic 10
SHORT STORY: In a tale of two halves, the Great Danes came out of the gates strong for a 23-point advantage at halftime before earning the victory over St. Bonaventure, Saturday afternoon.
COACH COLLEEN MULLEN: "Today was all about defense and rebounding. We had a tremendous first half defensively and the players were locked into the scout for 40 minutes. Kayla [Cooper] and Jessica [Tomasetti] had exceptional all-around games and Lilly [Phillips] and Martina [Borrellas] played great defense on their leading scorer. We will continue to build from this win."
KEY STATS
- Graduate student Kayla Cooper led the offense with 17 points, from eight field goals, and five assists.
- Fellow graduate student Jessica Tomasetti scored 13 to make it two Great Danes with double-digit points.
- Cooper and junior Gabriela Falcão each grabbed eight boards to lead UAlbany's defense.
- Tomasetti and Cooper each had two steals. As a team, the Great Danes scored 11 points off turnovers.
- UAlbany totaled 10 second chance points off 10 offensive rebounds, including six from Cooper.
- With nine wins in 10 games, the 2024-25 Great Danes have earned the best start in Division I program history.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Great Danes scored the first two baskets of the game with a quick jumper from Delanie Hill and another two-point shot from Kayle Cooper before the Bonnies got their first basket.
- St. Bonaventure was held scoreless for over five minutes while UAlbany extended their lead to six (9-3).
- Martina Borrellas and Jessica Tomasetti scored in the final 90 seconds of the first to end the quarter with a double-digit lead, 16-6.
- The two teams traded points for the first four minutes of the second quarter.
- After two minutes of scoreless play, the Bonnies scored what proved to be their last basket of the half. UAlbany held a 31-16 advantage with nearly four minutes remaining until halftime.
- The Great Danes had four scorers add points to the board before Cooper put up a monster block as time expired to end the first half, 39-16.
- Cooper scored the first two UAlbany baskets in the second half after two minutes of play.
- With just under four minutes remaining in the third, Lily Phillips scored her second three-pointer of the quarter.
- The teams went back and forth to end the quarter with a UAlbany advantage, 55-36.
- After three minutes in the final quarter, Cooper scored a driving layup while being fouled for the 'and one' as the Great Danes' first basket in the fourth.
- Kaci Donovan and freshman Emma Hákonardóttir each scored from downtown to end the Bonnies' attempt at a comeback and secure the victory, 64-48.
NEXT: The Great Danes will host Merrimack on Monday (Dec. 16) after a one-day break.
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