The Falcons have clinched another home game in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
BG head coach Jennifer Roos said that unlike most other postseason tournaments, the WNIT’s bracket style allows some of the stress of the unknown to be removed. Knowing the Falcons would face either Charlotte or Saint Bonaventure, according to the bracket, scouts were assigned to look at both teams. It was just a matter of which team the Falcons needed to prepare for.
The most stressful thing about the process, Roos said, is not knowing whether the team needed to pack its bags and travel to another location or prepare for another home game at the Stroh. The location of the next game is not decided until after each game has been played.
With the Falcons returning to the Stroh, Roos said those home-court advantages definitely help the team out.
“You can’t put a price tag on what it feels like to be playing at home compared to playing on the road,” Roos said.
Following its 81-62 victory Friday night against Charlotte in the first round of play, Saint Bonaventure University will now come to BG on March 24 at 7 p.m. to face the Falcons in second-round play of the WNIT.
Roos said St. Bonaventure, like her team, is one that could have made it into the NCAA tournament as a very talented 20-win team.
St. Bonaventure enters Monday’s matchup with a 24-10 overall record and a conference record of 11-5 out of the Atlantic-10. The Bonnies got bounced in the semifinal round of the A-10 conference tournament by Fordham, sending them into the WNIT.
Roos said that the is less worried about the disappointment from not making the NCAA tournament and is more concerned about finding their footing in the WNIT. She said only playing one game in 12 days has been an issue for the Falcons, needing additional time to get their feet wet and settle down in each game.
The Falcons are excited to be returning to the Stroh, Roos said. She said the team always talks about how much fun it is to play at home in front of their loud crowd, saying they feed well off the crowd’s energy and they need that energy.
Roos said right now her team is excited to be playing and are excited to see what it to come next.
