By Jeff Uveino
The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team won their fifth Franciscan Cup over the Siena Saints 75-55 on Wednesday night in Albany at the Times Union Center. The Bonnies once again were able to hoist the Cup, the prize on the line when these two teams meet every year since its inception in 2010.
After a back-and-forth start to the game, St. Bonaventure pulled away midway through the first half and never looked back. The Bonnies took a 14-point lead into half time, and built on it in the second half to earn the 20-point win.
The Bonnies received key contributions from several players, including Matt Mobley, who scored 22 points and brought down 8 rebounds.
LaDarien Griffen earned the double-double, as he had 18 points and 11 rebounds to go along with 4 assists. Idris Taqqee had 13 points of his own, and Amadi Ikpeze finished with 8 points.
After two breakout performances in the Emerald Coast Classic, Izaiah Brockington had a reserved night for the Bonnies, scoring 2 points with 3 assists and a rebound.
St. Bonaventure shot 46% from the field, but struggled from the free throw line, going just 17-30 (57%).
The Bonnies benefited from the cold shooting of Siena, who shot just 34% from the field. This was due in part to the tough defense that SBU exhibited throughout the night.
St. Bonaventure improved its record on the year to 4-2, while Siena fell to 1-5. The Bonnies will now travel to the University of Buffalo to take on the Bulls Saturday.
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