Bonnies Get Back On Track With Win Against Colonials 70-52

By: Jeff Uveino

The St. Bonaventure Bonnies (14-6, A-10 4-4) kept their winning ways at the Reilly Center going on Sunday afternoon. A 70-52 win over the George Washington Colonials (9-12, 2-6 A-10) was the ninth straight home win for the Bonnies.

After a back-and-forth start, St. Bonaventure took a five-point lead into halftime. The Bonnies came out strong in the second half, however, and quickly pulled away.

The Bonnies were paced by senior guard Matt Mobley, who scored 24 points.

“I got a couple of clean looks early and knocked them down, that built confidence,” Mobley said postgame. “Once that happens, all of the other shots are easy.”

Jaylen Adams chipped in with 13 points and 8 assists, and Courtney Stockard had 12 points of his own. The most effective part of the Bonnies’ game, however, was their defense.

“I thought overall our defensive performance was really good,” said Bonnies head coach Mark Schmidt. “To hold them under 40% in both halves, that’s a goal of ours.”

The Bonnies held the Colonials to just 21 points in the first half, including just 28% shooting from the field. They also forced 17 turnovers, including 10 steals.

George Washington shot cold from everywhere on the afternoon, especially from three-point range. The Colonials finished 4-16 from beyond the arc and started out just 1-13. George Washington Head coach Maurice Joseph commented on his team’s struggles.

“We certainly didn’t shoot the ball well,” Joseph said. “We missed some open shots around the rim, but we also didn’t play great.”

Joseph also stressed the difficulty of winning on the road in the Atlantic 10, and how that affected George Washington’s performance.

“It’s tough to win on the road in this league, especially in a place like this,” he said.

Last year’s contest against the Colonials left St. Bonaventure saying the same thing, as the Bonnies suffered a tough loss in their trip to George Washington.

Mobley talked about the adjustments he has made over the past year, and how they have made a difference.

“I was just more patient this year,” Mobley said. “Last year I got an open shot and jacked it up. I knew open shots were going to come eventually, so I just wanted to stay patient and get other guys open looks, because once they start knocking them down that would leave me open.”