Johnson talks about adjusting to the next level

By: Justin Myers

Asianae Johnson, one of five new additions to the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team. Johnson is one of the three freshman on the squad along with Deja Francis and Carrie Jornlin.

Johnson hails from Brooklyn, New York which has played a big impact on how she plays the game.

“I’m from New York, everybody who plays in New York is full of entertainment,” Johnson said. “It’s always competitive, always trash talking.”

With Johnson’s competitive nature she has only one expectation for the team this year.

“I want to win,” said Johnson.

The 5’8 guard went to Grand St. Campus High School in Brooklyn, New York where she scored over 1,400 career points while averaging 19 points, four rebounds and three assists per game. She played on the City Finalists and was a PSAL Sullivan Award winner.

When Johnson picked St. Bonaventure, she knew it was the right fit for her.

“I chose St. Bonaventure because of the family friendly environment,” Johnson said.

The transition from high school to college is something Johnson says she works through everyday.

“It’s been hard. I can’t say it’s been easy, but I also can’t complain because it’s always a learning experience,” said Johnson.

Luckily for Johnson she has upperclassman to look up to while going through this adjustment.

“They set a huge example for me, like showing up 15 minutes before practice or showing up to classes on time,” said Johnson.

Johnson is looking to bring not only an entertainment factor but a winning mentality just like her favorite NBA stars Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook.

Column: Bonnies will be a focus- and box office hit- in Brooklyn

(Photo Credit: GoBonnies.com)

By Chuckie Maggio @chuckiemaggio

It will be lights, camera, action at the Barclays Center on Friday night.

The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team’s Atlantic 10 Tournament quarterfinal matchup against Davidson in Brooklyn has a prime 9 p.m. start time. It’s a fitting time slot for a regular season co-champion that has captivated the conference by exceeding expectations and playing exciting ball.

The Bona community doesn’t want to miss out on its team’s run, and that support has contributed to a Barclays Center A-10 first.

Lower-level tickets to Friday night’s session, which also includes the UMass-VCU game at 6:30, sold out around 10 p.m. on Thursday. The upper sections of the arena will be opening up for the first time in the four years Brooklyn has hosted the tournament. Since fans of SBU and VCU knew for weeks that their teams would be starting the tournament on Friday, they were able to plan ahead and purchase seats in record numbers.

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Men’s basketball: Bona’s run ends against Saint Joe’s

By Joe Pinter, @JPinter93

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (March 15) — If someone would have told Mark Schmidt back in October that his St. Bonaventure Bonnies would win 18 games and make it to the Atlantic 10 semifinals, he wouldn’t have been sure how to respond.

“I would have looked at them a little bit sideways,” the coach said.

Turns out it wasn’t such a far-fetched thought.

The Bonnies’ unexpected run to the A-10 semifinals came to an abrupt end today as their lack of depth was exposed against a deeper, more rested St. Joe’s team. The Bonnies fell 67-48.

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Men’s basketball: The #Bonnies beat La Salle, advance to quarterfinals

By Chuckie Maggio, @ChuckieMaggio

The St. Bonaventure Bonnies survived and advanced on Thursday afternoon, defeating the La Salle Explorers by a score of 82-72 in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. They will face the Saint Louis Billikens in the quarterfinals tomorrow at noon.

Youssou Ndoye led the Bonnies with 19 points and 10 rebounds, his fourth double-double of the season. Marquise Simmons added 15 points and six rebounds, while Charlon Kloof scored 14 points and dished out six assists.

One of the main keys in the Bonnies’ win was a dominating performance on defense. They outrebounded the Explorers 28-23, with 12 of those 28 coming on the offensive glass. When the big men control the boards like they did today, this Bonaventure team is going to be a tough out.

In addition, the Brown and White held La Salle guard Tyrone Garland, the team’s second-leading scorer, to zero points on 0-7 shooting from the floor. That effort to shut down one of the most electrifying players in the conference did not go unnoticed by Bona coach Mark Schmidt in the postgame press conference.

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Men’s basketball: VCU Preview

By Chuckie Maggio, @ChuckieMaggio

The St. Bonaventure Bonnies conclude regular season play on Saturday night against the VCU Rams at the Siegel Center. The 16-13 Bonnies will face a tough test against the 23-7 Rams, who have had another stellar season thanks to a havoc-wreaking defense and one of the most brilliant coaches in the game. The game is at 7 and will be broadcast on the SNY Network.

The seeding situation for the Atlantic 10 Tournament is almost official for these two teams. VCU will likely be the two-seed no matter what, as one-seeded Saint Louis holds the tiebreaker between the two teams.

Bonaventure will be the eighth seed and face La Salle on Thursday; that matchup is a lock. Therefore, this game doesn’t have seeding implications, but it’s a great chance for the teams to have a solid showing in their last regular season game before Brooklyn. Let’s break it down:

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This Day in Bonaventure History

By Joe Pinter, News Editor, @JPinter93

November 8, 1873

St. Bonaventure University’s ninth president, Fr. Fidelis Reynolds, was born on this day in Brooklyn, N.Y. The first native-born president of both the college and seminary, he started off his career practicing law in New York City.

After a while, he decided to become a priest and enrolled at Bonaventure in 1896. He graduated in 1901, the same year he would enter the Franciscan order.

Fr. Fidelis completed his novitiate in Paterson, N.J. and then studied theology at the Franciscan College at Mount Saint Sepulchre in Washington, D.C. He was ordained as a priest in 1907 and joined Bonaventure’s faculty as both a friar and as a lecturer of mathematics.

Fr. Alexander Hickey became severely ill in 1911, and Fr. Fidelis was named the interim vice president. Not long afterward, Fr. Joseph Butler, university president, died, and Fr. Fidelis was named president.

Fr. Fidelis is most remembered for the advancements he made in the school’s academic structure. During his tenure, the high school, college and seminary were separated. He also helped add physics, biology and chemistry to the university.

In addition, he helped oversee the construction of Butler Gym, which was built as a memorial to the late president. Fr. Fidelis retired in 1916.

He enjoyed retirement for more than twenty years. However, he passed away in 1937 in Miami Beach, Fla.

pinterjo11@bonaventure.edu

This Day in Bonaventure History

By Joe Pinter, News Editor, @JPinter93

September 18, 1988

Fr. Juvenal Lalor, O.F.M. was the 12^th president of SBU, serving from 1949-1955. He was the first president to not have the title of rector of the seminary.

Fr. Lalor was born in Brooklyn in 1911. He was ordained a priest on June 9, 1936. He arrived at Bonaventure by 1938. He stayed only one year but then came back in 1943 and was appointed spiritual director of the seminary and also professor of philosophy. In 1946, he was named head of the Department of Philosophy and then president shortly after.

While he was president, Fr. Lalor officially changed the status of SBU from a college to a university. However, in 1952, he announced that the school would discontinue its football program because of financial reasons.

It was on this day that Fr. Lalor passed away. He was 77.

pinterjo11@bonaventure.edu

This Day in Bonaventure History

By Joe Pinter, News Editor, @JPinter93

September 14, 2001

It was on this day that The Bona Venture, our student-run print newspaper, would publish a front-page story about the life and death of Fr. Mychal Judge.

Fr. Mychal Judge grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. at the height of the Great Depression. He witnessed true poverty and suffering while he was young. He even realized at a pretty young age that material things had no meaning in his life.

When he was 15, Fr. Mychal started the process to enter the Franciscan community. He received a BA degree from SBU and then was ordained a priest at Holy Name College in Washington, D.C. Fr. Mychal then served at many chapels and monasteries in the New York-New Jersey area. But in 1971, he became an alcoholic—which he would eventually overcome in 1978.

By 1992, Fr. Mychal was appointed chaplain of the fire department of New York. He used this position to encourage and pray at hospitals, fire stations and even rescue missions.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Fr. Mychal heard of the attacks on the World Trade Center and rushed to the site. Mayor Rudy Giuliani asked him to go into the lobby of the North Tower and hold a prayer service. This would be the last time he spoke to the mayor.

The South Tower collapsed and sent debris flying through the North Tower. Fr. Mychal was struck in the head with a piece of debris. According to New York Daily News columnist Michael Daly, Fr. Mychal was praying out loud, saying, “Jesus, please end this right now! God, please end this!”

Fortunately, firefighters carried Fr. Mychal’s body out of the lobby and into a church nearby. This scene was in the documentary film, 9/11. It would become one of the most famous images from the tragedy.

Fr. Mychal has a memorial at the 9/11 site. He also has had countless awards named after him and even a documentary about him on that tragic day.

pinterjo11@bonaventure.edu