Last-second Adaway three lifts Bonnies over Buffalo

image courtesy gobonnies.com

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team faced questions about its play this week.

The Bonnies had produced two underwhelming post-Charleston Classic performances and had learned senior point guard Kyle Lofton would miss the next several weeks with an ankle sprain.

The Bonnies provided an emphatic response with an intense win, 68-65, against the University of Buffalo at the Reilly Center Saturday afternoon.

“We just really rallied together and gave it our all and knew we could win this game,” senior guard Jalen Adaway said. “It’s just a matter of how tough are we willing to be.”

The teams traded buckets in the first half. UB led 27-23 with 4:28 left in the half before a Jalen Adaway three sparked a 12-2 Bonnies run, giving them a 35-29 lead at halftime.

“I thought our guys came out and played really aggressive, played downhill,” Bona’s head coach Mark Schmidt said.

The Bonnies remained in control after halftime. Seniors Jalen Adaway and Osun Osunniyi led the Bonnies’ scoring attack, while fellow senior Jaren Holmes impressed while facilitating the offense.

“I thought Jaren was tremendous playing out of position,” Schmidt said. “He’s a warrior.”

The lead grew to as many as 11, but Buffalo continued to hang around thanks to the play of senior forward Jeenathan Williams. The Bonnies forced six turnovers from the senior, but Williams continued to find baskets and smoothly finish at the rim.

Buffalo took a timeout after senior guard Dominick Welch gave the Bonnies a 63-52 lead with 3:05 remaining. But the Bulls made a final push, tying the game at 65 with 29 seconds left, setting up St. Bonaventure to take the last shot.

With the clock winding down, Holmes drove left, drawing two Buffalo defenders. Holmes passed the ball back out to Adaway who drained the game-winning three pointer with one second left, giving the Bonnies a 68-65 win and sending the Reilly Center into pandemonium.

“He’s always in the gym. He deserved to hit that shot,” Schmidt said. “When you put all that work in, you wanna have that shot.

“It’s priceless,” Adaway said. “I’m still trying to gather my thoughts and how happy I am and how big of a moment it really was.”

The win moved the Bonnies to 7-1 on the season. Despite missing on-court leadership from Lofton, the Bonnies showed an abundance of another attribute: toughness.

“We found a way to win. It’s a game of toughness,” Schmidt said. “Everything is skill and athleticism but when it comes down to it it’s a game of toughness and I thought we made those tough plays when we needed to.”

Bona’s reserves had arguably their most impactful game of the season. Quadry Adams took the Lofton’s spot in the starting lineup, finishing with only six points but adding a perimeter defensive presence necessary in Lofton’s absence.

Redshirt sophomore Linton Brown had 10 points (all in the first half) and shot 2-4 from three. Abdoul Karim Coulibaly provided a paint presence when senior big Osun Osunniyi sat due to foul trouble.

“It’s just them being positive when they’re on the floor and I thought all three of those guys did a really good job tonight,” Schmidt said.

After defeating Buffalo, the Bonnies face Loyola (MD) on Wednesday before a road matchup with UConn on Dec. 11.

“We all have to get better. We’re not a finished product by any means,” Schmidt said. “We have a lot more game in us.”

Quick Hitters: Buffalo

By Chuckie Maggio, @chuckiemaggio

The St. Bonaventure Bonnies defeated the University at Buffalo Bulls 72-63 on Wednesday night. The win improved their record to 5-1 and gave them the unofficial Big 4 championship after beating all three Buffalo-area D-I schools (UB, Canisius and Niagara).

Some Quick Hitters from the game:

Ndoye plays big once again: Youssou Ndoye has played dominant basketball the last two games. The Bonnies’ senior center followed up a 23-point, 11-rebound game against Niagara with 17 points, 13 boards and four blocks against the Bulls for his sixth career double-double. He has gone 14-for-25 from the field and 12-for-16 from the free throw line the past two games. There have been many rumblings about Ndoye being a potential second-round draft pick in the NBA, and he’s starting to show his full skill set.

Wright takes charge: Tonight was one of Dion Wright’s most assertive games as a Bonnie. The junior forward scored 19 points on 9-17 shooting and added eight rebounds as well. Wright’s length and presence on both ends continue to cause matchup nightmares for opposing teams, and he was able to take over in stretches against the Bulls.

Alston steps up off the bench: Backup point guard Iakeem Alston had an impressive stat line in 13 minutes of play. The junior registered five points, four assists, three steals and two rebounds to lead the reserve effort. For a bench that didn’t score any points Canisius, the spark Alston provided was a big key for the Bonnies.

Dominant defense: The Bonnies held Buffalo to just 18 first half points and achieved their goal of holding the opposing team under 40 percent shooting from the field once again. With key road tests against Ohio and Pittsburgh coming up, Ndoye and Wright will continue to spearhead one of the best defensive starts Bona has had in recent memory.

Ball security is key: In the games against Siena and Jackson State, the Bonnies turned the ball over a combined 38 times. Tonight, they only committed eight turnovers. With the inexperienced guards Bona has, protecting the basketball is of the utmost importance, and the results showed up on the scoreboard.

Men’s basketball: UB preview

By Jeff Fasoldt @Jeff_Fasoldt

This Wednesday night matchup of western New York teams has the makings of a good one.

The University at Buffalo Bulls and the St. Bonaventure University Bonnies both come into the game with record of 4-1. The Bonnies dropped one at home to Siena and the Bulls only loss so far was to top-ranked Kentucky at Rupp Arena.

The Bonnies are coming off their best offensive performance against Niagara, and Youssou Ndoye had the game of his life with 23 points (More than he had in his first three games combined), 10 rebounds and five blocks.

Here’s what to look for tomorrow:

The coaches:

St. Bonaventure: Mark Schmidt. 111-110 as the Bonnies head coach.

Buffalo: Bobby Hurley. 23-11 as the Bulls head coach.

Key players for Buffalo:

Justin Moss– 6-7 junior forward. At 17.6 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game he is the Bulls leading scorer and rebounder. He is a forward that is primarily a threat from the paint as he has not made a three so far this season.

Shannon Evans– 6-1 sophomore guard- Evans is the second leading scorer behind moss and the leading assist man with four per game. He’s not much of a threat from deep (under 30-percent) but is active defensively with a two steals per game and will try and get in the Bonnies guards heads.

Lamonte Bearden– 6-3 freshman guard. This young man is the most dangerous player for the Bulls. Scout.com ranked him as a 4-star recruit and Rivals.com writer Eric Bossi named him one of the top-five steals of the 2014 recruiting class. So far, Bearden has played well with 11.0 points per game and and just under three assists per game.

Key players for St. Bonaventure:

Youssou Ndoye– 7-0 senior forward. The Bonnies anchor and big man got his offensive game going last week and was content with Niagara playing a man-to-man defense against him and not the 2-3 zone that Ndoye has struggled scoring against. Against Buffalo it could be a different story as they carry some size and will defend Ndoye much better than the Purple Eagles did.

Iakeem Alston– 6-1 junior guard. The rookie transfer for the Bonnies hasn’t seen a lot of playing time so far, but came in and played very well last week as Jay Adams, the Bonnies starting PG, got in foul trouble. Alston has superior ball-handling skills and is averaging 2.3 assists in about 12 minutes per game. He struggled to finish at the rim in his first few games but hit a nice jump shot against Niagara, which will boost his confidence. Look for Schmidt to go to Alston early tomorrow.

Andell Cumberbatch– 6-5 senior guard. Cumberbatch is a another player on the rise for the Bonnies. He’s been playing 33 minutes per game, second only to Dion Wright with 37 and he’s averaging 14 points per game. He’s a true wing player that can rise up and rebound the ball (7.0 per game) and if he can get his stroke going from beyond the arc he could help the Bonnies a lot.

Key to victory for Bonnies:

Ndoye will be heavily guarded by the Buffalo forwards in this one. They are bigger up front and will force other players to make plays. Marcus Posley struggled last game but will have to make shots in this game if the Bonnies want to win against a tough UB squad.

Key to victory for Buffalo:

Stop Ndoye. He made Niagara look silly in the Bonnies rout this past weekend and perhaps smells blood coming into this game. Don’t be surprised if Hurley turns to a 2-3 zone to try and slow down the Boniness big men after their huge game against Niagara’s weak man-to-man defense.

Score prediction: 70-60 UB Bulls.

Business school expanding to boost enrollments

By Joe Pinter, @JPinter93

(Second in a series on Bonaventure’s enrollment)

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. (Feb. 5) — Not long after the paint has dried on the walls of the new Swan Business Center, Pierre Balthazard has plans for expansion of the business school at St. Bonaventure University.

The dean of the business school continues to look for ways to broaden the curriculum of the school. Making that task easier is the fact that the school of 500 students has been one of the few at Bonaventure to maintain somewhat steady enrollments the last few years.

Balthazard said the school is waiting on two new majors to be approved by New York State: engineering management and an online program that gives people who don’t have college degrees an easier opportunity to earn one than regularly attending class on campus.

Continue reading “Business school expanding to boost enrollments” →

Behind The Wolfpack: Bonnies Rally Late To Defeat Buffalo

[Demitrius Conger races down the court for a dunk after a steal, helping St. Bonaventure to a 82-79 win over Buffalo – Photo by Daulton Sherwin]

By Ryan Lazo, Co-editor in chief/feature columnist, @RMLazo13

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – Chris Johnson stepped up to the free throw line and attempted a foul shot, but the ball slipped out of his hands, prompting a referee’s whistle to blow.

A lane violation.

Johnson then missed his next attempt and suddenly the Reilly Center had a pin stuck in its balloon. It seemed St. Bonaventure was on their way to another crushing loss, but with 1:20 remaining and trailing by three, Demitrius Conger made a big-time play.

Conger read an ill-fated pass from the Bulls Will Regan and took it down the court for a slam inciting a near riot from the 4,485 fans in the Reilly Center.

“I looked at the play and I just tried to anticipate it,” Conger said after his huge steal and dunk. “And luckily he threw it.”

But Bona was not in the clear yet.

They still trailed by one with 1:03 remaining and that’s when Matthew Wright locked in on defense, jabbed at the ball and came away with another steal.

He immediately raced up the court, pursued by two Bulls (2-7) defenders, and put Bona up by one, 80-79.

The Reilly Center literally began to shake in celebration. And following a timeout, Conger picked up another theft, clinching the victory.

Facing a bleak scenario, the Bonnies (4-2) leaned on their failure to win at Ohio and defeated the Bulls 82-79 in dramatic fashion.

“They’re an outstanding team,” Buffalo coach Reggie Witherspoon said of the Bonnies. “They’re a really energetic team that plays hard. He’s got a good team.”

And that is the key word – team.

No longer is this Bona squad a one man show, but instead they have multiple players who can beat you on any given night. Against the Bulls, nine Bona players made a dent on the score sheet, including four who reached double-digits.

“That’s how we’re going to win, we’re going to do it collectively,” Bona coach Mark Schmidt said of his team. “It’s going to be a different guy every night.”

On this night, no one’s star shined brighter than the senior captain.

Conger’s talents have flickered across stat sheets before – the near triple-double against UMass comes to mind – and it did so again.

While he scored a team-high 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, his best output of the season, it was the calmness he displayed in the final minute that set him apart.

When the team looked to be on the verge of imploding, he took control and breathed some life into his battle-scarred teammates. And the team responded, especially Wright.

“Coach always gets on me for jogging my lane,” Wright said after his 11-point effort on 5-for-10 shooting. “I sprinted ahead and (Marquise) found me.”

And the Bonnies surely did a lot of sprinting.

Each time they had a chance, they raced down the court to a tune of 23 fast break points – a season high. Bona players are also wanted for theft after picking the Bulls’ pockets for 12 steals resulting in 21 points off of turnovers.

But there is still a glaring weakness in this team. After finishing last season ranked 13th in the nation in free throw percentage, they shot just 57.9 percent from the line (22-for-38) on the night.

“When the first guy goes up there and misses two, it becomes contagious,” Schmidt said of his team’s struggles. “We’re going to continue to work on it, but we have good shooters.”

Luckily for the Bonnies, winning is also contagious. And with an unselfish approach on offense, lockdown defense and a gritty attitude, this Bona squad can continue to pile on the wins anyway they can.

lazorm09@bonaventure.edu

SBU alumnus addresses students

By Joe Pinter, News Editor, @JPinter93

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. (Oct. 25) — While a little calmer since his gubernatorial candidacy, Carl Paladino can still draw a crowd.

Yesterday at 12:30 in the Walsh Amphitheater, Paladino, a 1968 St. Bonaventure University graduate, addressed nearly a hundred students on subjects ranging from his days at Bonaventure to the 2010 run for governor of New York.

He was introduced by Pierre Balthazard, dean of the School of Business, and Rocco Lamparelli, a junior business major.

“You have an opportunity today that many won’t have,” said Paladino. “Your parents, your guardians, your families that encouraged you to go on to school have given you an opportunity to do in life what makes your feet hit the ground running. You have been given that opportunity. For many of you that opportunity will be in your family business.”

A Buffalo businessman, Paladino has worked on the board of trustees for Bishop-Timon St. Jude, Bonaventure, Erie Community College and D’Youville College throughout the course of his life.

In addition, he has also served as director of Buffalo Place, a city waterfront agency, and a local Boy Scout troop.

“I think I can speak for everyone, and your parents, when I say to you: your ancestors came here to give us, and you, an opportunity for a better life,” said Paladino. “An opportunity to do what you really want to do.”

Paladino owns Ellicott Development Co., located in Buffalo. His company owns more than $700 million of property and has managed 4.5 million square feet. It is also the largest landlord in New York outside of Albany and New York City.

In 1991, Buffalo named him businessman of the year. And then in 1993, he was named the Bonaventure alumnus of the year.

Like many successful businessmen, his business genes were passed onto his kids. The CEO of Ellicott Development happens to be Paladino’s son, William.

“I was fortunate,” said Paladino. “My children chose to come into my family business. They chose to join me in that business for what reason in particular, I can’t tell you. But I never tried to direct them in any particular way other than to find their dream. To go and do what they wanted to do and take the opportunity available to them.”

Paladino also spoke about hiring not only the best minds but also workers with the best social skills.

Paladino also spent time during his speech telling the audience the importance of having plans.

“It is necessary to understand the basic principles of building a business,” said Paladino. “Long-term attitude—an attitude that you’re there for the long stretch, not the quick hit. There are certain ethics and morals that carry into the business community.”

Paladino spoke for a while about when his company started off and how he secured deals with banks and clients. He believes everything should be done professionally with little interference from your personal lives.

Among those in attendance, Paladino’s speech hit home for a particular student—Morgan Gianni. His father owns a small business.

“Seeing that someday I wish to own my own company, I strongly value his wisdom and his ambition,” said Gianni, a sophomore marketing major.

Gianni’s dad is also a very good friend of Paladino’s. He even helped him during Paladino’s run for governor.

Although his talk might have been directed towards business majors, his best advice applies to students in all majors.

“Always remember to think, ‘What does the future hold for me,” said Paladino.

pinterjo11@bonaventure.edu

Burmese photographer showcases images of home country

By Kevin Smith, staff writer, @KevSmith88

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. (Oct. 19) – Throughout his life, Law Eh Soe struggled to comprehend the citizen/government struggle unfolding in his home country of Burma (also known as Myanmar), a small sovereign state in Southeast Asia.

A citizen of Rangoon, Burma, Soe’s passion for photojournalism shines through in his photos that tell stories of struggle. Now exiled to America and living in Buffalo, N.Y., Soe visits different colleges across the country telling his stories of struggle.

Soe has spent most of his life on the run, avoiding government officials due to risky photo taking during monk uprisings. He hid in friends’ houses before escaping to the U.S.

His latest venture brought him to the St. Bonaventure University campus on Tuesday afternoon where he showcased his dramatic images and small documentary titled “Click in Fear: Burma photography.”

Dean Pauline Hoffmann of the Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication introduced Soe and gave a brief overview of his works in photojournalism and the stories incorporated.

“It is difficult for us in the United States to understand that the freedoms and liberties we enjoy in this country are not universal,” said Hoffmann. “Law was essentially forced to flee his country because of his photographs. I am thrilled that we are able to bring a photojournalist of Law’s stature to SBU.”

Soe’s photos depict the struggles between the people of Burma and the government as they try to reform a repressive military government. His mini documentary sent a strong message about what he witnessed during the hardships of Burma’s struggle to compromise with its government.

“I thought it was powerful message and something more people should notice,” said Richard Lee, a journalism and mass communication professor. “I tell my students all the time this is what journalism is all about and what it’s made of: the ability to tell an inspiring story.”

Soe gave a brief speech on the video and the photos portrayed in “Click in fear,” especially the legendary monk screaming and raising his arm while holding a black oval shaped like a football.

“It’s like an iron curtain in Burma; they want to block the world from seeing the country,” Law said in an interview with the Democratic Voices of Burma website. “But for me, I decided, one day I will become a photojournalist. I didn’t become a photojournalist because I was hard-working; I became a photojournalist because my heart was burning for it.”

With a new and happy life in Buffalo, Soe said he is still haunted by the people he left behind in Burma.

“Not a day goes by where I don’t think of the people in Burma,” Soe added in his presentation. “I’m filled with guilt and the urge to help them any way I can, but I know it’s impossible.”

Even with the difficulty of not being in Burma, Soe cherishes his time in America and the opportunity he has been given to travel across the country presenting photos of his past life.

“His images are very eye-opening and hard to not feel sympathy for his work,” Lee added. “Photos should always tell a story, and in this instance, he’s telling of a historical event in his home country.”

Some of Soe’s photos will be on display in the rotunda at the Quick Arts Center until Nov. 19.

smithkl09@bonaventure.edu