MBB: Bonnies stumble to regular-season finish line with loss to Dayton

photo by Jeremy Castro

ST. BONAVENTURE, NY — In the end, it proved to be too much.

The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team was 20 minutes away from finishing the 2020-21 season undefeated at home. A one-point halftime lead was quickly erased as the game’s second stanza began, however, as Dayton (13-8, 9-7 A-10) went on a 13-2 run to start the half and take the lead for good.

Despite a late-game Bona comeback and a chance to tie the game in its last possession, SBU (13-4, 11-4 A-10) failed to come all the way back, and fell to the Flyers, 55-52, at the Reilly Center on Monday.

“(Dayton) played well defensively, and they did a good job of keeping us out of the paint,” SBU head coach Mark Schmidt said. “I thought we were sluggish; heavy-legged. We missed some shots. Shots we ordinarily make.”

Despite a poor offensive performance that saw them shoot 30% from the field and 29% from 3-point range, the Bonnies clawed back into the game late in the second half and brought the deficit to as little as two points (52-50) on a Dominick Welch 3-pointer with three minutes remaining.

After the teams traded baskets and Ibi Watson hit one of two free throws for the Flyers, SBU got the ball with 10 seconds to play, trailing by three. Junior forward Jalen Adaway got an open look from beyond the arc, but missed in the game’s waning seconds, leaving the Flyers victorious.

“I thought we had a great look,” Schmidt said. “In terms of getting an open look, I thought we got (one) that we wanted. They knew that we needed to hit a three so it’s always hard to get really open looks, but I thought that was a really good look. He made a good stroke on it, he just missed it.”

Adaway scored a game-high 17 points while shooting 3-of-7 from distance and pulling down four rebounds. Junior forward/center Osun Osunniyi churned out 10 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks while junior guard Kyle Lofton scored nine points and handed out six assists.

“We’ve been down before and we’ve come back,” Schmidt said. “(Dayton) did a good job keeping us out of the paint, and at times, we took quick shots. They beat us in the paint, 24-20, and it’s usually the other way around.”

Dayton narrowly out-rebounded the Bonnies, 36-32, and although the Flyers committed 11 more turnovers than the Bonnies, they shot nearly 45% from the field and 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. Watson scored 14 points to lead the Flyers, while RJ Blakney and Mustapha Amzil each scored nine points.

SBU held Jalen Crutcher, Dayton’s leading scorer, to six points before he fouled out with just under four minutes to play.

“I thought we played really hard, we just didn’t do a good job of executing, making shots,” Schmidt said. “Four games in nine days is a lot to ask, but at the same time, give Dayton credit. They played well enough to win.”

Before the game, the late Dr. Dennis DePerro, SBU’s 21st president, was honored with a moment of silence. DePerro passed away Sunday evening after battling COVID-19 for more than two months.

“He was a great man and a great leader, and he did amazing things here in his short stay,” Schmidt said of DePerro, who became university president in 2017. “He really supported athletics, especially men’s basketball, and we lost a great guy… he’s going to be hard to replace. It was a hard day today.”

SBU will now look ahead to the Atlantic 10 tournament, in which it will be the No. 1 seed. The Bonnies will get a chance to recuperate with three days off after playing four games in nine days to end their regular season.

While Bona’s A-10 quarterfinal opponent will be determined on Thursday, the Bonnies are locked into Friday’s 11 a.m. time slot. They’ll await the winner of No. 8 Richmond and No. 9 Duquesne.

“We’ve got to get our legs back,” Schmidt said. “It’s the end of the year; we’ve been practicing since whenever it’s been. It’s getting our guys the rest that they need, and then bouncing back and hopefully they can play well on Friday.”

Bona women fall to Dayton at home

photo courtesy of gobonnies.sbu.edu

By Anthony Goss

ST. BONAVENTURE, NY — The St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team had another opportunity to return to the win column after missing its first chance at home on Friday night, but Dayton denied their upset bid.

Falling behind early, the SBU (2-10,1-8) suffered its second-consecutive home defeat in a 68-51 loss to the Flyers (7-1,6-0) at the Reilly Center Sunday afternoon.

In the first quarter, the Bonnies struggled to find the basket and did not score any points until freshman Maddie Dziezgowski drained a three with 5:18 remaining in the period. The Flyers built a 17-9 lead as seven different players scored in the quarter.

“We played really poorly to start the game,” Bona head coach Jesse Fleming said. “We were still kind of in our Saint Louis malaise.”

The Flyers expanded their lead, this time attacking from behind the three-point line, where they shot 80% in the second quarter and took a 40-27 lead into the break. Deja Francis had a big second quarter for Bona, shooting 4-for-4 from the field while scoring nine of her 13 points for the game. Francis missed the team’s previous game against Saint Louis.

“With (Francis), it’s just about consistency,” Fleming said. “Hopefully this was another step for her to get her confidence back, and probably had her best half of the season.”

After a quiet first half with only two points for the Bonnies, leading scorer Asianae Johnson led a Bona’s rally that cut the Dayton lead. The Bona defense tightened up, however, only allowing seven points and drawing two charges in the quarter.

“I thought we showed some maturity by really battling back,” Fleming said. “We had some good energy in the third quarter.”

In the third quarter, Johnson had four points (including a layup that cut the deficit to six), two assists and three rebounds. She finished the game with 12 points and drew two charges.

“It says a lot, as far as having some grit,” Fleming said. “Instead of pointing fingers, she really did show some grit.”

With the score siting at 47-40 in favor of the Flyers, Jenna Giacone led a quick 9-0 spurt from Dayton to extend the lead. Giacone had nine points in the final quarter and led all scorers with 20 points in the game.

“I give them credit,” Fleming said. “Giacone had a great game and hit some big shots when we closed it to single digits.

In a sloppy game, the Bonnies forced 22 Dayton turnovers, but also turned the ball over 18 times on their end.

The Flyers out-rebounded the Bonnies, 42-22, and secured 14 offensive rebounds to just five from Bona. Flyers’ guard Araion Bradshaw had 11 rebounds, while forward Kyla Whitehead had seven rebounds, five coming on the offensive end.

“I thought it was a step in the right direction as far as getting us back to that competitive level that we were earlier in the year,” Fleming said.

The Bonnies have a week off until they host Duquesne at the Reilly Center on Sunday at noon. That game can be seen on ESPN+.

Atlantic 10 men’s basketball preview, part one

photo: David Kohl/USA Today Sports

By Anthony Goss, Ryan Surmay and Peter Byrne

The 2020-21 college basketball season begins on Wednesday, with several Atlantic 10 teams scheduled to begin play over the holiday weekend.

This article is the first of a two-part series highlighting each A-10 team other than St. Bonaventure, which was previewed several weeks ago. After each team completes its respective non-conference schedule, A-10 play is scheduled to begin in late December.

Davidson Wildcats
2019-20 Record: 16-14
Best Player: Kellan Grady

For a team known for its precision and consistency, Davidson dealt with many issues last season in terms of injuries and unexpected departures.

This offseason, the Wildcats lost guard Jon Axel Gudmundsson, the 2018-19 A-10 player of the year. Despite a slump early last season, Kellan Grady has shown he has the capability of leading a Wildcat offense that operates on motion and ball movement.

Grady can score the ball at all levels, and his shot is deadly from beyond the arc. Grady will be surrounded by Hyunjung Lee and Michael Jones, who can both knock down three-pointers as well. Luka Brajkovic will shoulder most of the work inside with his skillset inside as a low-post scorer.

Defense will be the issue for Davidson, as it usually is in most seasons, and rough nights on offense could get ugly during A-10 play. However, guarding this offense presents a daunting task for opposing teams.

Dayton Flyers
2019-20 Record: 29-2
Best Player: Jalen Crutcher

First of all, what a season for the Flyers in 2019-20. They had a legitimate shot to win the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed. Those chances do not come very often for A-10 teams.

With that being said, the Flyers lost some major talent heading into this season. The big loss is Obi Toppin, the Naismith Player of the Year who was selected No. 8 overall in this year’s NBA draft by the New York Knicks. Dayton also lost Trey Landers and Ryan Mikesell to graduation, a duo who combined to average just under 20 points a game last year. That’s a total of 40 points per game lost. However, the Flyers return Jalen Crutcher, who is arguably the best player in the league heading into this season. They also bring back two guards in Ibi Watson and Rodney Chatham who each should put up double digits points per game. Lastly, Dayton also loves what they see from 6’11 transfer Jordy Thiamine from Nebraska. He should be a force down low for the Flyers.

All in all, this team returns enough talent and solid newcomers to compete for a top-four spot in the conference. Will they go 18-0 again? Doubtful. However, this team is definitely good enough to win 12 or 14 games in the A-10.

Duquesne Dukes
2019-20 Record: 21-9
Best Player: Marcus Weathers

Since Keith Dambrot took over as head coach, Duquesne has gotten better every season. This upcoming season should be no different, as the Dukes return every starter and seven of their top eight scorers from last year’s team that won 21 games.

They are led by 6-8 forward Marcus Weathers, who averaged 14.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game last season. Something to look out for with the Dukes is their offensive efficiency under Dambrot. Last season, they had the fourth-most efficient offense in the A-10 behind Dayton, Richmond and Davidson. Duquesne only scored less than 60 points in only three games last season, so they’re a team that is not afraid of a shootout.

After being picked fifth in the league’s preseason poll,, it is more than fair to say that the Dukes could sneak into the top four when the regular season ends.

Fordham Rams
2019-20 Record: 9-22
Best Player: Chuba Ohams

After yet another season of single-digit wins and another last-place conference finish with two A-10 wins, it’s safe to say the Fordham basketball program has taken another step backwards. This season, Fordham will be faced with filling the void left from the graduation of its starting backcourt of Antwon Portley (10.4 points per game) and Erten Gazi (8.9 points per game).

The Rams will look toward Chuba Ohams, a redshirt junior, to continue his success from last season after a knee injury suffered during warmups in January ended his campaign prematurely. Before going down, he averaged 11 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest. While their record may not have shown it, their games last season only had a -3.1 point differential, which gives optimism for Fordham fans coming into this season.

Going into his sixth season with the Rams, head coach Jeff Neubauer’s teams have only gotten progressively worse in conference play, winning eight, seven, four, three and two games per season, respectively. Once again, Fordham was the preseason pick to finish last in the A-10.

George Mason Patriots
2019-20 Record: 17-15
Best Player: AJ Wilson

Last season, George Mason constantly adjusted its style of play on the fly to accommodate Justin Kier’s injuries. The inconsistency resulting from this spoiled a historic 11-1 start.

With Kier now gone, the Patriots now turn to redshirt senior AJ Wilson, along with Javon Greene and Jordan Miller, to make some noise in the A-10. Wilson likes to operate from the top of the key, and while he prefers going right, he has the strength to finish around the rim on both sides. Wilson does not hunt a three-point shot off the dribble, preferring to shoot off of a screen or a drive-and-kick.

Last season, the Patriots pressed more often than most teams. This defensive mindset should remain this season, but head coach Dave Paulsen’s emphasis on conservative defensive principles will be noticeable for GM. With a crowded field at the top of the conference, it might be hard for the Patriots to move up much this season, but expect them to play spoiler against conference foes with Wilson as the catalyst.

George Washington Colonials
2019-20 Record: 12-20
Best Player: Jameer Nelson Jr.

This is the second year of the Jamion Christian era, and his mark is already being put on the George Washington program. Christian returns budding young talent in Jameer Nelson Jr., Chase Paar and Jamison Battle, who all played together last season.

Christian also brought in several pieces from the transfer market, notably Sloan Seymour and Brandon Leftwich, who played for him at Siena and Mount St. Mary’s, respectively. George Washington’s offense emphasizes shooting, and the bigs will look to stretch out the floor. Look for Nelson Jr. and the rest of the guards to attack in pick-and-roll action, as the Colonials led the nation in such sets last season and it will likely generate most of their offense this year.

Don’t expect a major jump in the standings, as this team simply is not ready to compete at the top of the A-10. But, with Christian’s emphasis on player development, expect to see the core at George Washington to develop toward a bright future.

La Salle Explorers
2019-20 Record: 15-15
Best Player: David Beaty

Last year, the Explorers finished near the bottom of the pack in the A-10, tied for 10th. They finished the season with a .500 record at 15-15, but struggled in conference play, going 6-12.

To make matters worse, the Explorers lost their best player to the transfer portal in Ed Croswell. Croswell averaged 10.4 points and 7.6 boards for LaSalle last season. Furthermore, the Explorers also lost two senior starters in Isiah Deas and Saul Phiri. The two impact starters that remain are senior David Beaty and Scott Spencer, who combined to average about 20 points per game last season.

The Explorers were picked to finish 13th in the preseason poll, so it could be a rocky year in Philly for coach Ashley Howard and his team.

Women’s soccer falls to Dayton

photo courtesy of gobonnies.sbu.edu

By Hayden Robinson

The St. Bonaventure women’s soccer team (4-7-1) lost 1–0 at home against Dayton (4-6-2) on Thursday night.

The Dayton goal came when a header from Alexis Goins found the net in the 16th minute.

This goal would be all Dayton needed, as neither team was able to score for the rest of the game.

Bonnies midfielder Amber Achladis found a shot on goal in the 39th minute, but was saved by Dayton goalkeeper Carly Becker.

Dayton generated many more opportunities than the Bonnies. Dayton would see a total of six shots on goal throughout the game, while St. Bonaventure only had one.

One penalty card was pulled during the game. SBU’s Kacie Fillian drew a yellow card in the 38th minute.

This game would go down to the wire at the end of the second half.

In the last minute of the game, the Bonnies had a golden opportunity with a corner kick by forward Bella May. However, the shot was blocked, leaving time expired.

Head coach Steve Brdarski spoke after the game about the team’s loss.

“The first twenty minutes of the game, we just didn’t have enough energy and not enough pressure,” Brdarski said. “At the end of the day, the coaching staff didn’t do a good enough job getting ourselves prepared for the first twenty minutes of the game and in the end it comes down to that one play right there.”

The Bonnies will look to improve their record on Sunday when they play at Saint Louis University.

“We have probably the toughest 72 hours we could have,” Brdarski said. “They’re the number one team in the conference right now. Playing them on the road doesn’t do us any justice and that’s going to be a tough game.”

Brdarski also talked briefly about the week-long break the Bonnies have between their Sunday game against St. Louis and their game against Richmond.

“We need the week,” he said. “We’ve been losing a lot of close games. Last Sunday, we were in North Carolina and then came home to play, and now we’re getting ready to jump on the road again to Saint Louis. That’s going to do its damage on us.”

Brdarski said that injuries over the last three games has affected his team.

“What we need is a week to recover and be able to be ready for our next game,” he said.

Quick Hits: Dayton snaps Bona’s win streak

By Jeff Uveino

The last time St. Bonaventure traveled to UD Arena, they shocked the then #15 ranked Dayton Flyers, fueled off 31 points from Jaylen Adams.

But Wednesday night’s contest wouldn’t produce the same results.

After going in as slight favorites on the road and riding an eight-game win streak, the St. Bonaventure Bonnies fell to the Flyers, 82-72.

The Flyers started hot, turning a 14-4 run to begin the game, into a 14-point halftime lead.

St. Bonaventure closed the gap at single-digits midway through the second half, and again toward the end of the game, but couldn’t catch the Flyers.

Dayton was hot from the floor the whole game, shooting 56% on the night. Their defense held the Bonnies in check to the tune of just 39% shooting from the field.

The Flyers received big scoring contributions from multiple players, led by Darrell Davis, who had 28 points. Trey Landers added 17 points, and Jalen Crutcher had 12 points.

The Bonnies’ backcourt duo of Adams and Matt Mobley filled the score sheet, but were kept quiet enough by the Flyers’ defense to prevent overcoming the team’s overall poor shooting.

Mobley had 24 points, all of which came in the second half. Adams added 15 points and 7 assists. Freshman Izaiah Brockington had 10 points coming off the bench.

With the loss, St. Bonaventure fell to 11-3 overall, and 1-1 in Atlantic 10 play. Dayton improved to 7-7 overall with the win, and 1-1 in A-10 play.

The Bonnies will look to rebound as they travel to Philadelphia for a Saturday game with St. Joseph’s.

Men’s basketball: Bonnies falter in final stretch, lose heartbreaker to Dayton

By Chuckie Maggio @chuckiemaggio

DAYTON, Ohio — With less than a minute left at UD Arena, Jaylen Adams’s quest to lead St. Bonaventure to another road victory over the Flyers was still within reach.

Adams hit a deep three-pointer with 36 seconds left to cut the Dayton lead to 68-65, then answered a Kendall Pollard dunk by drawing a foul and making both free throws.

Unfortunately for the Bonnies, Scoochie Smith and Darrell Davis would cash in on six of eight free throws in the next 20 seconds. Not even another massive Adams three from near the half-court logo to give himself 35 points on the day would be enough to come back, as the Flyers won 76-72. Dayton improved to 21-5, 12-2 in the Atlantic 10, while SBU fell to 16-10, 8-6 in the conference.

“I think we’re better than our record shows,” Adams said, and it’s hard to argue with him. The Bonnies outscored the first-place Flyers 26-11 over the first 12:40 and were able to answer after they went down eight with 1:24 to go, a knockout punch for nearly every UD opponent.

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Men’s basketball: Bonnies look for second straight win at UD Arena

By Chuckie Maggio @chuckiemaggio

The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team’s last game at University of Dayton Arena doesn’t seem all that long ago.

The Bonnies came into that Feb. 20, 2016 contest having just suffered their worst loss of the season to that point, against a La Salle squad that had one Atlantic 10 win. Bona followed with its best victory of the year, defeating the Flyers 79-72 and resurrecting its NCAA Tournament chances. Jaylen Adams was the star, scoring 31 points and the go-ahead three-pointer with 36 seconds left.

Each school’s 2015-16 team was better than its current squad. In a more nationally-competitive Atlantic 10, Dayton was ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press Top 25 entering the game, while Bonaventure was a game better in conference (9-4).

Despite the matchup not being of the same caliber, it has a similar level of importance. With VCU beating Richmond Friday night, UD (20-5, 11-2) needs a win to stay tied atop the A-10 standings. If Bona wins and George Mason beats Rhode Island, Bona (16-9, 8-5) will hold fourth place and be in the driver’s seat for a double-bye in the A-10 Tournament with four games left.

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Men’s basketball: Bonnies search for first win at UD Arena since 2002

(Jaylen Adams Photo Credit: GoBonnies.com)

By Chuckie Maggio @chuckiemaggio

After being upset at La Salle, the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team finishes out its road trip at league-leading Dayton on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for noon at UD Arena.

The host Flyers stand at 21-4, 11-2 in the Atlantic 10. The Bonnies come in at 17-7, with a 9-4 conference record. The teams have seven mutual victories in the league: UMass, Davidson, George Washington, Fordham, Saint Louis, George Mason and Rhode Island. Each has a curious loss to the last-place La Salle Explorers.

The last meeting between the schools on Jan. 19 at the Reilly Center was one of the strangest Bona games in recent memory. The Flyers outscored the Bonnies 45-18 in the first half, sending some fans to the exits. SBU didn’t quit, however, putting up 61 points in the second half, including 15 in the final two minutes, and falling by just six.

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