Lofton scores 1,000th point as Bonnies win at Fordham

photo courtesy of gobonnies.sbu.edu

BRONX, NY — After scoring 14 points on Wednesday, Kyle Lofton became the latest member of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball 1,000-point club.

Lofton led the Bonnies to a 68-54 win at Fordham, and Bona head coach Mark Schmidt spoke highly of the junior point guard.

“He’s a really good player, he’s a really good competitor… he’s our leader,” Schmidt said.

Scoring 1,000 points in two years and six games tells you all you need to know about Lofton. He’s the ultimate point guard for SBU, as he shares the ball and defends as regularly as he scores.

This was the Bonnies’ first game back after Jaren Holmes’ 38-point performance vs Saint Joseph’s. The game went back in forth in the first half, with neither team really establishing itself. The teams went into the locker room with the score tied at 37.

The Rams used balanced scoring, having four of their starters score more than six points in the half. The Bonnies stayed with the hot hand of Holmes, who had 17 first-half points. The Rams were able to keep the game close by making seven three-pointers in the half, while the Bonnies only had three.

“I thought we defended decently in the first half even though they hit seven [three’s],” Schmidt said. “But I thought our guys from a defensive standpoint did a great job. They hit two in the second half we hit our numbers… we held them to 17 points in the second half.”

The main keys to the win for Bona were defense and rebounding the ball. St. Bonaventure out rebounded Fordham 43 -24, including 15 offensive rebounds, which created second chances for the team to score.

“The guys, they’re committed they understand in order to beat Fordham you need to defend,” Schmidt said. “They’re one of the better defensive teams in the Atlantic-10. It was like a test for us. I thought our guys did a really good job, especially in the second half.”

In terms of the offense, it was led once again by Holmes as he had 26 points, giving him 64 points over his last two games.

“It’s come in the offense, he’s not forcing things, he’s hitting open shots,” Schmidt said. “I had no idea he had 20 at halftime by the way he plays.”

The Bonnies were able to hold Fordham to only three points in the final eight minutes of the game, all of which came from the free throw line.

Jalen Adaway scored 14 points for Bona, while Dominick Welch pulled down 14 rebounds and Osun Osunniyi had seven rebounds and seven assists.

“Our guys are matured, and they understand how to win,” Schmidt said. “They’re not going to be the star of the team offensively every night. They understand the importance of winning games and how to win them. When the offense isn’t going well you got to do something else and they’ve done that.”

After the win, the Bonnies improve to a 5-1 record while going 3-1 in the A-10. Their next game is against Duquesne at the Reily Center on Friday at 7 p.m., a game that will be broadcasted on ESPN2.

UPDATE: Holmes named A-10 player of the week; Bonnies to play at Fordham on Wednesday after GW cancelation

photo courtesy of gobonnies.sbu.edu

By Nic Gelyon

ST. BONAVENTURE, NY — Whoever said the core of St. Bonaventure’s men’s basketball team was a “Big 3” must’ve forgotten about Jaren Holmes, who on Monday, was named the Atlantic 10’s ‘Player of the Week’.

The junior guard had a dominant performance in the Bonnies’ 83-57 win against Saint Joseph’s last Wednesday.

Holmes shot 14-for-22 from the field for 38 points, along with 10 rebounds and three assists, against the Hawks. Eight of his 22 makes were from beyond the arc. Holmes attempted 12 three-pointers on his own in the game, a statistic made significant when considering that SBU, as a team, has only attempted an average of 18 three-pointers per game this season.

Beyond the incredible shooting performance from Holmes on Wednesday, it was his ability to shift momentum that likely won him this honor. While the Bonnies started out slowly against the then 0-8 Hawks, only leading by four at halftime, Holmes took it upon himself to take over early in the second half.

Holmes, on his own, went on a 9-2 run in just over three minutes, single-handedly stretching St. Bonaventure’s eight-point lead to 15. Holmes was, in a word, unstoppable.

He’s second in the Atlantic 10 and tied for 34^th in the country in three-point shooting percentage, hitting over 52% of his shots beyond the arc, and is ninth in the conference in overall shooting percentage.

“We’re not playing great, but we have some veteran guys,” Bona head coach Mark Schmidt said on Tuesday. “Guys that really care. It’s a blessing that we have guys that know the system, because we haven’t practiced a ton.”

The Bonnies’ momentum for the week would stop on Wednesday, however, as Friday night brought the postponement of their scheduled game against George Washington, which was supposed to be played Saturday at noon in the Reilly Center.

Per a statement from George Washington athletics, the Colonials had a positive test within their “Tier One” personnel, forcing the game to be rescheduled.

Tier One personnel includes all team members who have “frequent close contact” with players, including coaches, medical staff, managers, and student-athletes themselves. No further information has been made available as to when the game will be played, or if it will be played at all. It is also unknown, as of Tuesday, who at GW tested positive.

“We haven’t had a lot of practice time, especially going five on five, so we just try to get better in all our areas,” Schmidt said. “More chemistry; getting guys more reps. We had an extra day of practice and tried to improve because we aren’t near where we need to be.”

College basketball has had nationwide issues containing the COVID-19 pandemic this season, despite strict protocols put in place prior to the season. The A-10, however, has taken a beating at the hands of the virus. Ten of the league’s 14 schools have had to postpone and/or cancel men’s and/or women’s basketball games so far this season.

“I don’t want to look at it as we’re the only team that’s going through this,” Schmidt said of the cancelations. “The team that we’re playing tomorrow (Fordham), I think they were quarantined for 46 days. Some people have had it worse, but you’ve got to take it one day at a time and can’t feel sorry for yourself.”

The Week Ahead

While the virus prevents us from telling exactly what is ahead for this week, the Bonnies are scheduled to play at 1-3 Fordham on Wednesday at 2 p.m., before returning to the Reilly Center to play 3-3 Duquesne on Friday night at 7 p.m. The Bonnies’ game against the Dukes was moved from Saturday to Friday, to be the A-10’s national game that will be broadcasted on ESPN2.

Fordham’s schedule has looked similar to Bona’s this season, as a COVID-19 shutdown in late November derailed the Rams’ non-conference schedule to the point where they were left unable to play any games before A-10 play began. SBU played two conference games this season.

But for how little they’ve played this season, the Rams have been outscored by a collective 53 in the first half of their four games. In stark contrast, the Bonnies have outscored opponents by 30 points in the first half alone.

“They’re struggling offensively, but that hasn’t affected their defense and hasn’t affected how hard they play,” Schmidt said. “These kids really play. They’re very good defensively. They take a zillion charges. They’re just hard-nosed kids. Blue collar kids that love to compete. They understand who they are and they play awfully hard.”

Chris Austin has averaged over 11 points per game for the Rams this season, while Joel Soriano has averaged 10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. The Rams’ lone win of the season came on Jan. 5 at home against Dayton.

As for Duquesne, which is 2-2 in the conference right now, the Bonnies will have to contend against Marcus Weathers. The senior forward is shooting nearly 50% from the floor and averaging 13.2 points per game for the Dukes this season. He’ll face a St. Bonaventure defense that has held opponents to just 41% shooting.

Those numbers are in no small part due to being ninth in the nation defending against the three, allowing opponents just under 26% shooting from beyond the arc. The good news for the Bonnies is that the Dukes are only shooting just under 29% from there this season.

“In this league or in any league, on any given day, anybody can win games,” Schmidt said. “We’re going down to Fordham understanding that that’s going to be a very difficult game, and hopefully we can play well enough to win by one. This is not an overlooked game.”

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 basketball: Bonnies try to keep momentum going at Fordham

(Photo Credit: GoBonnies.com)

By Katie Faulkner @kfaulkner20

The St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team travels to New York City for a Wednesday night matchup with Fordham at 7 p.m. The Bonnies enter the week at 11-3 in Atlantic 10 play and 22-5 overall after a 70-63 victory over La Salle on Saturday afternoon. Senior Katie Healy registered a team-high 22 points and five assists in the win.

Fordham (12-15, 7-7 A-10) continues to struggle offensively, as it is currently ranked last in the Atlantic 10 in scoring with 53 points per game.

The Rams have just one player averaging double-figure scoring in Samantha Clark with 12 points per game. The senior averages 37 minutes of playing time and leads the league with nine rebounds per contest. The 6-foot-2 G’mrice Davis averages nine points and seven rebounds.

Continue reading “Women’s basketball: Bonnies try to keep momentum going at Fordham” →

Men’s basketball: Bonnies face Fordham at Rose Hill

(Nelson Kaputo Photo Credit: GoBonnies.com)

By Chuckie Maggio @chuckiemaggio

The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team puts its five-game winning streak at Rose Hill Gymnasium to the test on Wednesday at 7 against Fordham.

The Bonnies may have defeated the Rams in eight of the last nine meetings, but this is an improved team under first-year coach Jeff Neubauer. The 3-7 A-10 record is less than stellar, but has the program tied for 10th place; it has finished in the bottom three of the conference standings every year since the 2007-08 season. Nine non-conference victories brings its overall record to 12-9.

Fordham’s wins are not all that impressive- La Salle, George Mason and UMass are currently the bottom three of the standings- but its defense has been strong this season.

Continue reading “Men’s basketball: Bonnies face Fordham at Rose Hill” →

Women’s basketball: Bonnies host Fordham on Thursday night

(Miranda Drummond Photo Credit: GoBonnies.com)

By Katie Faulkner @kfaulkner20

The St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team returns home for its first Atlantic 10 game inside the Reilly Center, as it takes on Fordham Thursday night at 7. The Bonnies are 8-0 on their home court this season and will look to secure their 12^th straight victory.

Fordham (6-8) also won its Atlantic 10 opener this past Saturday at home over Davidson, 51-40. The Rams currently rank 13^th in the A-10 in points per game with 54.8; however, they sit at third in fewest points allowed with 56.6. Senior forward Samantha Clark is averaging 13.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, while also shooting over 55 percent from the floor. Fordham has shot 33.2 percent from beyond the arc and is led by junior guard Hannah Missry’s league-best 42 three pointers.

The brown and white are holding opponents to just 22.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc (54-of-212) and 32.7 overall from the floor. Meanwhile, the Bonnies are shooting 45.3 percent from the floor, with senior Nyla Rueter connecting on 42 percent of her shots from long range.

Rueter enters this game 22 points shy of 1,000 career points. Her 152 three pointers places her eighth in Bonaventure history.

St. Bonaventure continues to share the ball well and has recorded assists on over 62 percent of its field goals. Sophomore guard Mariah Ruff dished out six of the team’s 16 in the win over Rhode Island last weekend.

The Bonnies stand at no. 32 in the national RPI rankings, as they have three wins over RPI Top 100 teams (Georgetown-84, Buffalo-81, James Madison-93).

Men’s basketball: Bonnies use second-half surge to top Fordham

By Chuckie Maggio @chuckiemaggio

The start of Saturday afternoon’s game had fans reverting back to the finale of the 2012-13 season, when Fordham came in and shocked St. Bonaventure.

In the final 20 minutes, however, the Bonnies showed that things would be different this time around.

After trailing 28-23 at halftime, SBU outscored the Rams 43-24 in the second half to secure a 66-52 victory in front of 3555 fans at the Reilly Center. With the win, the Bonnies finish the regular season at 17-12, with a 10-8 record in the Atlantic 10.

The Rams had the halftime lead thanks to 42.3 percent shooting from the floor and a defense that held Bona to a 36.7 percent mark from the field. Mandell Thomas and Chris Sengfelder led all scorers with seven points each, while Ryan Rhoomes had six rebounds to help Fordham outrebound Bonaventure 20-17 in that period. The Rams shot 4-of-11 from three-point range, while the Bonnies failed to make any of their seven attempts from long range.

After the sluggish start, the brown and white came out of the break with much more energy and toughness than they displayed in the first 20 minutes. Bona started the second session on an 16-8 run, giving them a lead they never relinquished.

“No one played well in the first half, we were just lethargic,” said Bona coach Mark Schmidt. “But in the second half we couldn’t have played better… that’s what you have to do in this league.

“Today was typical of our season. Didn’t go well at times, especially in the first half, but the kids responded.”

“We were down (in) the first half; we were playing terrible, I was playing terrible,” said center Youssou Ndoye. “I just wanted to tell them that I would pick it up and (that) I’ve got their back. Everything’s going to start with me, and we’ve got to start on the defensive end.”

Bonaventure guard Marcus Posley scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half to pace the offensive explosion, while Ndoye, playing what was likely his final game in the Reilly Center, had 11 second-half points out of 15 overall. Posley and Ndoye were two of four Bonnies in double figures, with Dion Wright registering 12 points and Andell Cumberbatch adding 10.

Wright and Posley did not get the start, an unusual event for Schmidt’s team. Schmidt went with Iakeem Alston at point, Cumberbatch at the two-guard, Denzel Gregg at small forward, Chris Dees at power forward and Ndoye at center.

Gregg had a productive afternoon, with nine points, four rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block in 33 minutes. Alston played 12 minutes, with two points, two assists and two steals. Dees had a rebound in 10 minutes of play.

The victory gave the Bonnies 10 A-10 wins, tied for the second-most in program history. That fact was not lost on Schmidt, who had nothing but praise for his team reaching the milestone.

“Couldn’t be prouder of our guys to be able to win 10 games in this league… (it) speaks volumes about the talent of our players (and) the character of our guys,” Schmidt said.

“If someone were to tell me that we’d win 10 games in this league at the beginning of the year I would have told them they were crazy, but the kids really fought. We had some adversity during the year… but we found a way.”

Men’s basketball: Fordham Preview

By Chuckie Maggio @chuckiemaggio

The St. Bonaventure Bonnies close out the regular season on Saturday at 4 when they host the Fordham Rams at the Reilly Center.

Bona (16-12, 9-8 in the A-10) enters the last game before the Atlantic 10 Tournament with a shot at moving from eighth to seventh in the bracket. For that to happen, it needs to take care of business against the Rams (9-19, 4-13) and UMass has to beat George Washington in their 3:30 matchup in D.C. If the Bonnies win, George Washington wins, La Salle beats Dayton and Davidson beats Duquesne, the Bonnies are also seventh in that scenario.

The Bonnies’ first opponent in Brooklyn on Thursday will be either St. Joe’s or La Salle. If they get the seventh seed, they will play at 6:30. If they get the eighth seed, they will play at noon. The eighth seed may actually be more desirable for SBU since Davidson would be the quarterfinal opponent rather than Dayton, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

One notable for the Rams is that leading scorer Eric Paschall is doubtful for tomorrow’s game. Coach Tom Pecora said that unless he’s 100 percent, he’s not going, so don’t expect to see him in uniform.

Can the Bonnies dispatch Fordham and keep these scenarios alive, or will the Rams pull off a big upset in the Reilly Center a la 2013? Here’s the full breakdown:

The Coaches:

St. Bonaventure- Mark Schmidt. 122-122 as Bonnies coach.

Fordham- Tom Pecora. 43-104 as Rams coach.

Key players for Fordham:

Mandell Thomas- 6-2 junior guard. With Paschall out, Thomas will assume most of the scoring burden. The Rochester native is averaging 13.1 points, four rebounds and a team-leading 3.7 assists this season. He’s a quick and athletic guard that also leads the conference in steals with 2.3 steals a contest. An upset win would rest largely on Thomas’s shoulders.

Christian Sengfelder- 6-7 freshman forward. My pick for A-10 Rookie of the Year is averaging 11.5 points on 49 percent shooting from the floor along with 7.3 rebounds. The individual matchup with Dion Wright should be something to watch, with rookie going against veteran.

Jon Severe- 6-2 sophomore guard. Severe, an All-Rookie selection last year after averaging just over 17 points a game, returned to the team in January after taking a month-long leave of absence for personal reasons. He has struggled to regain his form, averaging just 6.9 points and 2.8 rebounds a contest, but had 15 points against La Salle and cannot be overlooked on Saturday. If he gets hot and reverts to his 2013-14 self, he could have a major impact on this game.

Keys to victory for Fordham: Defense has been the pitfall for the Rams this season; they are 0-9 in Atlantic 10 games that they allow 70 points or more. The Bonnies’ offense has struggled at times this year, so for Fordham to have a chance, SBU needs to score less than the “unmagical number” of 70.

Keys to victory for St. Bonaventure: Now more than ever, the Bonnies cannot look ahead or scoreboard watch. Everyone is excited for Brooklyn, and everyone will be keeping a close eye on the seeding scenarios, but the brown and white need to end the regular season strong by playing a solid game on both ends from start to finish. Fordham is not the most formidable opponent, but it’s not like Bona can breeze through this game without a care, and the players know that.

Prediction: The Bonnies will overpower the Rams and get 10 A-10 wins for the first time since Andrew Nicholson and the 2012 team. Look for Marcus Posley to have a great day shooting the basketball. 73-56 Bonnies