Jan. 14, 2009

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ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - A huge rebound margin and a solid all-around game from senior Ahmad Nivins helped visiting Saint Joseph's cruise to a 62-51 Atlantic 10 win over St. Bonaventure Wednesday night at the Reilly Center.

The Hawks (8-7, 2-0 A-10) posted a 50-30 edge on the glass, including 19 offensive rebounds, that led to an 18-4 advantage in second chance points. Nivins keyed the huge differentials as he finished with his eighth double-double of the season with 16 points, a game-high 13 boards and three blocks.

St. Bonaventure, who dropped its second game in a row to fall to 10-6 overall and 1-2 in the A-10, shot just 36 percent (22-61) from the field and attempted just eight foul shots.

Freshman Andrew Nicholson led the Bonnies in scoring for the fifth time in the last six games with 12 points and four caroms. Junior Jonathan Hall scored 10 points and had seven rebounds, while junior Maurice Thomas had nine points and seven boards.

Nivins wasn't the only SJU frontcourt player that presented problems for the Brown and White, though, as sophomore Idris Hilliard reached double figures for the fourth time in six contests. The 6-foot-7 Hilliard scored a game-high 17 points and added seven rebounds.

Saint Joseph's was able to overcome a 40 percent (25-62) night from the field and a season-high 19 turnovers with its rebound margin. All five Hawk starters logged 30 or more minutes.

The Hawks rolled together a pair of early 7-0 runs that were separated by a Da'Quan Cook layup to take a double figure lead, 16-6, by the second media timeout.

Points came at a premium for the Hawks over the remainder of the half, as they mustered just 11 points over the final 11 minutes.

Despite producing no large scoring runs, the Brown and White fought their way back into the game behind the scoring of Nicholson and the scrappy play of Thomas. Nicholson scored 10 points in the first half in a variety of ways, while Thomas grabbed five rebounds and got his hands on a ton of loose balls that led to easy buckets.

Neither team was impressive on the offensive end in the first frame, as the opening 20 minutes yielded a 27-22 Saint Joseph's advantage. The Bonnies shot just 27 percent (9-33), while the Hawks' 32 percent (10-31) clip was slightly better, but hampered by 11 turnovers.

The Saint Joseph's lead hung around five in the early going of the second half as the two teams traded baskets over the first three minutes. The Hawks were then able to push their lead back to double figures with four straight points in the paint and a jumper by Hilliard to make it 37-26, with 16:14 left.

The Bonnies climbed back into the game just minutes later as it showed its first signs of life from long range. Juniors Ray Blackburn and Chris Matthews hit back-to-back three-pointers - the team's first of the game - to vault the Brown and White to within four, 38-34, at the 13:11 mark.

Unfortunately, for St. Bonaventure, the 6-0 run supplied by Blackburn and Matthews was its largest of the game until the final minutes.

After having its double-digit lead cut to two possessions, the Hawks responded with a game-clinching 20-4 run that suffocated nearly eight minutes. During the run, Saint Joseph's sank 9-of-14 from the field, including two of its three trifectas in the game, while the Bonnies managed just a pair of field goals.

Now trailing 58-40 with 4:42 remaining, the Brown and White trimmed what grew to a 20-point deficit down to the 62-51 outcome.

St. Bonaventure will hit the road for its next A-10 contest when it travels to Richmond, Va. to take on the Spiders (9-7, 1-0 A-10). Gametime at the Robins Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.