Box Score (pdf)

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Andrew Nicholson led all scorers with 23 points and Michael Davenport equaled a career-high 19 in St. Bonaventure's 80-70 loss to host Canisius in the season opener for both squads Friday night at the Koessler Athletics Center.

The Bonnies scored 13 of the game's first 19 points and took their largest lead of the game – a seven-point cushion – on a traditional three point play from Nicholson 5:41 into the game.

Canisius' Gaby Belardo and Julius Coles sparked the Griffins from there though, combining for 19 first-half points and whittling the Bonnies' advantage to a 21-20 lead at the 7:24 mark of the first period. Canisius finished the game with a plus-six rebounding advantage and worked free for a lay in on its next possession after an offensive rebound to take the lead for good.

Coles finished with 21 points to lead the Griffs. Belardo, a transfer from South Florida, booked 19 after sitting out last season.

Junior F Da'Quan Cook scored 10 of his 11 in the opening frame, while Canisius' Alshwan Hymes (13) and Greg Logins (10) also finished in double figures for the Golden Griffins.

"It's a difficult place to play and they were all hyped and into the game," said Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt. "They were aggressive and we took a step back I think.

"We didn't defend and we didn't do a good job rebounding and that's the bottom line."

The Bonnies had a chance to tie or take the lead going into the half, but a costly turnover and coast-to-coast jumper off of the glass at the buzzer gave the Griffs a four-point lead, 37-33.

Nicholson and Davenport – the only St. Bonaventure players to make more than two field goals in the second half – pulled the Bonnies to within striking distance twice in the final stanza, but Hymes hit two decisive 3-pointers in a 10-3 run midway through to push the Canisius lead to 12 and put the game effectively out of reach.

NOTES: The Bonnies were 75-14 in season openers going into the contest, including a streak of 25 in a row from '63 to '88 … Canisius and St. Bonaventure have now alternated wins in each of the last seven meetings … Nicholson's 3-pointer with 1:36 to go in the game was the first triple of his career … he is now 110 points from the 1,000-point milestone … freshman G Matthew Wright was the team's sixth man in his first collegiate contest, and classmate Sam de Haas also saw action.