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GAMEDAY CENTRAL
ST. BONAVENTURE (10-13, 3-7) vs. #21/#20 TEMPLE (20-5, 8-2)
DATE: Wednesday, February 17, 2010
SITE: Reilly Center (5,780)
COURT: Bob Lanier Court
TIP-OFF: 7:00 p.m. ET
RADIO: WPIG (95.7 FM) & WHDL (1450 AM) - Olean
TALENT: Gary Nease (Play-by-Play)
Dr. John Watson (Analyst)
LIVE AUDIO & VIDEO: GOBONNIES.com
SERIES: Temple leads, 49-6
LAST MEETING: February 22, 2009
Temple 70, St. Bona 56 (Box Score - Pg. 2)
UP NEXT: at La Salle
Sunday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m.

AT A GLANCE
St. Bonaventure's season-long three-game home stand comes to an end on Wednesday when it hosts nationally-ranked Temple at the Reilly Center. The Bonnies are hoping history will repeat itself on Wednesday, as it looks to pick up its first win over a ranked opponent since it defeated #20 Temple, 57-56, at the Reilly Center on Jan. 15, 2000. The Owls came in at #21 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll. St. Bonaventure will look to rid itself of a 14-game losing streak against ranked opponents and an 11-game skid against Temple. The Bonnies will also look to avoid their first home losing streak of the season.

ALL-TIME SERIES
The Owls hold a commanding 49-6 advantage in the all-time series and have won 11 straight meetings between the two teams. Every win the Bonnies have in the series has come at the Reilly Center where they are 6-16 against the Owls. Temple held a 24-game winning streak from the 1983-84 season until the Bonnies won in double overtime in 1995. During the Owls' most recent 11-game winning streak, they have won by just under 18 points per game. The last three meetings in the series have come in February where the Owls have taken eight straight from St. Bonaventure.

THIS DAY IN BONA BASKETBALL
St. Bonaventure is 4-4 all-time when playing on February 17, dating back to the 1975-76 season in the Bona record books - the final season that has actual dates recorded. The last win on this date came in 1997 when the Bonnies defeated Colgate 70-55 at then-named Marine Midland Arena. The Bonnies held a Adonal Foyle-led Colgate club to just four second half field goals and forced 34 turnovers. Sophomore TIM WINN had a team-high 17 points, while RASHAAN PALMER scored his 1,000th career point.

SCOUTING THE OWLS
Despite losing three-time Atlantic 10 leading scorer Dionte Christmas to graduation, Temple has used stellar defense to continue to thrive under third-year head coach Fran Dunphy. Ranked #21 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll and #20 in the ESPN/USA Today poll, the Owls sit a half-game out of first place in the A-10 standings at 8-2 and have already won 20 games for the third straight season under Dunphy. Temple's success can be directly attributed to its top ranking in the A-10 in scoring defense (57.5), field goal percentage defense (.383) and turnovers per game (10.8) - figures rank sixth, 19th and 10th in the nation, respectively. Temple has held a league-high 13 opponents to under 60 points this season, going 11-2 over that span. Senior Ryan Brooks has picked up the scoring left by Christmas' departure, posting a career-best 15.1 points per game average. Brooks has finished in double figures a team-best 18 times and earlier this season became the 45th player in program history to score 1,000 points. Junior Lavoy Allen, a preseason A-10 All-Conference first team choice, is one of just three players in the conference averaging a double-double with 11.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore Juan Fernandez has seen limited action recently due to a concussion, but is second on the team in scoring (11.9) and is shooting a healthy 44 percent (49-111) from three-point range.

HEAD COACHING MATCHUP
ST. BONAVENTURE HEAD COACH
Mark Schmidt
@ St. Bonaventure: 33-50 (3rd Season)
Overall: 115-104 (9th Season)
Atlantic 10: 11-31 (3rd Season)
vs. Temple: 1-3

TEMPLE HEAD COACH
Fran Dunphy
@ Temple: 75-48 (4th Season)
Overall: 385-211 (21st Season)
Atlantic 10: 36-22 (5th Season)
vs. St. Bonaventure: 3-0

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
Three of St. Bonaventure's final five games in the month of February will be broadcasted by CBS College Sports as part of their Regional Syndication Package. Saturday's game at La Salle and the Feb. 27th home game against Rhode Island will all be broadcasted by CBS College Sports and show on Time Warner SportsNet in the local regions. Saturday's game at La Salle will be shown live in Buffalo and Olean and will be broadcast on tape delay in Rochester on Monday at 10 p.m.

RETURNING TO FORM
After missing three games with an ankle injury midway through January, senior JONATHAN HALL has started to return to form over the past three games. Hall is averaging 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists over the past three games, including a pair of double-doubles. The 6-foot-5 swingman has led the team in rebounding three of the last four games and scoring twice since returning from injury five games ago. Hall is one of 10 players in the A-10 that has a 20-point game and two double-doubles in conference play.

BOMBS AWAY
Senior CHRIS MATTHEWS has displayed the shooting stroke that helped him sink 81 three-pointers a year ago. Matthews equaled the school record of eight three-pointers against Illinois State, while also tying his own career-best of 28 points - both of which he set at Dayton in 2008-09. The Washington, D.C. product's 3.1 three-pointers per game currently lead the A-10 and rank 14th in the country. Matthews has made three or more treys in a game 12 times this season and at least one in 26 straight games dating back to last season. During his career as a Bonnie, Matthews has made a three in 50 of 53 games, helping him rank eighth on the all-time list with 152 trifectas. Matthews accounts for 62 percent of the team's three-point makes and his 71 treys on the year are the seventh-best single season total in school history.

THE CN TOWER
Sophomore ANDREW NICHOLSON is the center of attention for opposing teams. That hasn't stopped the reigning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year from avoiding a sophomore slump, as the Canadian big man leads the team in both scoring (16.5) and rebounding (7.7). Nicholson leads the A-10 with a 59.1 percent (149-252) field goal percentage and is one of two players to rank in top 10 in the conference in both scoring (6th) and rebounding (7th). Nicholson has produced five 20-point games: vs. St. John's (26), vs. Norfolk State (29), at Niagara (24), at UMass (26) and at Duquesne (29). He also has a team-best three double-doubles and five double-digit rebound games. Nicholson has led the team in scoring 12 times, rebounding 11 times, including both in the same game on six occasions.

DO IT ALL HALL
After becoming just the second player in program history to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists in the same year, senior JONATHAN HALL is putting together another solid season. Hall ranks second on the club in nearly every statistical category; points (12.7), rebounds (5.3), assists (3.7), blocks (13) and field goal percentage (.545). The Miami, Fla. native has scored in double figures 17 times, grabbed five or more rebounds 10 times and passed out at least five assists on six occasions. Hall ranks second in the A-10 in field goal percentage, ninth in assists (3.9) and 10th in assist/turnover ratio (+1.7). Hall put together his best game of the season at Saint Joseph's, finishing with game-highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.

OVER-PROTECTIVE
According to statspass.com, St. Bonaventure's three turnovers against Fordham last Wednesday night marked the 10th time this season a team has had three or less turnovers in a game this season. The Bonnies passed out 18 assists to go along with their three giveaways, including a combined 15 by junior OGO ADEGBOYE and senior JONATHAN HALL, who didn't commit a turnover. Bucknell committed just one turnover against American on Jan. 13, while Notre Dame had 22 assists and just two giveaways against DePaul on Jan. 23. St. Bonaventure's three turnovers came on the heels of its game at Saint Joseph's where it committed a season-best 23 turnovers.

HEARTBREAK HOTEL
Seven out of St. Bonaventure's 10 A-10 games this season have been decided by 10 points or less, including five losses by seven points or less. Even worse, the Bonnies have been beaten in the final seconds in two A-10 road games (Duquesne & St. Louis) and their five conference road games have been decided by a combined 15 points. St. Bonaventure's first six losses of the season came by a total of 21 points.

CONFERENCE BOOST
Sophomore ANDREW NICHOLSON has elevated his play on both ends of the court with the start of A-10 action. Among conference only leaders, Nicholson is fourth in scoring (17.6), fifth in rebounding (8.3), second in field goal percentage (.533), fourth in blocks (2.4) and ninth in minutes (35.1). Nicholson has scored in double figures in seven straight games, averaging 19.2 points.

ON THE OFFENSIVE
St. Bonaventure has done a much-better job attacking the offensive glass as of late. The Bonnies grabbed a combined 54 offensive rebounds over its last four games. As a team, the Bonnies have gathered 10 or more offensive caroms in a game 14 times, including a season-high 20 against Canisius. Sophomore ANDREW NICHOLSON leads the team with 55 offensive boards, while senior JONATHAN HALL has grabbed an offensive rebound in 42 of 50 career games.

GOOD OLE ST. NICH
Sophomore ANDREW NICHOLSON'S 20 second half points at Duquesne marked the second time this season the 6-foot-9 forward has scored 20 or more points in a half. Nicholson torched Norfolk State for 23 points and nine rebounds in the first half earlier this season. Out of a possible 44 halves, Nicholson has reached double figures 17 times and even posted a double-double by intermission against Southeast Missouri State (11 pts., 10 reb.).

NOTABLE HALVES
- 17 points vs. St. John's (2nd Half)
- 23 points vs. Norfolk State (1st Half)
- 11 points, 10 rebounds vs. Southeast Missouri (1st Half)
- 15 points, 5 rebounds at UMass (1st Half)
- 20 points at Duquesne (2nd Half)

SOFT TOUCH
Who says big men can't shoot? According to the most recent NCAA statistics, sophomore ANDREW NICHOLSON is on the verge of being the only player in the nation shooting 60 percent or better from the field and at least 80 percent from the free throw line. To be eligible for the rankings, the player has to make five field goals per game and an average of 2.5 free throws per contest. Nicholson is third in the nation in field goal percentage (.591) and sixth in the Atlantic 10 in free throw percentage (.774).

LOOK AT OGO
Now 11 games into his role as the team's starting point guard, junior OGO ADEGBOYE is beginning to take over as the team's floor general. Adegboye is averaging 7.3 points over 27.4 minutes per game as the starter. The Lamar CC product has hit a three-pointer in seven of his last 11 games and has committed just 18 turnovers over 301 minutes. Adegboye has committed a turnover or less in 11 games.