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GAMEDAY CENTRAL
ST. BONAVENTURE (11-14, 4-8) at FORDHAM (2-23, 0-13)
DATE: Wednesday, February 24, 2010
SITE: Rose Hill Gymnasium (3,200)
TIP-OFF: 7:00 p.m. ET
RADIO: WPIG (95.7 FM) & WHDL (1450 AM) - Olean
TALENT: Gary Nease (Play-by-Play)
AUDIO & PREGAME CHAT: GOBONNIES.com
LIVE VIDEO: FORDHAMSPORTS.com
SERIES: Fordham leads, 16-13
LAST MEETING: February 10, 2010
St. Bona 72, Fordham 61 (Box Score - Pg. 2)
UP NEXT: vs. Rhode Island
Saturday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m.

AT A GLANCE
Just two days removed from a crucial road win at La Salle on Sunday, St. Bonaventure will look to put together just its third A-10 road win streak in nine seasons when it takes on Fordham Wednesday night at historic Rose Hill Gym. The Bonnies last conference road winning streak came last season when they won at Fordham and Richmond. The meeting is the second in two weeks between the two teams, as St. Bonaventure earned a 72-61 win on Feb. 10 at the Reilly Center. With just two weeks of A-10 play remaining, the Brown and White sit in a tie with George Washington for ninth place in the standings. The Bonnies' four A-10 road losses this season have come by a combined 13 points.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Prior to last season, Fordham had taken nine straight from the Bonnies at Rose Hill Gym where the Rams own a 4-9 record all-time against the Brown and White. St. Bonaventure snapped its losing streak in the Bronx last season with a 78-65 win over the Rams in the A-10 opener for both squads. The two teams have met twice a year in all but one season since Fordham joined the A-10 in 1996. The Rams have swept the season series five times, the Bonnies three times, while they've spit the other five. St. Bonaventure is looking for its first sweep of the Rams since 1998, in which they won the home game and then the road game.

THIS DAY IN BONA BASKETBALL
St. Bonaventure is 4-4 all-time when playing on February 24, dating back to the 1975-76 season in the Bona record books - the final season that has actual dates recorded. The Bonnies picked up a 84-74 win over Fordham on this date in 2001. St. Bonaventure held off a late Fordham charge by making its final 16 free throws and receiving game-highs of 26 points and 14 rebounds from KEVIN HOUSTON.

SCOUTING THE RAMS
Standing at just 2-23 overall on the season and 0-13 in the A-10, Fordham has dropped 18 straight heading into Wednesday's game. The Rams average a league-worst 62.8 points per game and give up a league-high 78.2 points. Fordham is led by the inside-out tandem of senior Brenton Butler and freshman Chris Gaston, who account for 54 percent (34 ppg) of the team's scoring and are the highest-scoring tandem in the A-10. Butler has reached 20 or more points in eight contests this season and has upped his scoring average to 17.2 in A-10 action. Earlier this season against the Bonnies, Butler became the 33rd player in program history to reach 1,000 points. Butler scored 22 of his game-high 26 points against St. Bonaventure in the second half. A double-double machine, Gaston leads all freshmen nationally in rebounding at 11.0 per contest and is fourth in the A-10 in scoring at 18.0. The 6-foot-7 St. Anthony's product has 16 double-doubles, 18 double-digit rebounding efforts and has reached double figure points in 22 times. A four-time and reigning A-10 Rookie of the Week, Gaston has gone to the free throw line a league-best 174 times and is one of two players in the A-10 to score 30 points twice this season.

HEAD COACHING MATCHUP
ST. BONAVENTURE HEAD COACH
Mark Schmidt
@ St. Bonaventure: 34-51 (3rd Season)
Overall: 116-105 (9th Season)
Atlantic 10: 12-32 (3rd Season)
vs. Fordham: 2-2

FORDHAM HEAD COACH
Jared Grasso
@ Fordham: 1-19 (1st Season)
Overall: same
Atlantic 10: 0-13 (1st Season)
vs. St. Bonaventure: 0-1

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 six games. Hall is averaging 15.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists over the past six games, highlighted by three doubles. The 6-foot-5 swingman has led the team in rebounding four times and scoring three times since returning from injury six games ago. Hall is one of 10 players in the A-10 that has a 20-point game and three double-doubles in conference play. The former JUCO Division I National Tournament MVP has also grabbed 22 offensive rebounds over the last six games.

BOMBS AWAY
With at least four games left to go, senior CHRIS MATTHEWS is just two three-pointers away from equaling his total from last year and just 19 trifectas away from equaling the program single-season record of 98 set by Marques Green in 2003-04. Matthews' 81 threes in 2008-09 ranks fourth all-time, while his current 79 threes are fifth-best. Matthews is just the second player in program history to produced two of the top five three-point seasons totals in school history. The Washington, D.C. product 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.

FROM DOWNTOWN
The fastest player to 150 three-pointers in school history, senior CHRIS MATTHEWS leads the A-10 and ranks 12th in the country at 3.2 threes per game. Matthews has made three or more treys in a game 13 times this season and at least one in 28 straight games dating back to last season. During his career as a Bonnie, Matthews has made a three in 52 of 55 games, helping him rank seventh on the all-time list with 160 trifectas. Matthews accounts for 64 percent of the team's three-point makes and his 79 treys on the year are the fifth-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 (7.6). Nicholson leads the A-10 with a 57.4 percent (163-284) 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 six 20-point games: vs. St. John's (26), vs. Norfolk State (29), at Niagara (24), at UMass (26), at Duquesne (29) and at La Salle (24). He also has three double-doubles and five double-digit rebound games. Nicholson has led the team in scoring 13 times, rebounding 11 times, including both in the same game on six occasions.

ON THE OFFENSIVE
St. Bonaventure has done a much-better job attacking the offensive glass as of late. The Bonnies grabbed a combined 96 offensive rebounds over their last seven games. As a team, the Bonnies have gathered 10 or more offensive caroms in a game 16 times, including seven straight. The Bonnies grabbed season-high 20 offensive rebounds against Canisius. Sophomore ANDREW NICHOLSON leads the team with 61 offensive boards, while senior JONATHAN HALL has grabbed an offensive rebound in 44 of 52 career games. The return of Hall has been the catalyst for the aggressiveness on the boards over the last seven games, as the 6-foot-5 senior has grabbed 22 offensive boards over that span.

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 (12.8), rebounds (5.5), assists (3.7), blocks (14) and field goal percentage (.540). The Miami, Fla. native has scored in double figures 18 times, grabbed five or more rebounds 12 times and passed out at least five assists on seven occasions. Hall ranks third in the A-10 in field goal percentage and ninth in assist/turnover ratio (+1.7). Three of Hall's team-best five double-doubles have come on the road.

OVER-PROTECTIVE
According to statspass.com, St. Bonaventure's three turnovers against Fordham on Feb. 10 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.

MUSICAL CHAIRS
Head coach MARK SCHMIDT has used nine different starting lineups, including six in A-10 play in hopes to find the right combination this season. The Bonnies have rolled out a different starting five in three straight games heading into Wednesday night.

HEARTBREAK HOTEL
Seven out of St. Bonaventure's 12 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 in A-10 action. Among conference only leaders, Nicholson is fifth in scoring (17.3), sixth in rebounding (8.0), second in field goal percentage (.513) and fifth in blocks (2.1). Nicholson is averaging 19.9 points and 7.7 caroms over six A-10 road games. All three of Nicholson's 20-point games in conference play have come on the road and all four of his top scoring games in league play.