Game Notes: St. Bonaventure | La Salle | A-10
The Matchup
The Bonnies (12-10, 4-5 A-10) host La Salle (12-13, 4-6) for Homecoming weekend in the second game of a three-game homestand.
Last Time Out
The Bonnies used a 3-pointer from Michael Davenport with 1.6 seconds left to overcome a one-point deficit and sink Atlantic 10 leader Duquesne, 64-62, on Saturday night in front of a raucous Reilly Center. The win snapped Duquesne's 11-game win streak, the fourth-longest in the nation at the time.
Coming Up
St. Bonaventure hosts Saint Louis (8-14, 3-6) next Wednesday to conclude its span of three straight in the RC. SBU then hits the road to take on Richmond (Feb. 20), before returning to the friendly confines against Fordham (Feb. 23).
Scouting the Explorers
Senior Ruben Guillandeaux's putback with 19 seconds remaining gave La Salle its first lead in over 13 minutes and propelled the Explorers to a 78-77 victory at Saint Louis on Wednesday night. Guillandeaux tied classmate Jerrell Williams with a game-high 20 points, while sophomore Aaric Murray added 18 points. All but two of La Salle's 10 conference games have been decided by five points or less.
Last Meeting
Andrew Nicholson and senior Chris Matthews combined to score 45 points and lead St. Bonaventure to a critical 77-66 Atlantic 10 win at La Salle Feb. 21, 2010 at Tom Gola Arena. Nicholson scored 18 of his game-high 24 points in the first half, going 11-of-24 from the field for the game while adding eight rebounds. With Nicholson in foul trouble in the second half, Matthews picked up the scoring load, hitting six three-pointers to duplicate the 6-foot-9 forward's 18-point half. Matthews finished 7-of-13 from long range for his fourth 20-point game of the season.
Head Coach: John Giannini
Dr. John Giannini enters his seventh season as head coach at La Salle University in 2010-11. Giannini is La Salle's all-time winningest coach in Atlantic 10 play and has produced the program's only winning A-10 records since joining the league in 1995-96. Giannini guided the Explorers to Atlantic 10 Championship Quarterfinals berths in three of his first four seasons. He is also the winningest coach in Maine history and when he left Rowan, Giannini was the winningest active NCAA Division III head coach. He is one of three head men's basketball coaches with doctorates, joining Lehigh's Brett Reed and Valparasio's Homer Drew.
Series Snapshot
The Explorers hold a slim 11-10 advantage in the all-time series between the two institutions. St. Bonaventure has won each of the last two meetings and is 6-2 in series games played in the RC.
Clutch When it Counts
The Bonnies have made five game-winning or game-tying shots on their final possession, including three with fewer than seven seconds remaining in regulation. Andrew Nicholson drained game-winning jump shots in consecutive games against Buffalo (6.8 seconds left) and St. John's (5.2), followed later in the season by Michael Davenport's winning 3-pointer with 1.6 ticks showing against Duquesne. Against Virginia Tech in the Blue Cross Arena, senior G Ogo Adegboye knocked down a triple with 20 seconds left on SBU's final possession, sending the game into overtime. Davenport also converted from beyond the arc with 22 seconds left in the second overtime period against Ohio, sending the game to a third extra frame.
Are We Going Streaking?
Last season, the Bonnies went on a late-season surge in A-10 play, winning five of their final seven league contests to capture the No. 8 seed and host their second-ever conference Championship game. With three games left against RPI 150-plus teams (La Salle 168, Fordham 252, Saint Joseph's 203) and no team remaining with an RPI higher than 74 (@Richmond 74, @Duquesne 73, Rhode Island 82) – could the Bonnies be poised for another late-season push?
Hitting the Boards
Senior G Ogo Adegboye hauled in a career-high seven rebounds in Saturday's dramatic win over then-A-10 leader Duquesne. The London native grabbed five of his rebounds on the defensive end in the first half, and collected his seventh after a Nicholson rejection at the 10:28 mark of the final stanza.
Turning Things Around
With its win against the Dukes last Saturday, the Bonnies improved to 12-10 overall, marking the second time in nine years that a Bonaventure team has been two-or-more games above .500 through 22 games. Both such seasons have been under fourth-year coach Mark Schmidt, who was 12-10 through 22 games in his second season (2008-09). SBU endured seven straight seasons with a losing record through 22 games after favorable marks led to postseason berths in the 99-00 (NCAA), 00-01 (NIT), and 01-02 (NIT) seasons.
Run Up the Score
Based on the Bonnies season thus far, a high-scoring affair favors the Brown and White. When scoring 70 or more points, SBU is 6-1. Conversely, the Bonnies are just 6-9 if they score fewer than 70.
Matty Ice
Freshman G Matthew Wright – already a fan-favorite - continues to provide a spark in his first season. Wright – who was 1-for-21 from 3-point range in the non-conference season – has also shown a flair for timely baskets, including a triple with 1:21 left to highlight a 7-0 surge that gave SBU a three-point lead against Duquesne. The Toronto native is shooting 52.4 percent from the field (second on the team) and 43.8 percent from beyond the arc (second) in his last four A-10 games.
Sharing the Sugar
Senior PG Ogo Adegboye - a team captain in his second and final season in the Brown and White - handed out a game-high eight assists in the loss to Dayton on Wednesday. For his career, the London native has nine games with six or more helpers, including seven this season.
It's Up, and Good!
Nicholson made a career-high 15 field goals in his 35-point outburst at Dayton. In the opening 20 minutes, he went 6-of-9 from the floor en route to 15 of the 23 Bona points. He finished off the second-highest scoring game of his carrer 9-of-14 in the second half.
Return to Sender
Against Dayton, Bonnies' junior Andrew Nicholson blocked three shots to move into sole possession of second place on the career rejections list (169). Nicholson's block at the 6:31 mark of the second period against Ohio made him just the third player in school history to block 150 or more shots in a career. The junior Mississauga native also owns the Bonnies' single-game record (9 vs. Bucknell).
Same Starting Five
Bonaventure is one of four teams nationally to use the same starters in every game: Cleveland State (26 games); James Madison (25); Missouri State (24) and St. Bonaventure (22). Evansville, who was previously on the list, used a different lineup in its 21st game of the season.
Oh So Close
When the final margin is five or fewer points, St. Bonaventure is an impressive 7-2, with the only losses coming at Rhode Island and Dayton. Whenthe final margin is just four points bigger (margin between 6-10), the Bonnies are 1-5.
Home Sweet Home
With a 6-4 mark in the venerable Reilly Center so far in 2010-11, SBU improves to 396-184 (.683) in 44 seasons with the RC as the home floor. With four remaining home games, the Bonnies have a chance to get their 400th win in the Reilly Center this season.
He Did it Again
Andrew Nicholson booked his second straight double-double with 35 points and 11 rebounds at Dayton. He notched his eighth double-double of the season (25 points, 11 rebounds) as the Bonnies held on to defeat Fordham, 69-60, at Rose Hill. It marked his first double-double in 10 games after accomplishing the feat in seven of the first nine contests to start the year. For his career, the Mississauga, Ont. native has 15 games of 10+ points and 10+ rebounds.
Toeing the Line
Bonnies' junior Andrew Nicholson has attempted 174 free throws this season, good for fourth on the school's single-season FT attempts list. His next pair will move him into a fourth-place tie with Tom Stith, who shot 176 free throws during the 1960-61 campaign.
Climbing the Charts
Nicholson is climbing the St. Bonaventure career records list in his third season. The Mississauga, Ont. native is second on the school's career FG% ledger (.569), ranks second in blocks (169), and now sits in 22nd on the all-time scoring list with 1,314 points. He is the 22nd player in school annals to post 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career. The junior also cracked the top 10 in single season free throw attempts against URI and now ranks fourth (176).
Stepping Up
Entering the season, coach Mark Schmidt commented that players other than Nicholson would have to step up for the Bonnies to find success. True to form, each of the other four starters have netted career highs including: Michael Davenport (28 pts vs. Rhode Island), Ogo Adegboye (17 vs. Ark.-Little Rock, 24 vs. Buffalo), Demitrius Conger (22 pts. 14 rebs. vs. Cornell) and Da'Quan Cook (21 pts. 13 rebs. vs. Binghamton). Matthew Wright got into the act against GW, pouring in a career-high 18 on 6-of-7 from the field and Marquise Simmons upped his best to 14 points against UMass.
Schmidt & Staff Pass Baron
Jim Baron, the last coach to lead the Bonnies to a postseason tournament (NIT, 2002), posted 48 wins in his first four campaigns. Now in their fourth season on the Bona sidelines, Schmidt and his staff (all of whom eventually worked under Schmidt at Robert Morris) have collected 50…and counting. By number of victories in their first four seasons, here's how it breaks down:
75 Ed Melvin (1948-52)
72 Jim Satalin (1973-77)
67 Jim O'Brien (1982-86)
58 Larry Weise (1961-65)
53 Eddie Donovan (1953-57)
50+ Mark Schmidt (2007-Pres.)
48 Jim Baron (1992-96)
Mike Reilly (1928-32)
24 Anthony Solomon (2003-07)
Simmons Sighting
Sophomore F Marquise Simmons – who missed the first 10 games of the season with a hand injury – led the Bonnies against UMass with 14 points, including 8-of-8 from the free throw line. He played just three minutes in his return against Va. Tech, but has been increasingly active on both ends of the floor with more playing time as he works his way back into the lineup.
Bouncing Back
Junior G Michael Davenport notched his third career double-double with 28 points and 12 boards to carry the Bonnies against Rhode Island. After starting the season with a 1-for-11 3FG%, he has lifted his percentage from deep. In conference games, the Cincinnati native is converting at 46.2 percent (18-39) from 3-point range while shooting 41.7 percent from the field.
Aren't You Guys Tired?
Through 22 games, four of the five starters average more than 32 minutes per game and Da'Quan Cook averages 25.1. Ogo Adegboye leads the nation in minutes per game (39.2) and has played at least 36 minutes in all but two contests, including complete-game efforts against Buffalo, St. John's, Niagara, Ark.-Little Rock and Charlotte (3OT) and Dayton. Demitrius Conger has played nearly 90 percent of possible minutes and is ranked 25th nationally (36.7/gm). Andrew Nicholson was in for the duration against Ohio (60 min, 4OT) and Charlotte (55 min, 3OT).
And-1 (More)
The Bonnies have actually played the equivalent of one extra game this season when accounting for EIGHT overtime periods. By point differential (+5 Ohio 4OT, -8 VT OT, +4 Charlotte 3OT), SBU would pull out a one-point victory in that extra game, led by 22 points and six rebounds from Andrew Nicholson and 14 points and six boards from Ogo Adegboye.
Scoring the Rock
As of Feb. 11, Andrew Nicholson ranks 20th nationally in scoring at 20.3 points per game and recorded the NCAA's third-highest scoring output this season with 44 points (on 14-of-19 FGs and 16-19 FTs) in the 4OT win versus Ohio. He also has the top three scoring totals in the A-10 this season (35 vs. Dayton, 34 vs. Charlotte). The junior has raised his scoring average every season in the Brown and White (12.5--16.4—20.3) and his current scoring clip would be the highest for a season since Marques Green averaged 21.3 in 2002-03.
Mr. Consistency
A rising sophomore who showed flashes of talent last season, Conger has been one of the more consistent performers this season, recording at least eight points and three boards in 17 straight games from Nov. 19 at Cornell - where he notched his first career double-double (22 pts, 14 reb) - to Jan. 26 versus Massachusetts.
#100 for Schmidt
Now in his fourth season at St. Bonaventure, head coach Mark Schmidt coached his 100th game at SBU against Ohio Dec. 18, 2010, the longest game in school history. Schmidt's .430 (43-56) win percentage entering the game was the highest by a Bonnies' mentor since Jim Baron's .502 (132-131) mark compiled from 1992-01. Schmidt and Baron are the only two coaches to post a win-loss percentage over .400 since the start of the 1987 season.
Chasing .500
After recording a 15-15 mark in 2008-09, SBU fell one game short of .500 last season by booking a 15-16 record. St. Bonaventure enjoyed a streak of 28 consecutive seasons of .500-or-better basketball from 1956-57 to 1983-84, but has just eight such seasons in the last 25. SBU has 63 seasons at or above .500 in 89 years.
Double Doubles
So far this season, the Bonnies have 18 double- doubles from four different players: Nicholson (9), Conger (4), Cook (2), Davenport (2) and Adegboye (1). Earlier this season, Nicholson's streak of five straight double doubles tied for the second-longest in the country.
Riding the Pine
The Bonnies are on the short side of the bench scoring matchup by a wide margin despite their favorable record. Through 22 games SBU has outscored the opposing bench just three times (Temple, 8-7; UMass 28-17, Duquesne 19-7). In all other games: Canisius (-17); Ark.-Little Rock (-10); Cornell (-10); Binghamton (-17); Cleveland State (-3); Buffalo (-9); St. John's (-31); Niagara (-15); Ohio (-18); Va. Tech (-10); Siena (-11); Marshall (-24); Ark.-Little Rock (-15); Charlotte (-10); Temple (+1); Rhode Island (-14); Xavier (-6); GW (-6); UMass (+11), Fordham (-5), Dayton (-18), Duquesne (+12).
NLI Signees
SBU added a pair of guards in the early signing period. Schenectady native Derrick Millinghaus, who currently attends Queen City Prep in Marshville, N.C., is a 1-2 combo guard with an open-court style. Millinghaus will have four years of eligibility, while fellow signee Eric Mosely will have two years remaining. Mosely currently attends Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and spent his freshman season at Austin Peay in 2008-09.
APR Improvement
Mark Schmidt ranks 13th in the nation in NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) improvement, as calculated by Fox Sports. Schmidt is among the top coaches nationally in cumulative improvement of his team APR, a metric used by NCAA officials to track the academic achievement of Division I teams during each academic term. Each student-athlete earns one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible. A team's total points are divided by points possible and multiplied by 1,000 to equal the team's APR score.
Ahead of Schedule?
Now in his fourth season at the helm of the Bonnies, head coach Mark Schmidt is ahead of schedule with respect to his previous head coaching stint at Robert Morris. During his third and fourth season at RMU, Schmidt posted back-to-back seasons with the same number of wins (14) before guiding the team to a record over .500 (15-14). At St. Bonaventure, Schmidt has guided the team to 15 wins in each of the last two campaigns in his second and third seasons with the program. St. Bonaventure has not finished a season over .500 since 2001-02 (17-13).
