Game Notes: St. Bonaventure | Richmond | A-10
The Matchup
Winners of three straight Atlantic 10 home games, the Bonnies (14-10, 6-5 Atlantic 10) travel to Richmond to take on the Spiders (20-7, 9-3) at the Robins Center on Sunday. The game will be televised by CBS College Sports Regional and carried by Time Warner (Rochester and Buffalo), Fios (Buffalo and Syracuse) and Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.
Last Time Out
Ogo Adegboye hit six 3-pointers en route to a career-high 29 points, Andrew Nicholson scored 20 of his 22 in the second half, and Da'Quan Cook tied his career-high 21 points with eight boards to guide St. Bonaventure (14-10, 6-5 Atlantic 10) past Saint Louis, 83-73, Wednesday night at the Reilly Center. Tied 15-15 in the first half, St. Bonaventure went on a 14-2 run over a six-minute span to open up the lead for good, although the Billikens (8-17, 3-9) would make it interesting in the closing moments.
Coming Up
St. Bonaventure returns to the RC to host Fordham, completing the season series with the struggling Rams. SBU then hits the road for games at Saint Joseph's and Duquesne, before concluding the regular season against Rhode Island at home.
Scouting the Spiders
Richmond is coming off of a 73-53 loss to No. 23 Temple on Thursday, a game in which shot 51.7 percent from the field in the first half and 60 percent in the second to power the victory. The Owls (20-6, 10-2 Atlantic 10) moved into sole possession of second place in the league by snapping the Spiders' eight-game road winning streak. For the third straight year, the Spiders currently claim the Atlantic 10's top scoring duo. For the past 2 seasons it was Kevin Anderson, the 2010 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, and David Gonzalvez and this season Justin Harper (18.0 ppg) and Anderson (15.8 ppg) are in the league's top-10. The Spiders have three 1,000-point scorers at the same time for just the 5th time, including the second-straight season. Anderson (3rd), Dan Geriot (19th) and Harper (21st) are all in the top-21 on Richmond's all-time scoring list.
Last Meeting
A 21-4 run over the opening 10 minutes of the second half helped Richmond turn a one-point halftime deficit into a convincing 68-49 Atlantic 10 win over St. Bonaventure Feb. 13, 2010 at the Reilly Center. Richmond's second half surge was led by senior David Gonzalvez, who poured in 16 of his game-high 25 points in the final frame to lead Richmond to their sixth straight win.
Head Coach: Chris Mooney
Richmond head man Chris Mooney is in his sixth season with the Spiders. He led Richmond to a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season to cap off a school-record 26-wins. Mooney led the Spiders to their best finish in Atlantic 10 regular season play, finishing 3rd in 2009-10, just a two-point double-overtime loss at Xavier from winning the title. In 2008-09, despite playing without 2008 All-Atlantic 10 center Geriot, Richmond won 20 games for the 16th time in school history, defeating a ranked opponent (No. 17 Xavier) in the Robins Center for the second-straight season. In 2007-08, Mooney led the Spiders to a win over No. 16 Dayton and Virginia Tech in the Robins Center on their way to fourth-place finish and a first-round bye in the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
Series Snapshot
Richmond is ahead, 10-4, in the series between the two schools. Of the four Bonnies' victories in the series, three have come on the road. Every SBU win in the series and come after back-to-back Richmond victories (L-L-W).
Talk About High-Percentage!
In the second half against Saint Louis, the Bonnies shot a blistering 73.1 percent (17-23) as a team, including a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the arc. Only four players (Adegboye, Nicholson, Davenport, Cook) attempted a shot. St. Bonaventure – which made 10 of its first 12 shots to start the half - also made 14 of 17 free throws.
History Repeating?
In the 14 series games, each of the four Bona wins has been preceded by a pair of losses (L-L-W). The Spiders have won the last two games over the Brown and White. A Bonaventure victory would complete the sixth L-L-W sequence between the Bonnies and Spiders.
Cook, He's a Monster
Redshirt junior Da'Quan Cook tied his career-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor. The forward's previous high came at Binghamton, a game in which Cook also scored 21 points and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds. On the season, he averages 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds.
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 (his second and third seasons). St. Bonaventure has not finished a season over .500 since 2001-02 (17-13).
Toeing the Line
Bonnies' junior Andrew Nicholson has attempted 188 free throws this season, tying for first on the school's single-season FT attempts list with J.R. Bremer's mark set in 2001-02. His next free throw attempt raises the SBU single-season mark.
Pack Mentality
In the win over Saint Louis Wednesday night, three Bonnies scored over 20 points. Senior G Ogo Adegboye led the way with 29 points, followed by Andrew Nicholson's 22(20 in second half) and Da'Quan Cook's 21. It was the first time three players scored 20+ since Feb. 3, 2007 against Duquesne. In that 111-92 loss against the Dukes, Michael Lee and guard Zarryon Fereti each scored 23 points and by A.J. Hawkins tallied 20.
More than One Per Minute
After working against double- and triple-teams in the first half, Andrew Nicholson scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half against Saint Louis, much of which came against a single defender. The junior played 19 minutes, but shot 8-of-11 from field and 4-of-5 from the line.
'Meech' less
Wednesday night's win over Saint Louis marked the first time that sophomore Demitrius Conger has been held scoreless in 25 games as a starter. Conger has 24 starts this year at the forward position, and earned a spot in the lead cast for the Bonnies in the opening round of the A-10 Championship against Duquesne last season.
An 'Atta-boy' for Adegboye
Senior captain Ogo Adegboye hit six 3-pointers on the way to a career-high 29 points in the victory against Saint Louis. He also erupted to score eight and nine straight points against the Billikens. The senior has eight games with three or more triples this season, including seven – one shy of the school record - from deep against Buffalo.
Are We Going Streaking?
Last season, the Bonnies went on a late-year 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. This season's version has the Bonnies riding their current 4-1 streak. The only loss in that span is a two-point setback at Dayton.
Weekend Warriors
Weekend matchups have favored the Bonnies so far this season, as SBU is 9-4 and has won its last four games played on Saturday or Sunday.
Simmons Steps Up
Sophomore F Marquise Simmons – who missed the first 10 games of the season with a hand injury – netted a new career-high 18 points on 6-of-12 from the field against La Salle. He notched nine points and tied a career high with nine rebounds in nine first-half minutes to pace the Bonnies to a 10-point lead, 37-27, at the break. Against UMass, he hit for 14 points, including 8-of-8 from the free throw line. He played just three minutes in his debut 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
After starting the season 1-for-11 from beyond the arc, Davenport has lifted his 3FG% to near-record levels. His 41.1 conversion rate from 3-point range would rank seventh in school single-season history if the season ended today.
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.
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 and upped again in his next outing with eight caroms against La Salle. Against 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
St. Bonaventure currently sits at 14-10 overall, 6-5 in the A-10. Both records are the best for a St. Bonaventure team this late in a season since the 2001-02 campaign. The 2001-02 season was the team's last postseason berth (NIT) and most recent with a winning record (17-13). Since then, the Bonnies have been over .500 in the late portion of the season just twice. Both have come under Schmidt.
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 8-1. Conversely, the Bonnies are just 6-9 if they score fewer than 70.
Matty Ice
Fan-favorite and freshman Matthew Wright 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 53.0 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc in his last three 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 ten games with six or more helpers, including eight this season.
It's Up, and Good!
Nicholson made a career-high 15 field goals in his 35-point outburst at Dayton, arguably one of his best games in a Bona uniform. In the opening 20 minutes, he went 6-of-9 from the floor en route to 15 of the 23 Bona points in the first half. He finished off the second-highest scoring game of his career with a 9-of-14 effort 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 (171). 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 (28 games); James Madison (27); Missouri State (27) and St. Bonaventure (24). 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. When the final margin is just four points bigger (margin between 6-10), the Bonnies are 1-5.
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 (29 vs. Saint Louis), 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 18 points against La Salle.
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 52…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)
52+ Mark Schmidt (2007-Pres.)
48 Jim Baron (1992-96)
Mike Reilly (1928-32)
24 Anthony Solomon (2003-07)
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 26.3. Ogo Adegboye ranks second the nation in minutes per game (38.7) and has played at least 36 minutes in all but three contests, including complete-game efforts against Buffalo, St. John's, Niagara, Ark.-Little Rock, 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).
Scoring the Rock
As of Feb. 18, Andrew Nicholson ranks 18th nationally in scoring at 20.5 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—20.5) and his current scoring clip would be the highest for a season since Marques Green averaged 21.3 in 2002-03.
Riding the Pine
The Bonnies are on the short side of the bench scoring matchup by a wide margin despite their favorable record. Through 24 games SBU has outscored the opposing bench just three times (Temple, 8-7; UMass 28-17, Duquesne 19-7).
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.
