The Matchup
St. Bonaventure (14-11, 6-6 Atlantic 10) returns to the Reilly Center to host Fordham (6-18, 0-12) in its second to last home game of the season. The Bonnies defeated the Rams, 69-60, Jan. 29 to open the season series.
Last Time Out
Richmond's Justin Harper scored a game-high 24 points to pace the Spiders (21-7, 10-3 Atlantic 10) to an 82-65 victory over St. Bonaventure at the Robins Center on Sunday. Andrew Nicholson booked a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds and Demitrius Conger scored 17 as the Bonnies (14-11, 6-6) had their three-game A-10 win streak halted. Junior G Michael Davenport notched all 11 of his points in 13 first-half minutes to carry SBU, before Nicholson got going with 14 of his 16 in the second. The Bonnies trailed 40-31 at the break and couldn't get over the hump down the stretch, cutting Richmond's lead to seven on four separate occasions before the Spiders put it out of reach.
Coming Up
The Bonnies will play back-to-back road games at Saint Joseph's (Feb. 26) and Duquesne (Mar. 2) before returning to the RC for a meeting with Rhode Island to close out the regular season.
Scouting the Rams
Xavier junior G Tu Holloway registered his second triple-double of the season with 26 points, a career-high 11 rebounds and 10 assists to lead Xavier past upset-minded Fordham, 79-72, Saturday night. The loss marked the 38th consecutive conference defeat for the Rams, who last won an Atlantic 10 game Jan. 28, 2009 against the Bonnies. Sophomore F Chris Gaston averages a double-double (16.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg) to lead four players in double figures – Brenton Butler (14.5 ppg, 3.5 apg), Branden Frazier (12.0 ppg, 52 3-pointers, 3.1 apg), and Alberto Estwick (10.4 ppg, 49 3s). Kervin Bristol ranks second on the team in rebounding at 6.8 boards per contest for the Rams.
Last Meeting
Andrew Nicholson notched his eighth double-double of the season with 25 points and 11 rebounds as St. Bonaventure (11-9, 3-4 A-10) held on to defeat Fordham, 69-60, Saturday at Rose Hill Gymnasium. After trailing 36-20 at the half, the Rams (6-13, 0-7) took advantage of the Bonnies' slow start in the second half. St. Bonaventure, which shot 48 percent (12-25) from the field in the first half, began the final stanza in a 2-for-13 slump with six missed free throws and two turnovers while Fordham went on a 22-6 run to knot the score at 42 with 10:50 left. Demitrius Conger – who finished with 11 points - scored 10 straight in a 2:31 span to keep pace, before a Michael Davenport floater in the paint and a pair of baskets from Nicholson stretched a one-point lead to eight, 54-46, at the 6:00 minute mark. The Rams, now 0-32 in A-10 games dating back to Jan. 28, 2009, cut the margin to four before Davenport knocked down a deep triple with 1:44 to play that all but sealed Fordham's ninth straight loss.
Head Coach: Tom Pecora
Pecora is in his first season at Fordham after spending the previous nine seasons at Hofstra. Over the last 13 years with Pecora on the staff (nine years as a head coach, four as an assistant), the Pride averaged 19 wins a season (246-161). As a head coach, Pecora has compiled a 155-126 mark in nine seasons. During his time in Hempstead, Hofstra was the winningest program in the Metropolitan New York area. Over the last six years, Hofstra won 121 games, including four 20-win seasons. In 2006 and 2009 he was named Coach of the Year by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) and he has also received regional Coach of the Year honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY).
Series Snapshot
The Bonnies – winners of four three straight and four of the last five against Fordham – trail the Rams 16-15 in the all-time series. St. Bonaventure earned a 69-60 win over the Rams Jan. 29 a Rose Hill. At the Reilly Center, the Bonnies own a 10-5 series lead.
We've Seen You Before
The meeting between Fordham and St. Bonaventure is the second this season. In the 2009-10 campaign the Bonnies squared off against the Rams twice, sweeping the season series - the Bonnies only season sweep under Schmidt.
Welcome Back Conger
After being held scoreless against Saint Louis, talented sophomore Demitrius Conger turned in an impressive stat line against Richmond. The Brooklyn native notched 17 points, made all five free throws, hit 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and grabbed four rebounds in 37 minutes of work.
Found His Stroke
Senior G Ogo Adegboye – a career 67 percent free throw shooter – has made 11 consecutive free throws over the last two games. Adegboye was a perfect 9-for-9 from the stripe against Saint Louis and made both attempts against Richmond on Sunday.
Toeing the Line
Bonnies' junior Andrew Nicholson attempted five free throws against Richmond, giving him 193 this year and setting a new single-season record for attempts. J.R. Bremer's 188 were the previous record, set in 2001-02.
Strong to the Finish
In his games against Saint Louis and Richmond, Andrew Nicholson got going in the second half after slow starts. He was 0-for-2 from the floor with just two points in the opening half versus the Billikens, but came alive for 20 points on 8-of-11 in the second. The Mississauga native repeated the feat against Richmond, booking 14 of his 16 points and eight of his 11 boards in the last frame.
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 good on 14 of 17 free throws.
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).
Pack Mentality
In the win over Saint Louis Feb. 16, 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.
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 5-2 streak. The only losses in that span are at perennial league-leaders Dayton and Richmond.
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 42.4 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 a dramatic win over then-A-10 leader Duquesne Feb. 5, and upped his best 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
In each year since 2004-05, the Bonnies have lowered their RPI. The 2004-05 season saw SBU finish with a ratings percentage index of 312 among 330 teams, followed by season-ending ratings of 290 and 278 in 2006 and 07, respectively. Under Schmidt, the Bonnies RPI has fallen from 264 in 2008 to 193 and 154 in the last two campaigns. St. Bonaventure has a 101 RPI through 25 games this season.
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 6-10 if they score fewer than 70.
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 Feb. 2. 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 (173). 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 three teams nationally to use the same starters in every game: Cleveland State (29 games); Missouri State (28) and St. Bonaventure (25). James Madison (changed after 27 games) and Evansville (21) were previously on the list but have now used different starting lineups.
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 2-5.
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 25 games, four of the five starters average more than 31 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 among the national minutes leaders (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. 21, Andrew Nicholson ranks 19th nationally in scoring at 20.4 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.
