Game Notes: St. Bonaventure | Saint Joseph's | A-10
The Matchup
St. Bonaventure (15-11, 7-6 A-10) travels to Saint Joseph's (7-20, 2-11) Saturday as the Hawks look to snap a three-game slide and the Bonnies look to improve their positioning in the conference standings.
Last Time Out
Sophomore Demitrius Conger tallied 18 points, tied his career-high with six assists, and made a personal-best five steals to pace St. Bonaventure (15-11, 7-6 Atlantic 10) to an 82-63 win over Fordham Wednesday night at the Reilly Center. St. Bonaventure's Andrew Nicholson scored 16 points in just 18 foul-hampered minutes, Ogo Adegboye finished with 14 to go with six assists, and Brett Roseboro chipped in a career-high 12 on 4-of-6 from the field as the Bonnies won their fifth in the last seven games. Alberto Estwick (career-high 21 points) led the way for Fordham – which has now lost 39 consecutive A-10 games dating back to Jan. 28, 2009. Chris Gaston notched 11 points and nine boards and Lamount Samuell added 12 points in the loss.
Coming Up
St. Bonaventure plays its final road game of the regular season next Wednesday at Duquesne in the back end of the season series with the Dukes. The Bonnies handed Duquesne its first conference loss of the season, 64-62, on Michael Davenport's 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds remaining.
Scouting the Hawks
Idris Hilliard led the Hawks with 10 points and Ronald Roberts, Jr. chipped in with nine, but the Saint Joseph's men's basketball team fell to Massachusetts, 69-51, on Wednesday night at the Mullins Center for the Hawks' third consecutive loss. Saint Joseph's (7-20 overall, 2-11 Atlantic 10) started the game with its biggest scoring drought of the year. The Hawks scored three points on free throws but did not convert their first field goal until a short jumper by Hilliard at 8:28 broke a string of 13 missed shots. Carl Jones (16.8 ppg, 47 3s) leads SJU is the Hawks' leading scorer and assist man (84) while Langston Galloway is the team's leading rebounder (5.6 rpg) and ranks second in scoring (11.9 ppg, 47 3s). Freshman center C.J. Aiken leads the Atlantic 10 with 102 blocks, 34 more than second-place Damian Saunders (Duquesne).
Last Meeting
With 33 fouls and 23 turnovers to its credit, St. Bonaventure's miscues were too much to overcome during a 78-71 Atlantic 10 loss at Saint Joseph's on Sunday afternoon at Michael J. Hagan Arena. The loss was the fourth in the row for the Bonnies, who fell to 9-12 on the season, including 2-6 in the A-10. Saint Joseph's snapped a three-game slide to improve to 9-14 and 3-6 in the league. The Brown and White's 23 turnovers led to 24 SJU points, while their 33 fouls led to the Hawks going 29-of-45 from the free throw line. Four different players fouled out for St. Bonaventure, as the game saw a combined 55 fouls and 40 turnovers. Senior Jonathan Hall's third double-double of the season featured game-highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds. Hall's gutsy performance featured 16 points and six rebounds in the second half.
Head Coach: Phil Martelli
Now in his 16th season as Saint Joseph's University head coach, Phil Martelli has built a program that is consistently one of the top in the conference, a perennial post‐season participant and a key player on the national scene, while earning his place among the top coaches in the school's storied history. The 2010‐11 season marks his 26th year at SJU, including 10 years as an assistant coach. His career mark now stands at 296‐207, while he ranks eighth in career winning percentage (.590) among SJU coaches. Setting the school record for wins in a season (30) in 2004, Martelli has guided SJU to 20 or more victories six times in the previous 15 seasons. He is 148‐105 in Atlantic 10 play, which is the most conference wins for any active coach in the A‐10.
Series Snapshot
Saint Joe's is 44-15 against St. Bonaventure all-time, including victories in all but one of the last 17 meetings. The Bonnies snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Hawks with their victory in the last meeting (Jan. 16, 2010), but have lost each of the last nine meetings in Philadelphia.
Oh, We're Halfway There
So far this season, the Bonnies are 11-2 when leading at the half. The only setbacks when ahead at the break came in back-to-back contests at Rhode Island and versus Xavier. St. Bonaventure is just 2-9 when trailing at halftime.
We Go as 'O' Goes
Senior captain Ogo Adegboye has 12 games this season with 13 or more points. St. Bonaventure is 10-2 so far this season when he goes for 13+; SBU has won six of its last seven when Adegboye reaches that number.
Weekend Warriors
Weekend matchups have favored the Bonnies so far this season, as SBU is 9-5 and has won its last four games played on Saturday or Sunday.
Hit the Road
St. Bonaventure boasts a 6-6 record in true road tilts this season, just one victory shy of the program record for wins set by the 2001-02 team (7-8) and tied in 2008-09 (7-6).
Not So Brotherly Love
Philadelphia hasn't lived up to its nickname as the city of "Brotherly Love" in the case of St. Bonaventure. The Bonnies snapped an 18-game losing streak with an 68-62 win at La Salle last season, but are just 6-56 all-time in Philly overall during the regular season against their trio of Atlantic 10 foes (Temple, La Salle, Saint Joe's).
More Than Just Nicholson
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). Off the bench, 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. Fellow reserve Brett Roseboro scored a personal-best 12 points in the win over Fordham.
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. He followed that up with 18 points, six assists (tying a career-high), and a personal-best five steals in the Bonnies 82-63 defeat of Fordham.
Found His Stroke
Senior G Ogo Adegboye – a career 67 percent free throw shooter –made 12 consecutive free throws over the last three games, a streak that came to an end at the 13:04 mark of the second half against Fordham. 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 hit all four of his free throw attempts against Fordham, extending his single-season mark to 197 this season. 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. Continuing the trend, the Bonnies shot a lights-out 59.2 percent for the game against Fordham.
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.
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. He came close to duplicating the feat with a16-point in 18-minute effort against Fordham, where he was saddled with foul trouble.
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 40.4 conversion rate from 3-point range would tie for 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 9-1. 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 11 games with six or more helpers, including nine 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 (30 games); Missouri State (29) and St. Bonaventure (26). 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.
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)
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 26 games SBU has outscored the opposing bench just four times (Temple, 8-7; UMass 28-17, Duquesne 19-7, Fordham 20-14).
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.
