St. Bonaventure Men's Basketball Game Preview: Iona
Opponent: Iona College Gaels
Date: Saturday, Dec. 14
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Hynes Center, New Rochelle, NY
St. Bonaventure Record: 6-3 | Iona Record: 5-2
Bonnies Season Statistics | Iona Season Statistics
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Opening Tip: St. Bonaventure travels to New Rochelle to take on Iona in the second meeting between the schools in as many seasons. Both teams have been idle since last Saturday as final exams were conducted on both campuses. This is the Bonnies' first game at Iona since 2004.
The St. Bonaventure – Iona Series: St. Bonaventure leads, 10-5. The teams have met three times since 2003 (2003, 2004 and last season) with the Gaels winning twice, including Dec. 31 last year at the Reilly Center by the final score of 93-74.
Iona Scouting Report
• After a 1-2 start, the Gaels have won their last four games, most recently an 83-72 decision at Fairfield on Dec. 7. Iona's losses came at Cleveland State and at Kansas; the Gaels are 3-0 at home.
• Iona ranks ninth nationally in three-pointers per game at 9.6 and shoots .385 as a team from beyond the arc. Four Gaels have made 12 three-pointers or more already, led by senior guard Sean Armand, who is 24-54 (.444). Armand already holds the Iona career 3-pointers record.
• Armand is averaging 22.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
• Junior forward David Laury is second on the team in scoring (15.7) and leads Iona in rebounding (8.7).
• Other top players are A.J. English (13.1 ppg), Tre Bowman (12.3 ppg), Isiah Williams (8.6 ppg), and Mike Poole (4.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg).
• Iona has been to the NCAA Tournament each of the last two seasons.
Coaches Comparison:
St. Bonaventure Coach Mark Schmidt
At SBU: 94-98 (7th season)
Overall: 176-188 (13th season)
Schmidt vs. Iona: 0-1
Iona Coach Tim Cluess
At Iona: 74-36 (4th season)
Overall: 173-59 (8th season)
Quick Hitters on The Bonnies:
- St. Bonaventure leads the Atlantic 10 in rebounding margin at +7.1 and ranks second in scoring defense (64.3 ppg).
- Matthew Wright ranks sixth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring (17.3); he has increased his scoring average 10 points per game fron last season.
- Charlon Kloof has increased his scoring average by 7.5 points per game over last season (5.3 to 12.8).
- Kloof has scored in double figures 7 times this season - one more than he did all of last season.
- Marquise Simmons averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds over the past three games.
- Youssou Ndoye ranks sixth in the A-10 in blocks (1.7) and 12th in rebounding (6.7).
- Mark Schmidt leads a program that has become a consistent winner under his watch; he is six wins away from 100 for his St. Bonaventure tenure.
Only 13 percent (30) of the Bonnies' 230 field goals are three-pointers.
The Wright Way: Consistency from Matthew Wright has been pointed to as a key to the Bonnies' success this season, and so far the senior shooting guard has delivered. He has led St. Bonaventure in scoring four times, highlighted by a career-high 32 points in the win over Southern Illinois and 27 points in the win over Canisius. He is averaging a team-high 17.3 points per game - sixth best in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Toronto native also recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Abilene Christian.
Kloof Leading The Pack: To say that senior point guard Charlon Kloof's role has increased this season is a vast understatement. From his role as team captain to his production on the court, everything he's doing this season makes him a true leader. Start with playing time - he's on the court almost 35 minutes per game and really only been out when he's had foul trouble, playing 36 minutes or more six times. His offensive production is up this season by 7.0 points and nearly two assists per game. Kloof also helps key the Bonnies' improved defense, averaging 1.4 steals per outing.
Lift From Batch: The addition of junior guard Andell Cumberbatch has given St. Bonaventure another scoring threat. Cumberbatch, who was forced to sit out the first two games because he played in a non-certified summer league, earned his first start in the win over Southern Illinois and has started now started the past five games. He has double-doubles in each of the last two games -- a season-high 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. Buffalo, and 13 points and 11 rebounds vs. UMass-Lowell. He has moved up to third on the team in scoring at 10.3 ppg, and is also third in rebounding at 5.6 per game. The East Orange, N.J., native played for highly-regarded Barton (Kansas) Community College the past two seasons, averaging 14.2 points and 8.2 rebounds there last year as a sophomore.
Road Swing: After playing their first three games at home, the Bonnies are now in a stretch of the schedule where they play eight out of nine games on the road or at a neutral site (the Gulf Coast Showcase). UMass-Lowell was the Bonnies' only home game in a span of 45 days (Nov. 16-Dec. 30). After the game at Iona, St. Bonaventure travels directly to Winston-Salem, N.C., to face Wake Forest on Tuesday, Dec. 17.
