St. Bonaventure Men's Basketball Game Preview: UMass-Lowell
Opponent: UMass-Lowell Riverhawks
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 3
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center
St. Bonaventure Record: 5-2 | UMass-Lowell Record: 1-6
Bonnies Season Stats | UMass-Lowell Season Statistics
Complete Game Notes Pack
Listen (WPIG 95.7 FM, Olean, NY)
Watch (Video Streaming)
Twitter: @BonniesMBB
Instagram: GoBonnies
Opening Tip: After going 2-1 at the Gulf Coast Showcase last week in Florida, St. Bonaventure returns home to host UMass-Lowell. This is the Bonnies' only home game in the middle of a stretch where they are on the road for eight out of nine games -- a span of 45 days (Nov. 16 - Dec. 30). St. Bonaventure moved to 5-2 on the season thanks to its two wins in three games last week, while the Riverhawks picked up their first win of the year on Sunday afternoon. The Bonnies are 3-0 at home this season.
The St. Bonaventure – UMass-Lowell Matchup
Series/This Game: First meeting
UMass-Lowell Scouting Report
• The Riverhawks are in their first season as an NCAA Division I member. They picked up their first win of the year on Sunday, defeating NCAA Division III Mount Ida College 73-49. UMass-Lowell's losses were to Michigan, Boston U., Dartmouth, Brown, Rhode Island and Cincinnati.
• Akeem Williams, a 5-10 senior, leads this guard-oriented team. Williams is averaging 14 points and three assists per game. Chad Holley, another 5-10 guard, is the Riverhawks' second-leading scorer at 13.1 points per game, while 6-2 guard D.J. Mlachnik is at 11.6 points per game and 6-5 freshman forward Tyler Livingston averages 9.3 points per game.
• Given the lack of size on its roster, it is no surprise that UMass-Lowell is dependent on three-pointers. The team takes 21 three-pointers per game and is making 33 percent of its attempts.
Coaches Comparison:
St. Bonaventure Coach Mark Schmidt
At SBU: 93-97 (7th season)
Overall: 175-187 (13th season)
UM-L Coach Pat Duquette
At UM-L: 1-6 (first season)
Overall: same
Bonnies Post Strong Showing in Gulf Coast Showcase: Last week in Estero, Fla., (between Ft. Myers and Naples) St. Bonaventure finished as runner-up in the inaugural Gulf Coast Showcase. The Bonnies defeated Southern Illinois and Wagner to advance to the championship game, where they lost a hard-fought, back-and-forth decision to Louisiana Tech, 76-72. Matthew Wright was named to the all-tournament team after he averaged 23.6 points over the three games, including a career-high 32 versus Southern Illinois. Fellow senior guard Charlon Kloof also had a strong tournament, averaging 15 points, five rebounds and 3.6 assists with a career-best 24 points against Louisiana Tech.
Looking For 6-2 Start: St. Bonaventure's 5-2 start ties its mark from last season. The last time a Bonnies team opened the season 6-2 was in 2001-02; that club opened the year 8-2.
Bona Trifecta: With a name like trifecta, you would assume Dick Vitale would be involved and we'd be talking about three-pointers. Actually, what the Bonnies and head coach Mark Schmidt refer to when they talk about their trifecta is defense, rebounding and turnover margin. Like many teams, the Bonnies are focusing on these three areas as keys to success. So far, that focus is paying off. St. Bonaventure has only two allowed one of its seven opponents to shoot over 45% from the field (S. Illinois), and the Bonnies have outrebounded five of their seven opponents. In addition, St. Bonaventure leads the Atlantic 10 in rebounding margin at +7.1.
Leading 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 out of seven games, highlighted by a career-high 32 points in the win over Southern Illinois and 27 points in the win over Canisius, and is averaging a team-high 18.9 points per game - third best among all Atlantic 10 Conference players. The Toronto native also recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Abilene Christian.
Bonnies Assist Toys For Tots: The St. Bonaventure Department of Athletics, spearheaded by the baseball team, will collect new, unwrapped toys from fans attending the UMass-Lowell game to be donated to the local Toys For Tots program.
