The Starting Five Notes:
1. St. Bonaventure remains on the road to visit Massachusetts for the first game of the teams' home-and-home this season. The Bonnies are 2-0 in the A-10 after Wednesday's win at George Mason and have won seven of their last eight games.
2. St. Bonaventure's 10-3 mark is the program's best start since the 1999-00 season, when the Bonnies won 12 of their first 14 games. The Bonnies are also 2-0 in A-10 play for the first time since that same year when Bona won its first four conference games.
3. The "big 3" of senior forward Dion Wright, senior guard Marcus Posley and sophomore guard Jaylen Adams continue to lead this team. Together, the three combine to average 51.7 points per game. They all rank in the top 11 scorers in the Atlantic 10 with Posley (18.2) seventh, Adams (17.3) 10th and Wright (16.2) 12th. Wright leads all A-10 players with five double-doubles and is the third-leading rebounder (8.5) in the conference.
4. Adams was named the A-10 Player of the Week after averaging 23.0 points, 8.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds in two wins last week, topped by a career high 30 points in the win over Davidson. Over his last six games, Adams made 27 of 46 three-point shots (.586) and averaged 21.6 points per game.
5. Wright is closing in on several career milestones. He reached the 500 rebound mark in the Davidson game and now has 512. Wright needs 46 points to reach 1,000. Wright would be the 24th player in the program's storied history to accumulate over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
St. Bonaventure's Last Game: Bonnies 77, George Mason 58
Marcus Posley scored 30 points to lead St. Bonaventure to a 77-58 win at George Mason on Wednesday. The Bonnies improved to 2-0 in the Atlantic 10 and 10-3 overall.
• The Bonnies led 37-34 at halftime but seized control with a 10-2 run early in the second half that ended with the visitors ahead 50-41. The Patriots never came any closer than five points after that.
• Utilizing a zone defense, St. Bonaventure limited the Patriots to nine field goals on 30 shots in the second half, including 2-10 from three-point range. George Mason made just 38 percent of its shots in the game and went 14-28 at the free throw line.
• Jaylen Adams scored 16 points and Denzel Gregg added 12 in support of Posley. Dion Wright had eight points and 12 rebounds.
Series Notes:
• This will be the 65th meeting between these long time Atlantic 10 rivals. UMass holds a 41-32 series lead.
• This is the third season in a row the Bonnies and UMass have met twice; they split each of the prior seasons. Last January in Amherst, St. Bonaventure claimed a 69-55 win.
Posley's All-Around Game
A preseason All-Conference selection after he averaged 16.7 points per game last season, senior guard Marcus Posley continues to show how how valuable he is to this Bonnies team. While he is most well-known for his scoring, Posley brings leadership on and off the court.
• Scoring: he has eight games this season of 18 points or more including two 30-point games. He is averaging 18.2 points per game, which ranks seventh in the Atlantic 10.
• Intangibles: Posley leads the Bonnies in steals (19) and is second in assists (46) and, despite standing just 6-feet, is fourth on the team in rebounding (4.0).
• Durability: He is fourth among A-10 players in minutes played (36.5 per game). He has gotten to the free throw line 64 times -- more than any other Bonnies player.
• Mr. Clutch: Posley has one game winner this season (Buffalo) after two buzzer-beaters last season (VCU and Davidson).
Kaputo Catches On Quick
Freshman guard Nelson Kaputo had the opportunity to play meaningful minutes right away and he's taken full advantage. Known for his quickness and ball-handling, Kaputo has acquitted himself well, averaging 7.0 points, 3.5 assists (15th in the A-10) and 1.5 steals per game (15th in the A-10). He's shown the abilty to penetrate defenses and set up teammates as well as make three-point shots, going 23-62 (.371) from long range. Kaputo has two double-digit scoring games in his last five -- 12 points vs. SC State and a career high 14 against Niagara.
Tyson Returns, Strengthens Bench
Pre-season injuries to Courtney Stockard and Jordan Tyson left St. Bonaventure with eight scholarship players in uniform, plus walk-on Caleb McGuire, over the first eight games of the season. Tyson, who had surgery on his left wrist in early September, made his season debut on Dec. 19 in the win over South Carolina State. He played 14 minutes and had two points and a rebound. He had perhaps his best game against Davidson, scoring two points with five rebounds and a block in 18 minutes. Tyson gives St. Bonaventure depth in the post rotation, and he is the Bonnies' ninth healthy scholarship player. Stockard remains out due to a broken bone in his right foot.
Gregg Seizing His Opportunity; Lands on SC Top 10
Junior forward Denzel Gregg's reverse, no-look dunk at George Mason Jan. 6 landed him on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Day, but his value to the Bonnies is far more than highlight reel dunks. Prior the season, Gregg knew he would have the opportunity to become a player the Bonnies can depend on heavily. Gregg came on strong at the end of last year, earning starts in the last five games. The lanky, 6-7 forward opened the season with his first career double-double, 15 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Binghamton. Gregg has continued to be an impact player almost every game, averaging 8.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots per game. Seven of his eight career games in double figures have been this year. Gregg ranks sixth in the A-10 in blocks.
