ST. BONAVENTURE (8-1, 6-1) vs. GEORGE MASON (8-6, 4-4)
Saturday, Jan. 30 - 2:00 p.m.
Reilly Center
TV: CBS Sports NetworkÂ
Radio: Bonnies Basketball Radio Network
Online Coverage: Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio
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OPENING TIP
The St. Bonaventure men's basketball team looks to keep its momentum rolling when it welcomes George Mason to the Reilly Center Saturday following another change to the Atlantic 10 schedule this week. The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network. Please check your local listings for channel information. CBSSN can be found on Dish Network channel 158, DirecTV channel 221 and Spectrum in the Olean area on channel 315.
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
Although fans are not allowed to be in the Reilly Center this season, there are still plenty of ways to stay involved with St. Bonaventure basketball on game days. The goal of St. Bonaventure Athletics is to share as much of the experience of the Reilly Center as possible so loyal Bonnies fans can feel a part of the action.
Fans can get information on each individual game including key facts about players, opposing teams and where to watch and listen to games on TV and online by visiting GoBonnies.com/Gameday.
GAMEDAY NOTES
- The Bonnies are off to one of the best starts in program history. Overall, St. Bonaventure is 8-1 which is its best start since the 2000-01 season when the Bonnies also started 8-1. In Atlantic 10 play, the Bonnies have matched their best start in program history at 6-1, equaling the record of the 1982-83 program.Â
- A win Saturday would get the Bonnies into truly rarified air in terms of Bona Basketball history: Prior to 2000-01, the last time a St. Bonaventure squad started 8-1 or better was the 1970-71 team which opened their campaign 9-1, including an eight-game win streak to begin the year. The 1969-70 Final Four squad won its first 12 games and lost just once during the regular season. In 1967-68, the famed "Ironman Five" went 23-0 during the regular season.
- The Bonnies are allowing just 60.7 points per game – the lowest total of any A-10 defense, and a number that also ranks 12th in the nation. Bona has held its last four opponents to 61 points or less – and a key has been its lockdown defense during the second half. SBU outscored VCU by a 45-14 margin in the second half of last Wednesday's win and during the past four games, the Bonnies own a 145-85 second half scoring advantage while its opponents have shot just 29 percent from the floor (VCU: 5-26; DUQ: 9-27; FOR: 6-22; DUQ: 12-32).
TRENDING NUMBERSÂ
2 – The Bonnies rank in the Atlantic 10's top two in each of the following defensive categories: scoring defense (first), field goal percentage defense (first) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (second).
6 – St. Bonaventure had six COVID-related cancellations during non-conference play. Due to a team pause on Nov. 19, the Bonnies went from being slated to having the very first Division I game of the season Nov. 25 at 9 a.m. in Bubbleville vs. Towson to being one of the last teams in the nation to play their first game Dec. 15 vs. Akron.
6 – Bona's six-game winning streak is the longest active win streak in the A-10.
7 – Osun Osunniyi handed out a career-high seven assists in the Jan. 13 win at Fordham, the most by a Bonnies center during the
Mark Schmidt Era. Osunniyi actually ranks 18th in the A-10 at 2.6 apg.
11 – Alejandro Vasquez provided a spark off the bench Jan. 15 vs. Duquesne, scoring a season-high 11 points. He scored in double figures eight times as a freshman, but last week's game was his first such performance since Feb. 1, 2020 vs. George Mason.
13 – The Bonnies are averaging over 13 offensive rebounds per game, leading in the A-10.
27 – Bona handed out 27 assists on 32 made field goals Jan. 6 vs. SJU - it was the most assists in a game by the Bonnies during
Mark Schmidt's 14 years as head coach. Bona is averaging 15.5 assists per game, ranking third in the A-10.
32 – Kyle Lofton scored a career-high 32 points vs. George Mason as a freshman at home in 2019, a total he matched vs. Buffalo as well last year. Those are his only two career 30-point games. In the 2019 game vs. Mason, he also had seven assists.
33 – Osun Osunniyi has 33 career games of three or more blocks.
40 – Bona's No. 40
Jalen Shaw had his best game in a Bonnies uniform Jan. 23 at Duquesne. With
Osun Osunniyi sidelined for nearly the entire first half due to foul trouble, Shaw picked up the slack, finishing with season highs in minutes (16), points (7) and rebounds (3).Â
57.6 – St. Bonaventure is limiting conference opponents to 57.6 points per game through seven A-10 contests. No other A-10 team is allowing less than 64 ppg.
+96 – The Bonnies are +96 in points in the paint this year, outscoring their opponent in each game thus far.
PREVIOUS MEETING
St. Bonaventure 75, George Mason 64 (2/1/20)
A 15-2 run from the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team changed the complexion vs. George Mason and sent the Bonnies to a 74-65 victory on Homecoming Weekend in front of a sold-out crowd (5,440 fans).
After a back-and-forth first half, Mason came out of intermission hot, using a 9-3 run to push ahead, 41-38.
The Bonnies responded though with their break, ultimately stretching the sprint to 25-7 to take a commanding 63-48 advantage with five minutes to play.
From there, the Bonnies never gave up control.
On a weekend where the Super Bowl took center stage, it was Bona's "quarterback" who led the charge –
Kyle Lofton was outstanding, turning in 17 points and seven assists on 6-of-11 shooting. Fellow sophomore
Dominick Welch put together his second double-double of the week with 14 points and 13 rebounds, just one off a career high on the glass set just three days prior.
SERIES HISTORY
St. Bonaventure and George Mason have met 13 times and the Bonnies lead the series 10-3. Since George Mason joined the A-10, the Bonnies have won nine of 10 meetings including a sweep of a home-and-home series last year.Â
Kyle Lofton has been as good against the Patriots as against any other opponent during his SBU career,Â
averaging 20.6 ppg and six assists while shooting over 54 percent (37-68) in five games.
Dominick Welch was limited in his first game vs. Mason as a freshman due to injury, but has averaged 16.4 ppg in the four games since.
ABOUT GEORGE MASON
Mason was originally scheduled to play at home vs. UMass this weekend before UMass went on pause due to contact tracing.Â
The Patriots are 8-6 overall and 4-4 in conference play and are seeking a third straight win after beating Saint Joseph's in back-to-back games: 87-85 in double overtime at home and 71-62 on the road last weekend. Mason's other two league wins are over La Salle and a double OT thriller at UMass.
The Patriots rank ninth in A-10 scoring at 70.6 ppg, led by Jordan Miller's 15.7 ppg. Mason also ranks ninth in points allowed, also 70.6 ppg.Â
BONNIES IN THE NET
Bona currently stands No. 42 in the NCAA NET rankings with a Quadrant 1 road win at Richmond and a Top 50 win vs. VCU at home earlier this month. Several A-10 teams rank highly in the current NET standings: Saint Louis (31), St. Bonaventure (42), VCU (44), Richmond (57), Davidson (66) and Rhode Island (76) all rank in the NET Top 80.Â
NATIONAL ATTENTION
For the first time this season, the Bonnies received votes in the national Top 25 polls this week. St. Bonaventure picked up six voter's points in the AP Top 25 and three in the USA Today Coaches Poll. It is the first time the Bonnies have picked up Top 25 votes since 2018 when the team reached the NCAA Tournament. SBU also entered this week's NCAA.com "Power 36" put together by Andy Katz at No. 35.
ST. DUNKAVENTURE
The Bonnies have put their high-flying athleticism on display throughout the season with many rim-rattling dunks. The team has recorded 27 dunks so far this season, led by
Osun Osunniyi and
Jalen Adaway (aka "Flight 33") with 10 apiece.Â
BEASTS ON THE BOARDS
St. Bonaventure boasts four players in the A-10's top-15 rebounders this year:
Osun Osunniyi (9.0 rpg, 3rd),
Dominick Welch (6.9 rpg, 10th),
Jalen Adaway (6.2 rpg, T-15th) and
Jaren Holmes (6.2 rpg, T-15th). On the offensive glass, Osunniyi is tied with Adaway for fifth in the conference (2.4 offensive rpg) and Welch is 10th (2.0 offensive rpg).
ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR JAREN
Jaren Holmes has been a spark plug for the Bonnies since joining the program last year, but particularly this season. He leads the team by averaging 16.9 ppg during Atlantic 10 games, shooting nearly 47 percent from the floor in those contests. In Bona's only loss thus far Dec. 30 at Rhode Island, he was limited to approximately 90 seconds of action due to back spasms. During Bona's six-game winning streak, he has averaged 19.7 ppg.
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