ST. BONAVENTURE (7-1) vs. LOYOLA MD (5-4)
Wednesday, Dec. 8 - 7:00 p.m.
Reilly Center
TV: ESPN+

OPENING TIP NOTES

• St. Bonaventure wraps a four-game homestand Wednesday night, hosting its final home game of 2021. The Bonnies will not return to the Reilly Center for game action again until Jan. 5, the third game of the Atlantic 10 slate, vs. Fordham. 
• The Bonnies played their first game in well over three years without guard Kyle Lofton when they scored a thrilling, 68-65 win over rival Buffalo this past Saturday. Senior Jalen Adaway delivered the game-winner, a 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds remaining. 
• SBU was able to win despite playing its first game without Lofton (ankle) since March 15, 2018, a span of 1,360 days. 
• Prior to Saturday, Lofton had started every game of his career, a total of 93 contests. During that span, he had played less than 30 minutes just four times during his career, all of which coming during his freshman campaign. 
• Lofton had handed out 41 percent of the team's assists over the past three seasons.
• Jaren Holmes took over the point guard duties, posting a career-high eight assists in Saturday's win. 

STAT SHEET FILLERS

• Jalen Adaway was named to the Atlantic 10 Weekly Honor Roll after averaging a double-double (14.5 ppg, 13.5 rpg) in two wins last week. He posted a career-high 16 rebounds vs. Coppin State Dec. 1 and posted consecutive double-doubles for the first time in his career (91 games).
• Jaren Holmes has six or more assists in three straight games; he owns a 20-to-5 assist-to-turnover margin during that span. He had eight assists against just one turnover in his debut as the starting point guard Saturday vs. Buffalo.
• Kyle Lofton had played 97.5% of team minutes this season, third in the nation, prior to missing Saturday's game.
• Osun Osunniyi tallied a season-best 17 points in Wednesday's win.

SERIES HISTORY
St. Bonaventure leads, 8-1

• St. Bonaventure has won eight of nine previous meetings and is 7-0 at the Reilly Center vs. the Greyhounds.
• Loyola's lone win came in 1937, 36-23.
• The Bonnies and Greyhounds have played just twice in the past 45 years. Two of Bona great Bob Lanier's most revered single-game numbers came against Loyola (MD): Lanier set the top two rebounding efforts in program history vs. Loyola, 27 on Feb. 22, 1967, and 24 on Jan. 7, 1970.
   

LAST MEETING
St. Bonaventure 94, Loyola (MD) 82 (Nov. 21, 2015)
Offense was on display in the Reilly Center as St. Bonaventure topped Loyola (MD) 94-82 to improve to 2-1 during the early portion of the 2015-16 season.

Clutch play from senior guard Marcus Posley, who had 26 points on the night, was key to the victory. Fellow senior Dion Wright also had a big game as he finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds.

After opening up a 16-point lead at halftime, the Bonnies needed to fight off a rally. The Greyhounds cut the lead all the way down to six points midway through the second half at 67-61.  St. Bonaventure converted baskets when they were needed most, none more critical than that juncture. Wright was fouled and made two free throws, and then Posley's three-point play pushed the lead to 72-61 with 8:14 remaining. Loyola (1-3), which made 55 percent of its shots overall including 11-21 from three-point range, did not come closer than eight points from there.

ABOUT LOYOLA (MD)

• Loyola comes into Wednesday's game hot as winners of four straight contests. 
• The Greyhounds lost their leading scorer and rebounder from a year ago in First-Team All Patriot League selection Santi Aldama (21.2 ppg/10.1 rpg), as he was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies. The team's second leading scorer last season and this season, Jaylin Andrews (13.9 ppg) returned for this season. Also, returning this season is the team leader in assists from last season and their current leading scorer, Cam Spencer (18.9 ppg/3.7 apg).
• Entering his fourth season at the helm of the men's basketball program is Tavaras Hardy, who has an overall record of 37-53. Last season he was able to lead Loyola to the Patriot League Championship Game for the first time since joining the conference in 2013-2014 after beating West Point and toppling top-seeded Navy. 
• Loyola (Md.) was selected to finish eighth with 65 points in the Patriot League Preseason Poll.
• This season Loyola (Md.) has a record of 5-4 picking up a victory in their last game against Mount St. Mary's, 61-55. 

SENIOR YEAR, BEST YEAR

• Jaren Holmes has been outstanding through thus far. The senior from Michigan averaged 17.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest in addition to nearly 3.9 assists through his first seven games.  
• Taking a new role with Kyle Lofton sidelined due to injury, he scored a season-low eight points Dec. 4 vs. Buffalo, but handed out eight assists, a career-high, and had just one turnover.
• He led the A-10 in 3-point percentage at 44% during the regular season last year.
• He opened the year by scoring in double figures in seven straight games, his longest such streak in a Bonnies uniform. His previous best was six straight as a sophomore in 2019-20. During that time, he scored under 17 points just once - 14 against Boise State Nov. 18. 

STAT SHEET FILLERS

• Jalen Adaway was named to the Atlantic 10 Weekly Honor Roll after averaging a double-double (14.5 ppg, 13.5 rpg) in two wins last week. He posted a career-high 16 rebounds vs. Coppin State Dec. 1 and posted consecutive double-doubles for the first time in his career (91 games).
• Jaren Holmes has six or more assists in three straight games; he owns a 20-to-5 assist-to-turnover margin during that span. He had eight assists against just one turnover in his debut as the starting point guard Saturday vs. Buffalo.
• Kyle Lofton had played 97.5% of team minutes this season, third in the nation, prior to missing Saturday's game.
• Osun Osunniyi tallied a season-best 17 points in Wednesday's win.

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