BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Most fans who watched St. Bonaventure hang on for a two-point second round victory over La Salle Wednesday considered that to be a wild rollercoaster ride of a contest.
Little did they know, they hadn't seen anything yet.
St. Bonaventure outlasted second-seeded Loyola Chicago, 75-74, in a double overtime instant classic to advance to Saturday's semifinals at Barclays Center.
"This is really special," said Daryl Banks III. "I love moments like this."
True enough, Banks has proven time and again that he's one of those players seemingly just made for March.
Bona's fifth-year guard earned national notoriety during a run to the Elite Eight with Saint Peter's two years ago and carved out another March Moment Thursday as he delivered a game-high 22 points, 20 of which came after halftime.
Fouled shooting a three-pointer with two minutes left in regulation, he drilled all three foul attempts for a 58-58 tie as the Bonnies completed the comeback from 15 points down early.
It was the first of several clutch moments down the stretch.
He evaded two Loyola defenders as the shot clock ticked under three seconds for a three-ball and a 72-68 lead with just over two minutes left in the second overtime.
The Ramblers (23-9) then scored the next six points following the fifth foul against Noel Brown, who was again outstanding in the post for the Bonnies.
Once again, Banks drew a foul beyond the arc to go to the line with 12 seconds showing on the clock and the Bonnies down two.
No sweat.
He drained all three shots, finishing the night 12-12 from the charity stripe.
That put the Bonnies ahead by a point.
As time expired, the Bonnies forced a heave from Des Watson whose three-ball was off the mark.
The Bonnies and their fans could finally exhale.
Banks added eight rebounds and two steals in 42 minutes off the bench. Brown and Mika Adams-Woods each had 13 points apiece and Assa Essamvous chipped in 11.
"He embodies what we're all about. He represents us in the best way possible," head coach Mark Schmidt said of Banks. "He's struggled at times this year, but he just kept on fighting. You read all those naysayers, but he showed today what he's all about."
The Bonnies (20-12) started cold, missing their first six attempts from the floor while going scoreless over the opening four minutes.
Brown got the Bonnies on the board with a jump hook in the lane, but the cold spell extended to 2-for-13.
Loyola raced out to a 15-point lead six minutes before the half as the Bonnies were forced to go small following two fouls on Chad Venning and a temporary spot on the trainer's table for Brown who battled through early injury.
Late in the half, though, the Bonnies found their footing with a 9-0 run to pull within six after a putback by Charles Pride.
Philip Alston gave the Ramblers the momentum back heading to the locker room with a three in the final five seconds for a nine-point edge at the break.
As the Bonnies tried to fight back, Loyola slammed the breaks on Bona's comeback effort momentarily, turning a six-point edge back into 11 with just 5:45 to play following free throws by Alston, who also netted 22 points on the night.
It would be the final tallies for Loyola in regulation.
Bona's defense clamped down, shutting down the Ramblers while chipping away on the offensive end.
After Banks' free throws cut the deficit to three, Brown muscled his way inside for a three-point play and a tie with 1:06 remaining.
SBU scored the first four points of overtime, but a dunk from Alston tied it with 16 seconds left in the first OT.
Bona couldn't get a good look at a winning shot as time expired and that sent the contest to double overtime for just the third time in Atlantic 10 Tournament history, setting the stage for the final act.
Brown, who shrugged off his earlier injury and gutted out over 20 minutes of game time, has scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time this year.
"I'm thankful for this opportunity," Brown said. "Right now, it's me for the past two games. Next game, it could be anyone. I'm grateful right now."
So are Bonnies fans who have been rewarded for sweating out the last two contests which have resulted in two Brooklyn victories not soon to be forgotten.
GAME NOTES
- Thursday's game was just the third double overtime contest in the A-10 Tournament history – and the Bonnies have been involved in all three. This time, they came out on the winning end after dropping a 2011 opening round decision to La Salle and a 1995 quarterfinal game to Saint Joseph's.
- It was Bona's first double overtime game since falling to Dayton at home in January 2019.
- The Bonnies scored their first overtime win in the A-10 Tournament.
- Banks' 89 percent success rate from the line this year (81-91) is third-best in program history.
- Banks, playing in his 153rd career game, had a career-high in rebounds (8).
- Adams-Woods played over 48 minutes of game time. Essamvous (45), Banks (42),and Pride (41) were all over 40 minutes of action.
- Offense was at a premium most of the night. Loyola shot just over 33 percent for the game (25-75) while the Bonnies checked in at 37 percent (22-60).
- Loyola Chicago hauled in 23 offensive rebounds, but that advantage translated into just a 17-13 advantage in second chance points.
- St. Bonaventure has its sixth 20-win season under head coach Mark Schmidt and 18th in program history.
UP NEXT
St. Bonaventure will play Duquesne in the semifinals at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Barclays Center. That game will air nationally on CBS Sports Network. Duquesne continued the day of upsets with a win over Dayton in the late game Thursday.
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