FORT MYERS, Fla. – Despite overcoming an 11-point deficit to eventually take the lead in the first half, the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team fell to No. 16-ranked North Carolina, 85-70, on Tuesday night (Nov. 25) in its first game of the Fort Myers Tip-Off at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. 
 
Buddy Simmons II had a team-best 22 points for the Bonnies (5-1) while shooting 9-for-16 from the field and 4-for-6 from three-point range. Frank Mitchell added 18 points, six rebounds and two assists. Simmons II and Mitchell have both scored in double figures in all six of St. Bonaventure's games.
 
FIRST HALF:
After Simmons II knocked down a three-pointer in the first 19 seconds of the game, the Tar Heels (6-0) took a 15-5 lead behind three triples of their own. 
 
St. Bonaventure responded with five unanswered points, including another three-pointer by Simmons II. However, North Carolina eventually pushed its lead up to 11 after a 6-0 run that included a dunk by Henri Veesaar and four free throws from Caleb Wilson.
 
Down 10 points with 11 minutes to play in the half, the Bonnies settled in and made a run. After layups from Amar'e Marshall and Simmons II, Ilia Ermakov drilled a three to cap off a 7-0 run and force a North Carolina timeout. Ermakov's first career points pulled the Bonnies between three.
 
Out of the timeout, Veesaar made a layup to break up the run. The Bonnies and Tar Heels each scored on their next possessions before St. Bonaventure took off on another 7-0 run. A dunk by Andrew Osasuyi capped off the stretch, giving SBU a 30-28 lead over North Carolina with 5:58 before the break. 
 
UNC held the Bonnies to only one made field goal the rest of the half. St. Bonaventure went into halftime trailing by just two, 35-33.
 
SECOND HALF:
North Carolina outscored the Bonnies 12-5 over the first three minutes of the second half to take a nine-point lead. St. Bonaventure cut its deficit to six with a three from Simmons II.
 
With 14:27 to play, the Tar Heels went on a 9-0 run to take a double-digit lead they would maintain throughout the rest of the game. The Bonnies would pull within 10 and trail by as many as 20 down the stretch. When the final buzzer sounded, SBU fell, 85-70. 
 
UP NEXT:
St. Bonaventure will play the second of two games in the Skechers Fort Myers Tip-Off against East Carolina on Thursday (Nov. 27) at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for noon, and the game will be nationally televised on FS1.
 
NOTES:

• Simmons II is now averaging 19.2 points per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field (42-for-85) and 44.7 percent from three-point range. He has 20-or-more points in three games this season and has scored at least 16 points in five of six games.
• Mitchell's nine made field goals tied a season-high for the third time this campaign. 
• Cayden Charles had a season-best-tying three steals.
• Daniel Egbuniwe posted eight points, five rebounds and three assists off the bench, all season-highs.
• Osasuyi tied a season-high two blocks for the third time this season. With 1.3 blocks per game, he's one of three Bonnies to average more than one block per game, joining Mitchell (1.2) and Joe Grahovac (2.2).