Bonnies Seek to Build Momentum against George Mason
 
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The St. Bonaventure men's basketball team will welcome George Mason to the Reilly Center on Saturday (Jan. 31). Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised live on USA Network.
 
For the first time, the Bonnies Shootaround Show will air at 5:30 p.m. on the Bonnies Online Network leading into Saturday's national TV broadcast of the Bonnies vs. George Mason. Extensive game coverage as well as appearances from Bonnies general manager Adrian Wojnarowski and men's basketball alumni Patricio Prato are on the slate. Click here to watch online.
 
St. Bonaventure fans have a special opportunity to bid on a unique pair of custom Bonnies sneakers worn by Coach Mark Schmidt on Saturday as part of the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. The auction is set to end at 9:30 p.m. EST on Saturday. Fans can bid now at http://Bit.ly/BonaSneakers.
 
BUDDY BUCKETS
Buddy Simmons II has lit up the scoreboard in Atlantic 10 play. The junior is averaging 18.9 points in conference games, while shooting 48.6 percent (53-for-109) from the field and 48.1 percent (26-for-54) from beyond the arc.
 
Simmons II has scored at least 14 points in six-of-eight A-10 matchups, with 20-or-more points in half of those games.
 
On Wednesday (Jan. 28) at Duquesne, Simmons II took over the game, posting a season-high 31 points. He shot 8-of-11 from the field and made 11-of-12 free throws. Simmons II's scoring total tied a season-best for any Atlantic 10 player this season.
 
Just over a week prior against Loyola Chicago (Jan. 20), the Detroit native dropped a season-best 26 points on 7-of-17 shooting. He made a season-high-tying six three-pointers to lead St. Bonaventure's second half comeback.
 
Simmons II is the only St. Bonaventure player and one of just six Atlantic 10 players to reach 50 made three-pointers on the season. He has made multiple three-pointers in 16 of the Bonnies' 21 games.
 
In conference play, Simmons II has made 26 triples, tied for the most in the A-10. HIs 37.48 minutes per game also lead the league. He has played a full 40 minutes in five of SBU's eight conference game so far.
 
QUITE FRANKLY
St. Bonaventure forward Frank Mitchell has been one of the most productive players on the boards in the country this season. 
 
Mitchell is averaging 9.9 rebounds per game, which leads all players in the Atlantic 10 conference. As of Thursday (Jan. 29), he is tied for 11th in the nation in total rebounds with 208. He is one of just two St. Bonaventure players in the last four years to surpass 200 rebounds in a season (Chance Moore, 207; 2024-25).
 
A remarkable number of Mitchell's rebounds have come on the offensive end. His 92 total offensive rebounds (4.38 per game) lead all of Division I.
 
Most Offensive Rebounds in NCAA Division I
(Thursday, Jan. 29)
Rank                          Name                                          School                       #  
1                                  Frank Mitchell                         St. Bonaventure    92
t2                                Brandon Benjamin                 Fairfield                    90
t2                                Giovanni Emejuru                  East Carolina          90
4                                  Duke Brennan                          Villanova                  88
5                                  Rueben Chinyelu                    Florida                      87
 
Mitchell has tallied double-digit offensive rebounds two games this season, with a season-best 11 against Colgate (Dec. 10) and 10 vs. Ohio (Dec. 13).
 
Mitchell is no stranger to the top of the national rebounding leaderboards. In 2023-24 with Canisius, he averaged 11.6 rebounds per game, the fourth-most in Division I.
 
In the scoring column, Mitchell has scored in double figures in 18 of 21 games this season. He has scored 20-or-more points in six games this season.
 
Although Mitchell had a quiet night offensively against Duquesne (Jan. 28), he posted a career-best seven assists as he battled through early foul trouble. Mitchell was credited with an assist on each of St. Bonaventure's first five field goals in the win.
 
DASONTE DELIVERS
Dasonte Bowen has picked up his offensive production of late, having tied or exceeded his career high scoring total in two straight games. The Boston native posted a career-best 19 points at Duquesne (Jan. 28) with six assists.
 
On Friday (Jan. 23), Bowen was the lone bright spot for the Bonnies against No. 24-ranked Saint Louis. The redshirt junior scored 17 points in the loss to lead SBU in scoring. He shot 7-for-11 from the field while making his only three-point attempt on the night.
 
Bowen is shooting 64 percent (14-of-22) and has not missed a three-pointer (2-for-2) or a free throw (6-for-6) in his last two games.
 
Bowen has been an extremely effective playmaker this season, averaging 4.7 assists per game over the course of the season. He has recorded three-or-more assists in 18-of-21 games this season.
 
Over St. Bonaventure's last five games, Bowen has combined for 34 assists and just eight turnovers.
 
Bowen's season assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.09 leads the Atlantic 10 among players averaging 3.0 assists or more.
 
COUNT ON CAYDEN
Cayden Charles has been pivotal to the Bonnies' offense in conference play. The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 13.4 points and 7.0 rebounds in St. Bonaventure's eight Atlantic 10 games.
 
Charles posted his fourth double-double of the season in Tuesday's win over Loyola Chicago (Jan. 20), finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
 
The Kennesaw, Georgia, native has been held to just nine points in each his last two games. However, Charles' production on the boards has not slowed down, grabbing seven and nine rebounds in those two games, respectively.
 
The senior has scored at least nine points in 12 straight games, grabbing at least five rebounds in all-but-one game during that span.
 
BLOCK PARTY
Freshman Andrew Osasuyi has made a significant impact with his shot-blocking ability off the bench for the Bonnies. Osasuyi is averaging 1.4 blocks despite playing just 10.5 minutes per game.
 
Osasuyi's defensive skill was on full display as the freshman posted a career-best five blocks against No. 24 Saint Louis last Friday. It was the most blocks in a single game by a St. Bonaventure player since Chad Venning posted six blocks in January of 2024 (Jan. 17 vs. Rhode Island). 
 
Osasuyi had another stellar performance on Wednesday at Duquesne, recording seven points, a career-best eight rebounds and two blocks. The freshman played a career-best 22 minutes in the win.
 
GEORGE MASON NOTES:

• The Patriots enter Saturday's game at 19-2, with a 7-1 record in conference play.
• George Mason is led by reigning Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year Tony Skinn.
• Point guard Kory Mincy leads the Patriots and ranks second in the Atlantic 10 in scoring, averaging 16.7 points per game.
• St. Bonaventure leads the all-time series with George Mason, 12-6.
• St. Bonaventure is 5-2 against the Patriots in the Reilly Center.
• Mark Schmidt holds a 11-4 record against George Mason in his career.