July 28 marked 100 days until the 2019-20 tip-off for the Centennial Season of St. Bonaventure basketball. Each day leading up to the first game, St. Bonaventure Athletics will treat fans to moments from the history of Bonnies basketball, from tremendous photos, game programs, memorabilia and more, all leading up to a November 5 season tip.
Fans wishing to share photos or memorabilia from their favorite Bonnies moments should email them to seddy@sbu.edu.
Days 100-91 (below) |Â Days 90-81Â |Â Days 80-71Â |Â Days 70-61Â |Â Days 60-51Â |Â Days 50-41Â |Â Days 40-31Â |Â Days 30-21
DAY 20Â (October 16)
With 20 days left in our countdown, we look back on the 16 20-win seasons in St. Bonaventure men's basketball history.
In this photo, head coach Mark Schmidt, Denzel Gregg and the rest of the Bonnies bench react as the Bonnies locked up their 20th win of the 2016-17 season with a victory over UMass in the Atlantic 10 Tournament held in Pittsburgh.
DAY 19Â (October 17)
This story from the Feb. 25, 1969 edition of the Buffalo Evening News describes the night Bob Lanier set the St. Bonaventure program record of 51 points vs. Seton Hall.
A crowd of 4,524 fans at the University Center watched as Lanier hit 20 of his 29 shot attempts from the floor and also went 11-for-13 at the foul line. He hauled in 20 rebounds as well. In doing so, he broke what was the previous record of 48 points tallied by Tom Stith a decade earlier in a game at Manhattan. Later in 1969, Lanier would nearly match his own record when he scored 50 points against Purdue.
To this day, Lanier remains the only Bonaventure player to register 50 points in a single game.
DAY 18Â (October 18)
LET'S DANCE. ????#BonniesDance ?? pic.twitter.com/165HOxCOYm
— Bonnies Men's Basketball (@BonniesMBB) March 12, 2018
With 18 days left in our countdown we look back to an unforgettable moment from March 11, 2018 when the Bonnies were announced as an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament in front of a watch party at the Reilly Center (click the link for the video).
Weeks of bubble drama and anxiety were let out in a collective exhale from Bonnies fans everywhere as the name ST. BONAVENTURE appeared on the Selection Sunday bracket reveal show. The Bonnies were sent to the First Four against basketball blueblood UCLA where the Brown and White would defeat the Bruins in Dayton.
The Bonnies would set a program record with 26 wins that year, including a 13-game winning streak.
DAY 17Â (October 19)
It was a triumphant scene in Atlantic City during March 2012 when the Bonnies captured the Atlantic 10 Championship.
In one of the best images of the day, head coach Mark Schmidt, Sr. Margaret Carney, University President, and members of the team including Matthew Wright, Eric Mosley, Marquise Simmons, Demitrius Conger, Andrew Nicholson and Da'Quan Cook hoist up the A-10 Championship trophy at center court for all the Bona fans to see.
DAY 16Â (October 20)
While this year marks the 100th season for the St. Bonaventure men's basketball program, the Bonnies women's program has also been vital to the connection of basketball to the community for many decades.
With 16 days left in our countdown, we remember two of the top Bona women's teams in school history which have a special connection to the number. The first image is of the 2011-12 women's squad which set all the Bona benchmarks for success. Members of the team took this photo on the campus of Florida State University at the start of an unforgettable NCAA Tournament run. The Bonnies won a remarkable 31 games that year, finishing 31-4, including an unblemished 14-0 mark in the Atlantic 10 during the regular season. St. Bonaventure continued their run well into March, scoring heartstopping wins over Florida Gulf Coast (72-65 in OT) and Marist (66-63) to reach the Sweet 16. Read the game recap / photos and more from the second round victory
The second photo shows members of the 2015-16 team celebrating with head coach Jim Crowley following a 65-54 upset of Oklahoma State in Corvallis, Ore., on March 18, 2016 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. That year's team finished the season with 24 wins. Read the game recap / video and more from the Oklahoma State NCAA victory
DAY 15Â (October 21)
Members of the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team pose outside Devereux Hall in this 1928 photo.
1928 saw the arrival of Mike Reilly as head coach of St. Bonaventure basketball - today the Reilly Center is named in his honor. His first squad set the tone for the success that was to come - Reilly's Bonnies went 17-7 in 1928-29 and matched their winning ways a year later, going 17-5 in his second season.
DAY 14Â (October 22)
Members of the Bona basketball team pose for a photo after practice in November 1958 including Sam Stith, Mike Cavalier, Don Newhook, Tom Stith. Back row: Mike Schrauth, Tom McHugh, Ken Fairfield, Stan Koliander, John Piccolo, Mgr., Lee Fitzpatrick, Whitey Martin.
Both Stith brothers, Martin and Fairfield are now members of the St. Bonaventure Athletics Hall of Fame.
That team helped usher in a golden era of St. Bonaventure Basketball as the program won 20+ games each year between 1957-58 and 1960-61, reaching the national postseason in every year.
DAY 13Â (October 23)
Marques Green left St. Bonaventure as one of the best guards in program history.
He's the school record-holder in both assists (657) and steals (325) - ranking second in Atlantic 10 history for steals and eighth in assists.
He is tied for the SBU single game record for assists with 14, and second in steals for a game with seven. His 281 three-pointers are the most in school history while he shot 38.5 percent from distance for his career, good for sixth in program history. Green ranks ninth all-time in school history scoring (1,734 points) and is first in 3-pointers made (281), assists (657) and steals (325).
Green was selected All-A-10 First Team in 2003, the Second Team in 2004 and Third Team in 2002. He was all an A-10 All-Defensive Team pick in three straight seasons. He's played as a pro overseas for 15 years.
DAY 12Â (October 25)
In this photo, Patricio Prato drives past UConn's Caron Butler. The Bonnies won the game, 88-70, on Dec. 28, 2001. Prato finished his career with 1,110 points which ranks 35th in program history.
As a freshman, he was a part of Bona's 2000 NCAA Tournament team and scored 20 points in the memorable double overtime contest vs. Kentucky.
A key player in two NIT teams as well, Prato stands 12th in program three-pointers (142) over his four seasons in Brown and White. Read the New York Times UConn victory game recap
DAY 11Â (October 25)
Pictured here, Mark Jones directs traffic for the Bonnies during his days wearing the St. Bonaventure No. 11.
Having set an NCAA record for the highest freshman free throw percentage (88.4 percent) in 1979, Jones went on to become the seventh-leading scorer in program history at the time he finished his career. His 1,704 career points still rank 11th in Bona history while he is also seventh in assists (408) and fifth in steals (194). In 1982, he was the A-10's leading scorer at 18.0 ppg and was an all-conference first team selection. He was also A-10 second team in 1983 and the captain of the 1983 Bonnies NIT team before being selected to the SBU Hall of Fame in 1995.
Following his SBU playing days, Jones was drafted by the New York Knicks in the 1983 NBA Draft and later suited up for the New Jersey Nets.
Check back each day as we continue our 100 Years, 100 Days Countdown To Tip Off! Continue to the next set of days | Or look back at previous countdown memories
