Game of the Night
St. Bonaventure Bonnies 69, Rhode Island Rams 64
When his team needed him most, Denzel Gregg put on his best performance of the season. The junior forward scored a career-high 22 points for the Bonnies en route to a come-from-behind victory that cements St. Bona as the c0-leader in the A10 conference.
Entering the game, it was imperative that Rhode Island stop SBU leading scorers Marcus Posley and Jaylen Adams, likely the best backcourt combo in the conference. While the Rams did hold them to a combined 27 points (8.0 PPG under their season average), the play of Gregg off the bench was something URI , or anyone else for that matter, didn’t see coming. What’s equally surprising is that 10 of Gregg’s points came from the free throw line, especially down the stretch of the game. If the Bonnies can keep up their free throw shooting as a team (78.2%, 4th best in the nation), it will continue to help them close out these tight games.
While this is a disappointing loss for Rhody, it is an even bigger win for the Bonnies. If they are able to take care of business against Duquesne this weekend, there’s no reason why St. Bonaventure wouldn’t be ‘in’ for every expert’s bracket projections. Yes, Bona fans, this could be the year.
Elsewhere in A10 Action
VCU Rams 88, Fordham Rams 54
VCU absolutely routed Fordham from start to finish behind a career-high 27 points from Justin Tillman. In just 25 minutes off the bench, the senior shot 11-14 from the field while also recording 10 rebounds. Melvin Johnson added 15 of his own points as the Rams (the winning Rams) extended their win streak to seven games. VCU is now 4-0 in conference play and 12-5 overall. Fordham drops to 10-5 and 1-3 in A10 play.
St. Joseph’s Hawks 87, George Mason Patriots 73
St. Joseph’s was able to hold off George Mason on the road, thanks in part to spectacular performances by Isaiah Miles and DeAndre’ Bembry. The two combined for 42 points, 21 rebounds, and 8 assists. Right when the Patriots looked like they were going to make a run, the Hawks answered with a run of their own. St. Joseph’s moves to 3-1 in the conference after a solid road victory. George Mason now falls to 0-4 in the A10.
Duquesne Dukes 81, Saint Louis Billikens 71
Despite what the final score may indicate, this was never a contest. The Dukes led by as many as 30 in the second half and never really gave much ground until the final 10 minutes. Saint Louis struggled shooting the basketball as it hit just 4 field goals in the first half of play. Duquesne was led in scoring by Derrick Colter with 17 points; Darius Lewis had 10 points and 7 blocks for the Dukes. Saint Louis’ Ash Yacoubou had a game-high 21 points. Both teams are now 1-3 in conference play.
La Salle Explorers 61, Richmond Spiders 83
The Spiders had a very good night shooting the basketball as they were able to hit 56.6% of their shots. Terry Allen had himself quite the double-double with 26 points and 16 rebounds. Marshall Wood had himself another impressive game as he scored 17 points and hit 5 three pointers. Leading the way for La Salle was Jordan Price with 19 points. Richmond improves to 2-2 in the conference while La Salle falls to 1-3.
