Game of the Day: St. Bonaventure vs UMES
It is crazy how an atmosphere can change for a college basketball team in a short amount of time. Well, that is what has happened for St. Bonaventure, and tonight they will look to straighten the ship again as they take on UMES. Of course, a win tonight won’t relieve all the stress that has been created after the Bonnies’ loss to Niagara on Friday, but it will certainly be a start. Here are some keys and things to look for in tonight’s game.
More than likely, Bona will be without star point guard Jay Adams, meaning his production will have to be picked up by a couple other players on the team, which didn’t happen last friday. Besides the 29 point performance by Mobley, the Bonnies did not truly have another player emerge as a true scoring threat. Expect Kaputo or Taqqee to step up into that role for the Bonnies. They ended the last game going a combined 6-17 shooting from the field, so they will look to improve upon that and take some of the pressure off of Mobley.
For UMES, there is not much to say. They only dressed nine in their last game against Maryland, a game in which they lost by 53 points. The one bright spot for the hawks is freshman guard Cameron Bacote, who is averaging 23 points and 7 assists through his first two games. It will be interesting to see the scoring battle between him and Matt Mobley.
Overall, this is a game that should be able to build back the confidence for the Bonnies. UMES only dressed 9 guys for their first game, and they just don’t have the talent or depth to be able to hang with a team like St. Bonaventure. The Bonnies should get off to a big start, and I don’t see them looking back.
My Prediction: UMES 52, St. Bonaventure 68
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