The red hot Bonnies head back home to the Reilly Center to take on rival and sister school Siena in a battle for the Brother Ed Coughlin Franciscan Cup Saturday. The game tips at 4 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN+.
Last season, Siena edged St. Bonaventure 76-70 for the Franciscan Cup at home, taking the trophy away from the Bonnies to keep it in Albany. Now, Saturday is the 45th matchup between the schools overall and the 13th battle for the Franciscan Cup. Bona’s leads the series 7-5 in Franciscan Cup contests.
Head coach Mark Schmidt’s squad is rolling after ratting off four wins in a row, sitting with a 6-2 overall record. They beat Big Four rivals Buffalo and Niagara most recently, both on the road. Although Bonaventure was heavily favored in both contests, beating rivals in true road games is never an easy feat, especially in back-to-back games.
They dominated Niagara 94-60. The 34 point win brought a huge leap in the NCAA’s NET rankings: Bona jumped 51 spots, from 129th all the way up to 78th.
“It was a complete game,” Schmidt said after the win. “We stayed committed to every possession and the results speak for themselves.”
Schmidt’s group is coming into their own, but they must find a way to keep building off that confidence.
Graduate transfer from Cincinnati Mika Adams-Woods has been key to recent success for the Bonnies. He scored a career-high 25 points against Niagara after dropping 20 points in the previous game in Buffalo. This season, he’s shooting 45.5% from three and 57% overall from the floor. Against Niagara, he went a lights out 10-for-11 from the floor and 5-for-5 from deep.
He has developed a strong connection with primary big man Chad Venning who serves as a cog for Bonaventure’s offense. Adams-Woods is averaging seven assists over the past three games, helping find clean looks for other top options.
“As a group, we know that we are starting to get more comfortable together,” Adams-Woods said after the Niagara game. “Going into this game, we knew we had to finish. We’re understanding the mindset we need to have more, just to keep our foot on the gas and keep going.”
His emergence is especially timely with the availability of Kyrell Luc, who has appeared in just three games this season due to injury. Charles Pride, another member of the Bonnies backcourt, has also missed the past two games with an injury. The timeline for their return is currently unclear.
Siena (2-7) has struggled this season, currently ranked no. 362 in the NET rankings out of 362 teams.
As a team, they’re shooting 39.4% from the floor and just 23.5% from 3-point range. Their leading scorer Michael Eley has missed all but three games while struggling with a nagging ankle injury. He sat out the past two games, most recently playing just two minutes Dec. 1 after giving his ankle a go. It’s unclear whether last year’s MAAC Rookie of the Year will be available Saturday against Bonaventure.
No matter the personnel, the Bonnies can’t overlook the Saints. They will have to deal with Siena’s 6-foot-11 big man Giovanni Emejuru who is averaging 12.1 points and six rebounds per game this season. His matchup with Venning will intrigue as both sides look to establish the paint.
For the Bonnies, Venning has struggled with early foul trouble at times this season. While George Washington transfer Noel Brown has provided strong support off the bench, the frontcourt pair will need to minimize potential fouls to maximize their time on the floor.
Forward Barry Evans can provide support down low if absolutely needed. He has played great defense and can provide an offensive spark at times. Against Niagara, he grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds as he picked up his second consecutive start in place of Pride. Whether or not Pride is available, Evans’ two-way ability has looked meaningful both as a starter and coming off the bench this season.
The experience of this Bonaventure team is immense, boasting 725 career games and 562 starts at the Division I level. With a number of key contributors coming in through the transfer portal, they needed time to gel on the court. They built chemistry recently, looking like a cohesive unit and posting four straight wins along the way.
As long as the Bonnies can build off recent performances and play their own game, they can overcome Siena handedly for the Franciscan Cup.
Featured image courtesy of Dan Nelligan (SBUnfurled/A10 Talk)
