The script looked like it would be repeated. Spot a double digit first half lead, chip away and pull through down the stretch to get the win. Problem for St. Bonaventure was that Duquesne didn’t get nor follow the script. Keith Dambrot’s Dukes defeated the Bonnies 75-69 Saturday at Reilly Center. The Bonnies are now 14-9 (5-6) while Duquesne is 14-9 (4-6).
Possessions: 69
Offensive efficiency: Duquesne 109, St. Bona 100
Numbers (Four Factors in bold):
| St. Bona | Duquesne | |
| eFG Pct. | 45 | 51 |
| FT Rate | 47 | 36 |
| OREB Pct. | 23 | 25 |
| TO Rate | 13 | 13 |
| 2pt FG Pct. | 43 | 55 |
| 3pt FG Pct. | 33 | 29 |
| FT Pct. | 77 | 71 |
| 3PT FGA/FGA | 27 | 36 |
Ball Control Index: (assists + steals/turnovers)
Duquesne 2.11
St. Bona 1.33
Another slow start. A packed house, white out day, facing an opponent who defeated you a few weeks prior-the ingredients were there to come out on all cylinders. It just didn’t happen. A 15-2 first half spurt by the visitors allowed them to take a 13 point lead into the break. During that run, the Bonnies shot 1 of 10 from the field, going scoreless over a four minute stretch. Bona coach Mark Schmidt was at a loss to explain the recent contests where the Bonnies struggled in the early going. Defense, locating shooters, was a problem but not the only one.
“We’ve got to get better in all areas,” Schmidt told TapintoGreater Olean. ‘Our offensive execution, defending better, and we have to rebound better. It’s all those areas.”
Too little too late. In the comeback victories over VCU and UMass, the Bonnies started strong following intermission. This time, the Dukes came out and increased the lead to 17 early in the second half. The Bonnies were able to put together 7-0 and 8-0 runs. In the final minute it was a one possession game. Duquesne, however, sealed it from the charity stripe. In essence, the Bonnies dug too deep a hole this time to climb back and complete the comeback.
“Duquesne took it to us in the first half,” Schmidt said. “I thought when we responded in the last 10 minutes of the game…We had a hard time keeping the guards in front of us. We had trouble wrapping up possessions.”
Game plan. For Duquesne, it was not very complicated. Get off to a fast start, neutralize (Chad) Venning down low and defend the perimeter. “It’s a good win for us,” Dambrot told goduquesne.com.”I thought we did a really good job (executing their plan) until the end…Overall I thought we moved the ball well and that was another big key”
Kenpom.com MVP: Fousseyni Drame. The Duquesne senior scored a team-high 16 points while grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds, three on the offensive end. Drame was a teammate of the Bonnies Daryl Banks III on the ‘22 Saint Peters Elite Eight team.
Duquesne had three double figure scorers. Besides Drame, Jimmy Clark added 15 and Dae Dae Grant 12. The Bonnies were paced by Charles Pride with a game high 22 points. Mika Adams-Woods scored 21 and Chad Venning 10. Pride and Barry Evans tied for team rebounding honors with eight each. Four of Pride’s boards were on the offensive end.
Notes: Former Bona coach and AD, Larry Weise, who led the Bonnies to the ’70 Final Four was back on campus with his family. Reilly Center Hall of Fame Suites were named in his honor.
Duquesne swept the season series against the Bonnies for the first time since 2009.
Duquesne had a slight 36-34 edge on points in the paint.
Duquesne had a 36-35 rebounding advantage while the Bonnies outscored the Dukes 15-8 in second chance points.
Despite the fact the Bonnies spent virtually the entire day playing catch up, the game did have two ties and four lead changes.
Duquesne visits nationally ranked Dayton on Tuesday. Dukes have now won five of their last six.
Bonnies are on the road, traveling to Fordham for a Valentine’s Day contest on Wednesday. Rams were defeated at home by VCU earlier in the week. Fordham is 4-6 in A10 play with all their wins coming away from Rose Hill. Keith Urgo’s group is 12th in A10 offensive efficiency (102) and 10th (108) defensively.
“We’ve just got to play better as a team collectively. It’s not me and I; it’s us.” – Mark Schmidt
