The saying is very often used, especially this time of year, ‘survive and advance’. No saying better captures St. Bonaventure’s present situation. The Bonnies edged La Salle 75-73 in the second round of the A10 Tournament. Wednesday’s game at Barclays Center saw the Bonnies improve to 19-12 (9-9) while La Salle finished at 16-17 (6-12).
Possessions: 61- A deliberate, grind it out tempo.
Offensive efficiency: St. Bona 123, La Salle 120
Numbers: (Four Factors in bold)
| St. Bona | La Salle | |
| eFG Pct. | 48 | 56 |
| FT Rate | 41 | 32 |
| OREB Pct. | 42 | 32 |
| TO Rate | 10 | 15 |
| 2pt FG% | 44 | 51 |
| 3pt FG% | 40 | 44 |
| FT % | 79 | 82 |
| 3pt FGA/FGA | 26 | 30 |
Ball Control Index:
St. Bona 3.00
La Salle 1.88
A late three pointer put the Bonnies ahead by eight, 42-34, at the half. The play of Noel Brown in relief was cited as a key during those first 20 minutes.. “Noel was the difference of the first half,” Bona coach Mark Schmidt told gobonnies.com.
Chad Venning opened up the scoring after intermission to give the Bonnies a 10 point edge. It was the largest lead of the night as Bona soon went on a scoring drought of four minutes in duration.
La Salle took a one possession lead thanks to a 12-2 run. The last eight minutes was a back and forth affair, in a game with 11 lead changes. Fran Dunphy’s Explorers enjoyed their largest lead, 66-63. with just under three minutes remaining. The Bonnies responded and a Moses Flowers three pointer put them ahead with just under two minutes left.
Bona led by four with 17 seconds to go. Jhamir Brickus was fouled on a three point attempt and the La Salle senior guard buried all three free throw attermpts. La Salle fouled Venning who hit one of two. Brickus came down attempting a a potential game winning three pointer. The shot missed, Daeshon Shepherd rebounded, but his off balance dunk attempt slipped out of his hands as the final horn sounded.
“It was a great game with two teams who fought for every possession,” Schmidt said. “We just found a way.”
Two Rs. Resiliency and rebounding. In this game where the Bonnies lost a chance at separation and ultimately the lead, they stayed the course and fought back. Adhering to Schmidt’s mantra of post season play as a ‘new season’, they put the last two contests in the rear view mirror and seized the opportunity and now move on.
Bonnies won the all important rebounding battle by a 34-30 count. They led 15-9 on the offensive end. Assa Essamvous led the Bonnies with a game-high nine boards. Rofas Jocius was the La Salle leader with six.
Kenpom.com MVP: Mika Adams-Woods. Paced the Bonnies with 15 points. Adams-Woods handed out six assists without a turnover in 36 minutes of playing time.
Bonnies spread the wealth with six players in double figures for the first time since a December 2019 game at Niagara. Besides Adams-Woods, Charles Pride scored 13, Chad Venning 12, Daryl Banks III and Noel Brown 11 and Moses Flowers 10.
Explorers placed five in double digits. Jhamir Brickus led all scorers with 18. Rokas Jocius added 16, Daeshon Shepherd 11, and Khalil Brantley and Anwar Gill both had 10.
Notes: Pride scored only two points in the Bonnies’ February loss at La Salle.
Explorers shot 49% from the floor while hitting 44%(7-16) from deep. Bonnies finished with a 43% mark, including 40% (6-15) from long distance.
Brantley and Brickus both logged 40 minutes for the Explorers.
For La Salle’s Shepherd, it was his ninth double digit outing in the last ten games.
Bonnies move on to face second seeded Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers have a double bye and dropped a 79-64 contest to the Bonnies at Reilly Center in late February. That loss was Loyola’s only one since late January as Drew Valentine’s club has won 10 of their last 11 entering the tournament.
“You have to win by one to advance. That’s tournament play. Now we look forward to tomorrow.” – Mark Schmidt
