Brooklyn- The season ended on Saturday with Duquesne’s 70-60 victory over St. Bonaventure. First the numbers, then the commentary of the tournament and season.
Possessions: 63
Offensive efficiency: Duquesne 1.11, St. Bona 95
Numbers: Four Factors in bold
| St. Bona | Duquesne | |
| eFG Pct. | 46 | 60 |
| FT Rate | 19 | 13 |
| OREB Pct. | 27 | 19 |
| TO Rate | 18 | 18 |
| 2pt FG% | 52 | 53 |
| 3pt FG% | 25 | 48 |
| FT% | 73 | 86 |
| 3pt FGA/FGA | 42 | 40 |
Ball Control Index:
Duquesne 1.91
St. Bona 1.64
Brooklyn is often called ‘the ‘borough of churches’. Probably fitting considering the Atlantic Ten Tournament would be played there and St. Bonaventure fans would be doing a lot of calling on the Lord during the week.
The Bonnies entered Brooklyn on the heels of a two game losing streak, to the bottom two teams in the conference. Momentum was not an ally, though coach Mark Schmidt believes momentum from prior contests, or lack of it, means nothing once the ball is tossed up to start the game. Schmidt always subscribes to the season being in three parts, preseason, conference and the tournament. Regardless, heading to Brooklyn, the adoring and devoted Bonaventure followers had their concerns regarding the ‘new’ season.
The Bonnies opened play on Wednesday against La Salle. The Explorers defeated George Washington a night earlier in the first round. They also owned a win over the Bonnies just three weeks to date.
An eight point halftime Bona lead soon dissipated. Fran Dunphy’s group always caused problems with their outside shooting and ability to offensively create space. La Salle responded and the final twenty minutes saw the lead change hands a number of times. The Bonnies had a two point lead in the waning seconds. La Salle missed a potential winning three point attempt followed by a possible game tying putback- 75-73 Bonnies. Survive and advance.
The next night against second seeded Loyola Chicago, a team Bonaventure defeated a little over two weeks earlier at Reilly Center, the Bonnies were facing an 11 point deficit with six minutes left. More prayers were sent.
An offensive run and strong defense allowed Bona to force overtime. Bonnies grabbed a four point lead before the Ramblers came back to force another session.
Again, the Bonnies got out to a four point lead only to see Loyola Chicago reel off six straight. With 12 seconds left, Daryl Banks III came off a Chad Venning screen to attempt a three pointer. Banks got his defender in the air drawing contact on the missed attempt. Cool and calm, the Bona senior drained all three. Loyola had a last chance but a rushed three point attempt didn’t even draw iron. The Bonnies moved on 75-74 on a day when all four lower seeds moved on.
Following Friday’s off day, Saturday loomed sunny in Brooklyn. Pregame stops at a local watering hole and/or a pregame reception at Barclays Center were the order for Bona faithful. Duquesne, the Bona opponent, upset Dayton in the quarterfinals and had swept the Bonnies during the regular season. The Dukes, a longtime Bona nemesis evern before A10 days, were riding a six game win streak.
The game was almost a microcosm of the season. Bonnies trailed 26-22 at intermission then struggled through a dry spell lasting five minutes early in the second half, allowing Keith Dambrot’s club to build a 10 point lead. The difference grew to 14 with 14 minutes to play. Just as scoring droughts were a recurring negative so was the positive of determination and resilience.
Frequently the Bonnies battled back from deficits especially late in games. The Bona crowd increased the decibel level as the margin slowly whittled away. With just under four minutes to play it was a two possession game,with Duquesne holding a 53-48 lead. The next four trips, highlighted by two Jimmy Clark three pointers, saw the Dukes go on an 11-5 run to basically seal the 70-60 verdict. Clark (18) points and running mate Dae Dae Grant (27) did appreciable damage. Banks led Bona with 14.
Post game, players left the court, Bona fans recognized the valiant effort. Some stayed around a few minutes, others exited for a commute home or a trip to that watering hole. A few cheerleaders wiped a tear away. March gives the excitement and ‘Madness’ associated with conference get togethers but the exorbitantly cruel price is paid with tournament elimination when you realize the season may be ended.
In the aftermath Schmidt broke the game down into basic terms, “Duquesne had some open shots, others we defended but they made them. We did not hit our open shots and were outscored 30-18 from three.”
The Bona mentor admitted it was an up and down season but hoped for an NIT bid, “we want to keep playing,” he said. Ultimately, the invitation would not be extended.
The Bona season ended at 20-13 (9-9). Duquesne (23-11) would claim the A10 title the next day for their first trip to the Big Dance in 47 years. They would be joined by Dayton while Saint Joseph’s, Richmond, Loyola Chicago and VCU were headed to the NIT.
There were disappointments such as the previously alluded to late season losses, that meant no double bye in Brooklyn, to the likes of La Salle, George Washington and Saint Louis. The half full side saw 20 wins for the sixth time in Schmidt’s outstanding tenure, sweeping VCU, UMass and Loyola Chicago. A trip to the A10 semifinals. Not to forget the contributions and dedication of outgoing seniors Daryl Banks. Moses Flowers, Charles Pride and Mika Adams-Woods. A group representing Bonaventure on and off the court in an exemplary way.
The season ended sooner than players, coaches and Bona faithfull wanted. There was undoubtedly a feeling of disappointment in the immediate but later reflection will cast the season in a better light. Looking back at the entire campaign, one had to agree, a lot of those frequent prayers were answered.
Posted In: General Discussion