It will be St. Bonaventure and VCU in Dayton for the championship. In the process of winning Saturday’s semifinal and advancing, both St. Bona and VCU avenged earlier losses to their opponents. Bona was defeated b the Bilikens a month earlier in St. Louis 70-59. It was Bona’s only double digit setback of the season. One week prior to the day, VCU was defeated 65-57 at Davidson. The numbers….
St. Bonaventure 71 Saint Louis 53
Possessions: 62- A tempo definitely more suited to Bona;s liking. Grinding it out.
Offensive efficiency: St. Bona 115, Saint Louis 85
Kenpom MVP. Jalen Adaway, St. Bona- 17 points, 7 rebounds
Adway got the MVP nod per Kenpom.com. In coach Mark Schimdt’s estimation, Osun Osunniyi deserved the nod. The Bona big man scored 8 points with 5 rebounds and 7 blocks. “He (Osunniyi) blocked 7 but it felt like 17,” Schmidt said. “He is such an intimidating force. You get in the lane and you are thinking about where he is. He’s our defensive eraser.”
VCU 64 Davidson 52
Possessions: 61 – VCU prefers a faster tempo but did just fine in a more Davidson-like pace.
Offensive efficiency: VCU 105, Davidson 85
Kenpom MVP: Corey Douglas, VCU- 10 points, 5 rebounds.
A week ago VCU was minus Bones Hyland when they lost to the Wildcats. Hyland is back, leading the Rams with a 12 point outing. The key to Mike Rhoades’ group is the support cast. Adrian Baldwin scored 7 points while handing out a game-high 7 assists. Jamir Watkins and the MVP Holmes added 10 points each. The latter pair came off the bench, attesting to the quality of VCU’s supporting cast.
