Game of the Night
St. Bonaventure Bonnies 88, Massachusetts Minutemen 77
The Bonnies overcame a slow start in this one, to get the win and improve to 3-0 in Atlantic 10 play. UMass came out with energy, taking a quick five point lead out of the gates, before cooling off from the field. St. Bonaventure finally took the lead with 5:54 to play in the first half, with a layup from Denzel Gregg.
After leading 41-36 at the half, the Bonnies stretched their lead to as large as 19 with 7 minutes left in the game. The Minutemen were able to cut the deficit to as low a 9 with 2:24 left, but the Bonnies were able to hit their free throws down the stretch to put the game away.
Jaylen Adams led Saint Bonaventure with 24 points and 8 assists, while Dion Wright added 19 points and 7 rebounds. Donte Clark led all scorers with 25 points for UMass while also contributing 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
It was a frustrating afternoon for UMass’ leading scorer, Trey Davis, who was held to just 8 points, his fewest of the season. He had a scary moment midway through the first half when he landed on the foot of a St. Bonaventure player, and rolled his ankle. He would return before halftime, but was never a real factor in this game.
Saint Bonaventure next plays Rhode Island on January 13th at 7PM, while UMass next plays George Washington on January 12th at 7PM.
Elsewhere in A10 Play
La Salle Explorers 61 #25 Dayton Flyers 57
In the biggest upset of the day, the Atlantic 10’s only ranked team fell on the road to the team with the worst record in the conference. Go figure. La Salle played just six players the entire game, and five of those six scored in double figures. Charles Cook led Dayton with 21 points while Dyshawn Pierre added 12 points.
La Salle’s game plan to slow the pace way down ultimately was the key to victory. They ran the basketball-equivalent of the Triple Option offense, where they waited until the last 10 seconds of the shot clock before running a play. This was surprisingly successful against Dayton, who became the second top-tier A10 team to lose on the road this week.
La Salle next plays January 13th at Richmond at 7PM, while Dayton next plays Davidson on January 12th at 7PM.
Davidson Wildcats 81 George Mason Patriots 75
Jack Gibbs had 26 points for the Wildcats who improved to 2-1 in the Atlantic 10. The deciding moment in the game came with 44 seconds left when Peyton Aldridge hit a three to give Davidson a 77-71 lead, effectively putting the game out of reach. Marquise Moore has 15 points to lead George Mason, who fall to 0-3 in the A10.
Davidson next plays January 12th at Dayton at 8PM, while George Mason next plays Saint Joseph’s on January 13th at 7PM.
George Washington Colonials 91 Duquesne Dukes 64
To say George Washington had bounced back from their loss at Saint Louis would be an understatement. The Colonials came out firing, and while Duquesne kept the game close for the first half, the Colonials pulled away in the second half to improve to 2-1 in the Atlantic 10. Tyler Cavanaugh had a career high 30 points, while adding 10 rebounds. Kevin Larsen also had a double-double, with 25 points and 11 rebounds while Alex Mitola added 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. The Colonials hit a blazing 13 threes, including six from Cavanagh and four from Mitola.
George Washington next plays January 12th at UMass at 7PM, while Duquesne next plays Saint Louis on January 13th at 7PM.
