A disappointing loss on one level last night in Niagara. Obviously, it seemed like the game was there for the taking, but a rash of turnovers and the Purple Eagles' hot perimeter shooting were too much for the Bonnies to overcome in the second half. On another level, though, the game has to be encouraging. Niagara has handled the Bonnies fairly easily the past four years, even dropping the century mark on SBU. With Niagara being a tournament team two out of the past three years and returning its best player from a year ago, Charron Fisher, this game didn't look very winnable on the schedule. The Bonnies gave the Purple Eagles all they wanted though right down to the buzzer and that has to be taken as an encouraging sign of "getting it back."
Nice to see Matt Morgan make such a jump in his maturation as a Division I player. Last night was easily his best game on both sides of the ball and he was key to sparking the Bonnies' first half run to go from down six to up four at the break. More importantly, he played a solid 23 minutes. This team desperately needs someone from the freshman trio Morgan, Malcom Eleby and Hillary Haley to step up and take minutes because its not a pretty sight when someone like Tyler Benson is getting 30+ minutes a night. Let's face it, Benson is a nice guy to bring off the bench when one of your starters needs a blow for a minute or two, but aside from taking a quick three and heading back to the bench, Benson is completely overmatched at this level. He's trying to compensate for the ability he doesn't have when playing starter's minutes and has been losing his three-point touch entirely. He built a house in the Gallagher Center last night with all the bricks he was throwing up (0-for-5 from the field, 0-for-3 from behind the arc).
Speaking of struggles, that is Malcom Eleby's middle name right now. It's disappointing to see a kid so many were so high on struggle so mightily to kick off the season. The talent everyone speaks of has been visible in really short spurts so far this year, so I have confidence that he'll continue to grow as a player as the season goes on. Last night, however, was brutal. He was really a detrement to the team in the waning minutes, forcing shots that just weren't there. By the way, anyone else notice the confrontation between Mark Schmidt and Eleby after some of those shots? Eleby might be reduced to another two minute performance like he saw against Eastern Michigan this Saturday when Canisius comes to town.
Speaking of Canisius, the Bonnies have to take this game at home from their other Little 3 rival. Canisius has sunk to Anthony Solomon levels in the RPI rankings, 335 out of 341 DI teams. The Golden Griffs have been anything but golden this season, and still should be searching for their first victory of the 2007-08 campaign when they leave the RC. A nice 93-40 loss at RPI #305 Penn State highlights their lackluster season thus far. They are a small, young team, giving the Bonnies what should be their easiest game of the season, fingers crossed.
Until next time....
-Scott Eddy, BV Online Director
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Niagara: 80 Bonnies: 75
The Bonnies lose for the second time in as many games dropping its record to 3-4. This one hurts because of how hard the players worked and how close they really were. However, the Bonnies have lost their last three to Niagara by an average of 17.3 points, so this is certainly a step in the right direction for coach Schmidt and his players. Michael Lee once again played a terrific game with a lot of intensity and with the exception of turnovers, Relph played fairly well. Eleby continues to disappoint and Haley saw little playing time. Carter and Morgan had good games with Morgan really performing well in the first half. THe Bonnies will host Canisius on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Referees may have just blown it! Bonnies trail by 6 with 45 seconds left
Hillary Haley makes an excellent defensive play, only to have the officials make a terrible call. The Purple Eagles in-bound the ball and Haley knocks it off a Niagara player but the officials rule it Niagara ball. The Bonnie had to foul and now Niagara is on the line.
Niagara: 68 Bonnies: 62 2:30 Remaining
Relph hits a huge three and the Bonnies trail by six!
Sidenote: The Bonnies have been followed by the WolfPack, who are out in full force tonight and have been matching the Niagara students in volume until the Purple Eagles plays its student band. That is the only thing keeping the WolfPack from being louder even though they are outnumbered by a couple of hundred.
Sidenote: The Bonnies have been followed by the WolfPack, who are out in full force tonight and have been matching the Niagara students in volume until the Purple Eagles plays its student band. That is the only thing keeping the WolfPack from being louder even though they are outnumbered by a couple of hundred.
NIagara: 67 Bonnies: 59 3:58 Remaining
The Bonnies have certainly shown a desire to win this game but have not gotten great results because of poor defense. Malcom Eleby's night has been one to forget and his facial expressions have told the tale. He has seen only nine minutes of action, yet has turned it over six times. Niagara comes to the line with a 1-and-1 which is missed and now need offense and defense stops to overcome this eight point deficit.
Niagara: 62 Bonnies: 52 7:23 Remaining
If the Bonnies want to win this game, they need to start playing better defense, especially in the transition game where missed three pointers are turning into Purple Eagle points. They now only have 1 timeout left with 9 minutes remaining because of an inability to get the ball in-bounds. The Bonnies are definitely playing with hustle but just are not getting it done offensively. Tyler Benson has missed a couple of crucial three's and needs to step it up as he is seeing a lot of action tonight. D'Lancy Carter has come in for Matt Morgan because Niagara big man Benson Egemonye has been dominating inside and Morgan has struggled to stop him.
Niagara: 42 Bonnies: 36 15:15 Remaining
My first blog of the night because of computer issues and I apologize. As for the Bonnies holding a 32-28 lead at halftime, it did not last long as the Purple Eagles have come out attacking the Bonnie defense and offense. The Bonnies look a bit fustrated with how well Niagara has come out to start the half. The rest of the game has been Michael Lee's show as he has 14 points and 9 rebounds already. Malcom Eleby and Tyler Relph have combined for 11 turnovers already. Matt Morgan may be having his breakout game as he had 7 points and 3 rebounds at the half and has been on the floor most of the night.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Breaking down Saturday's loss
Let’s hope it was the turkey.
That might be an explanation for today’s 63-60 loss to Eastern Michigan at the Reilly Center. The Bonnies came out lackadaisical and got worse from there. Let’s break it down.
•Offense. The offense was actually halfway decent in the first half, and the Bonnies came into the locker room with a 26-22 lead at halftime. However, the Bonnies turned timid for some reason with about 10 minutes to play. Players quit moving without the ball (although they didn’t do much of that to begin with), and 25 seconds of dilly-dallying were followed by 10 seconds of frantic play as our Bonnies realized that the clock was winding down. As I’ll mention in a minute, this smacks of play from an era we would much rather forget.
Michael Lee continued his string of excellent basketball with 22 points, while Tyler Relph continued his solid play, contributing 14 points and 4 assists. Both were perfect from the line (Lee 4-4, Relph 6-6). However, Zerryon Ferreti went cold again with only 7 points and 2-7 from the field, and the other Bonnies contributed as much to the stat sheet as Rachael Ray has to the culinary arts.
Relph’s assist number would have been helped along a little bit had the other Bonnies actually moved without the ball. The point guard is the quarterback of the offense, but a quarterback can’t operate if his receivers won’t move. All in all, an extremely lackadaisical performance.
•Defense. Thoroughly putrid, especially in the second half. The only reason the game was so close was because Eastern Michigan did not shoot very well in the first half, especially from three. Players are getting in the defensive stance, but they are not rotating well. When they do rotate, they either reach their man too late or they don’t put their hands up to effectively contest the shot.
Our Bonnies also did not rotate inside. Whenever an Eastern Michigan player would penetrate in the paint, no one would step into the lane! Unfortunately, this left poor D’Lancy Carter in the low post to defend all by his lonesome, and as a freshman, he is still not equipped to defend and rebound there.
There is one more notable thing. At one point in the second half, I noticed Ferreti run to a player to contest a shot. However, he ducked just as his opponent got ready to shoot and ran to another Eastern Michigan player, rather than contesting the shot. This faux paus resulted in an easy three points for Eastern Michigan. That incident basically symbolizes the woes the Bonnies had on defense today. Coach Mark Schmidt may have had the worst defense in the Northeast Conference at Robert Morris, but that must change at this level, or else such performances will continue.
•Coaching. I realize that this may be a no-go area because of Mr. Schmidt’s popularity on campus, but he did make one mistake that should be mentioned. For example, as we began to give up a seven point lead with six minutes to go, Schmidt did not substitute. As a result, our players began making mental, then physical mistakes, including giving up the lead with two minutes to go. Even as we began to fall apart, Schmidt still failed to substitute. I don’t care if we have a shallow bench or not. You cannot keep players who are making mistakes on the floor and expect to win. Even if it’s to give your starters a brief rest, substitutions should still be made.
•Solomon’s teaching. Keep in mind that this is a young team that has been conditioned under Schmidt’s predecessor, Anthony Solomon, to play basketball like idiots. It will take time for Schmidt to completely sell these players, especially the veterans, on his message. This game was a classic case of Solomon-style basketball, as lackadaisical offense, poor defense, and mental mistakes down the stretch combined to form a close St. Bonaventure loss. Keep in mind that this is only Schmidt’s sixth game as coach. It will take time for the message to get through.
And that’s basically what this loss was today: growing pains. At least that’s what I hope it was. The Bonnies cannot afford many more losses of this caliber, especially when the Atlantic 10 begins rolling into town. While we may put in a Binghamton-style performance every night, we need to cut down on the major mistakes, and fast. If anything else, this game proved that while the Bonnies may be “bringing it back,” success certainly won’t happen overnight.
-Benjamin Yeager
That might be an explanation for today’s 63-60 loss to Eastern Michigan at the Reilly Center. The Bonnies came out lackadaisical and got worse from there. Let’s break it down.
•Offense. The offense was actually halfway decent in the first half, and the Bonnies came into the locker room with a 26-22 lead at halftime. However, the Bonnies turned timid for some reason with about 10 minutes to play. Players quit moving without the ball (although they didn’t do much of that to begin with), and 25 seconds of dilly-dallying were followed by 10 seconds of frantic play as our Bonnies realized that the clock was winding down. As I’ll mention in a minute, this smacks of play from an era we would much rather forget.
Michael Lee continued his string of excellent basketball with 22 points, while Tyler Relph continued his solid play, contributing 14 points and 4 assists. Both were perfect from the line (Lee 4-4, Relph 6-6). However, Zerryon Ferreti went cold again with only 7 points and 2-7 from the field, and the other Bonnies contributed as much to the stat sheet as Rachael Ray has to the culinary arts.
Relph’s assist number would have been helped along a little bit had the other Bonnies actually moved without the ball. The point guard is the quarterback of the offense, but a quarterback can’t operate if his receivers won’t move. All in all, an extremely lackadaisical performance.
•Defense. Thoroughly putrid, especially in the second half. The only reason the game was so close was because Eastern Michigan did not shoot very well in the first half, especially from three. Players are getting in the defensive stance, but they are not rotating well. When they do rotate, they either reach their man too late or they don’t put their hands up to effectively contest the shot.
Our Bonnies also did not rotate inside. Whenever an Eastern Michigan player would penetrate in the paint, no one would step into the lane! Unfortunately, this left poor D’Lancy Carter in the low post to defend all by his lonesome, and as a freshman, he is still not equipped to defend and rebound there.
There is one more notable thing. At one point in the second half, I noticed Ferreti run to a player to contest a shot. However, he ducked just as his opponent got ready to shoot and ran to another Eastern Michigan player, rather than contesting the shot. This faux paus resulted in an easy three points for Eastern Michigan. That incident basically symbolizes the woes the Bonnies had on defense today. Coach Mark Schmidt may have had the worst defense in the Northeast Conference at Robert Morris, but that must change at this level, or else such performances will continue.
•Coaching. I realize that this may be a no-go area because of Mr. Schmidt’s popularity on campus, but he did make one mistake that should be mentioned. For example, as we began to give up a seven point lead with six minutes to go, Schmidt did not substitute. As a result, our players began making mental, then physical mistakes, including giving up the lead with two minutes to go. Even as we began to fall apart, Schmidt still failed to substitute. I don’t care if we have a shallow bench or not. You cannot keep players who are making mistakes on the floor and expect to win. Even if it’s to give your starters a brief rest, substitutions should still be made.
•Solomon’s teaching. Keep in mind that this is a young team that has been conditioned under Schmidt’s predecessor, Anthony Solomon, to play basketball like idiots. It will take time for Schmidt to completely sell these players, especially the veterans, on his message. This game was a classic case of Solomon-style basketball, as lackadaisical offense, poor defense, and mental mistakes down the stretch combined to form a close St. Bonaventure loss. Keep in mind that this is only Schmidt’s sixth game as coach. It will take time for the message to get through.
And that’s basically what this loss was today: growing pains. At least that’s what I hope it was. The Bonnies cannot afford many more losses of this caliber, especially when the Atlantic 10 begins rolling into town. While we may put in a Binghamton-style performance every night, we need to cut down on the major mistakes, and fast. If anything else, this game proved that while the Bonnies may be “bringing it back,” success certainly won’t happen overnight.
-Benjamin Yeager
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Bonnies disappoint in return to RC
Well, at least it was interesting and most people didn't leave until the final buzzer. The Bonnies' 63-60 loss to MAC foe Eastern Michigan highlighted much about how the team needs to learn how to close games against quality opponents. I thought they may have learned this lesson last weekend in New Mexico, but I was proven wrong. Senior forward Mike Lee continues his torrid pace, scoring 22 points and nine rebounds. Fellow senior Tyler Relph contributed 14 points. The last senior, Zarryon Fereti had a forgettable seven points and three rebounds, going 3-of-10 from the field.
Fereti needs to play much more sound and needs to attack the basket for this team to succeed.
Neither team played well in the first half, the Bonnies shot 39 percent from the field and EM shot a dismal 29 percent. It seemed at times that Bonaventure couldn't sustain scoring stretches, unable to score in the final seven minutes of the first half.
It just seems that the Eagles played such a better second half, made the right adjustments and St. Bonaventure didn't seem to match EM's second-half performance.
It shows great confidence in junior Tyler Benson that he took the last two shots for the Bonnies.
The Bonnies non-conference doesn't get any easier as they take on Little 3 rival Niagara Wednesday at the Gallagher Center. It is a test to see how far they've improved under coach Schmidt and it's always good to create new memories with victories over long-time rivals.
-Michael T. Licata
Fereti needs to play much more sound and needs to attack the basket for this team to succeed.
Neither team played well in the first half, the Bonnies shot 39 percent from the field and EM shot a dismal 29 percent. It seemed at times that Bonaventure couldn't sustain scoring stretches, unable to score in the final seven minutes of the first half.
It just seems that the Eagles played such a better second half, made the right adjustments and St. Bonaventure didn't seem to match EM's second-half performance.
It shows great confidence in junior Tyler Benson that he took the last two shots for the Bonnies.
The Bonnies non-conference doesn't get any easier as they take on Little 3 rival Niagara Wednesday at the Gallagher Center. It is a test to see how far they've improved under coach Schmidt and it's always good to create new memories with victories over long-time rivals.
-Michael T. Licata
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Closing thoughts: The Pit
New Mexico’s home arena is appropriately named “The Pit.” The roof was built first and then a massive 37-foot pit was dug out underneath the roof, obviously placing the floor underground. That, along with its flat roof, has produced the highest decibel levels in a college basketball arena.
The St. Petersburg Times ran a feature in 1999 on decibel levels in college basketball arenas and a game against Arizona recorded the highest reading – 118. This is one of the most unique college basketball arenas I’ve been in and this place can get loud. But there’s a key word in that sentence – can.
I know it’s an early season tournament against three lackluster teams, but the New Mexico fans, particularly the students, are maybe one-fifth as involved in the game as fans in the RC. This arena gets loud only when the Lobos score. That’s it. The student section – for all intensive purposes – is a joke. New Mexico’s enrollment is over 25,000 and there have been maybe 75-100 students at every UNM game this weekend. They don’t make any noise and in two-and-a-half games I have yet to hear them put together one coordinated cheer. And the Thanksgiving break can’t be used an excuse. Their break doesn’t even start until Thursday.
I know the RC is unique but I honestly thought the PIT would be a better atmosphere to watch a basketball game from. Based on this weekend that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’d love to come back during Mountain West Conference play and see how loud this place can get because I have been completely unimpressed by what I’ve seen over the last three days.
In 1999, Sports Illustrated labeled the Pit as the 13th best sports venue of the century. I don’t see it. I’m sure it’s different during conference play, or even when there’s a team in here not named St. Bonaventure, Presbyterian or Loyola Marymount, but what cannot be dismissed is the nonchalant attitude toward the product on the floor. The RC students are into every game no matter the opponent. The New Mexico students barely show up and act like they’re attending a church service. If you put the Wolfpack in The Pit, I can guarantee you it wouldn’t just be the loudest college basketball arena, but rather the loudest sporting venue anywhere.
The point of this is that my appreciation of the Wolfpack has grown tremendously over the last three days. I was expecting to see one of the most raucous college basketball scenes and I’ve been exceptionally disappointed. The arena is unique in terms of its steep, angled seating, low roof and underground court, but the fans have been anything but unique. Lackluster would be a better term.
The St. Petersburg Times ran a feature in 1999 on decibel levels in college basketball arenas and a game against Arizona recorded the highest reading – 118. This is one of the most unique college basketball arenas I’ve been in and this place can get loud. But there’s a key word in that sentence – can.
I know it’s an early season tournament against three lackluster teams, but the New Mexico fans, particularly the students, are maybe one-fifth as involved in the game as fans in the RC. This arena gets loud only when the Lobos score. That’s it. The student section – for all intensive purposes – is a joke. New Mexico’s enrollment is over 25,000 and there have been maybe 75-100 students at every UNM game this weekend. They don’t make any noise and in two-and-a-half games I have yet to hear them put together one coordinated cheer. And the Thanksgiving break can’t be used an excuse. Their break doesn’t even start until Thursday.
I know the RC is unique but I honestly thought the PIT would be a better atmosphere to watch a basketball game from. Based on this weekend that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’d love to come back during Mountain West Conference play and see how loud this place can get because I have been completely unimpressed by what I’ve seen over the last three days.
In 1999, Sports Illustrated labeled the Pit as the 13th best sports venue of the century. I don’t see it. I’m sure it’s different during conference play, or even when there’s a team in here not named St. Bonaventure, Presbyterian or Loyola Marymount, but what cannot be dismissed is the nonchalant attitude toward the product on the floor. The RC students are into every game no matter the opponent. The New Mexico students barely show up and act like they’re attending a church service. If you put the Wolfpack in The Pit, I can guarantee you it wouldn’t just be the loudest college basketball arena, but rather the loudest sporting venue anywhere.
The point of this is that my appreciation of the Wolfpack has grown tremendously over the last three days. I was expecting to see one of the most raucous college basketball scenes and I’ve been exceptionally disappointed. The arena is unique in terms of its steep, angled seating, low roof and underground court, but the fans have been anything but unique. Lackluster would be a better term.
Presbyterian Game Recap
In the end, the Bonnies got the two wins they were expected to get. They didn’t come as easily as expected, but they’re two games that we probably would have found a way to lose last season. That’s the sign of an improving team.
The epitome of improvement tonight – Tyler Relph. The senior finally showed glimpses of his former self as he netted a career-high 21 points on a career-high six 3-pointers. Coming into today Relph had made just two 3’s but exploded against the Blue Hose. And he exploded because he didn’t force his shot. He simply took the shots the Presbyterian defense allowed him – mostly from the top of the 3-point arc – and made wise decisions with the basketball. He didn’t turn the ball over once. He only had one assist but that was more a product of playing against the 2-3 zone where he didn’t need to make plays by himself like he would against the man-to-man. If Relph can keep this play up, Malcolm Eleby may not see very much time until next season. Relph deserved the start today and did nothing but improve his chances of seeing the starting lineup the rest of the season.
It’s early, but if Michael Lee can keep up his play he will find himself on the A-10 First Team without a doubt. He scored 21 points today, his fourth 20-point effort in five games. Lee also reached the 1,000 point plateau for his career with a 3 from the left baseline early in the second half. While he only grabbed four rebounds, he had the support of D’Lancy Carter who also showed glimpses of the player he can be. He grabbed 10 rebounds and scored eight points. Granted it was against a smaller front line than what he’ll see the rest of the year, but he made a few nice moves in the low blocks that have to be encouraging if nothing else.
Z was Z. That’s all you can say about him. He’s either going to take 25 shots to score 20 points or just 10 shots to score 20, but you know he’s going to be around the 20-point area. He’s also absolutely money from the free throw line. In the final 1:30 of the game, he went 6-for-6 from the line and helped the Bonnies put the game away. He’ll be criticized at times for taking rushed, hurried and off-balance shots, but in the end he’s going to get his points and you’d rather have him on your team than not.
One area where you have to feel better about this team from a year ago is the free-throw shooting. Last year it shot 67 percent from the charity stripe but so far this year the Bonnies have connected on 82 percent of their trips to the line. While they only shot 73 percent today, they hit them when they mattered down the stretch – nine of 11 in the game’s final 1:30.
The Bonnies will get back into Olean tomorrow and will have a week to prepare for Eastern Michigan Saturday at 4 p.m. at the RC. The Eagles are 1-2 this season, including a 19-point loss at home to Brown and a 15-point loss on the road to Oakland. Again, this is another game the Bonnies should win but it won’t be easy. The students are on break for Thanksgiving so the Wolfpack will be thin at best.
The Bonnies got what I’m sure they expected and what most fans expected from this trip. That is encouraging because it means we’re not going backward. We would not have won two games here last season but we found a way to win and Schmidt deserves a lot of the credit.
--Jason MacBain, Advisory Editor
The epitome of improvement tonight – Tyler Relph. The senior finally showed glimpses of his former self as he netted a career-high 21 points on a career-high six 3-pointers. Coming into today Relph had made just two 3’s but exploded against the Blue Hose. And he exploded because he didn’t force his shot. He simply took the shots the Presbyterian defense allowed him – mostly from the top of the 3-point arc – and made wise decisions with the basketball. He didn’t turn the ball over once. He only had one assist but that was more a product of playing against the 2-3 zone where he didn’t need to make plays by himself like he would against the man-to-man. If Relph can keep this play up, Malcolm Eleby may not see very much time until next season. Relph deserved the start today and did nothing but improve his chances of seeing the starting lineup the rest of the season.
It’s early, but if Michael Lee can keep up his play he will find himself on the A-10 First Team without a doubt. He scored 21 points today, his fourth 20-point effort in five games. Lee also reached the 1,000 point plateau for his career with a 3 from the left baseline early in the second half. While he only grabbed four rebounds, he had the support of D’Lancy Carter who also showed glimpses of the player he can be. He grabbed 10 rebounds and scored eight points. Granted it was against a smaller front line than what he’ll see the rest of the year, but he made a few nice moves in the low blocks that have to be encouraging if nothing else.
Z was Z. That’s all you can say about him. He’s either going to take 25 shots to score 20 points or just 10 shots to score 20, but you know he’s going to be around the 20-point area. He’s also absolutely money from the free throw line. In the final 1:30 of the game, he went 6-for-6 from the line and helped the Bonnies put the game away. He’ll be criticized at times for taking rushed, hurried and off-balance shots, but in the end he’s going to get his points and you’d rather have him on your team than not.
One area where you have to feel better about this team from a year ago is the free-throw shooting. Last year it shot 67 percent from the charity stripe but so far this year the Bonnies have connected on 82 percent of their trips to the line. While they only shot 73 percent today, they hit them when they mattered down the stretch – nine of 11 in the game’s final 1:30.
The Bonnies will get back into Olean tomorrow and will have a week to prepare for Eastern Michigan Saturday at 4 p.m. at the RC. The Eagles are 1-2 this season, including a 19-point loss at home to Brown and a 15-point loss on the road to Oakland. Again, this is another game the Bonnies should win but it won’t be easy. The students are on break for Thanksgiving so the Wolfpack will be thin at best.
The Bonnies got what I’m sure they expected and what most fans expected from this trip. That is encouraging because it means we’re not going backward. We would not have won two games here last season but we found a way to win and Schmidt deserves a lot of the credit.
--Jason MacBain, Advisory Editor
Bonnies 79 Presbyterian 72 FINAL
When it mattered most Relph and Z hit huge, huge 3-pointers. On back-to-back possessions the senior backcourt duo showed their veteran leadership by knocking down long 3’s without hesitation to give the Bonnies a six-point lead with 2:30 left to play. They never relinquished the lead and free-throw shooting in the clutch was huge. I’ll be back with a full recap a bit later.
Bonnies 64 Presbyterian 62 3:53 Second Half
Relph is playing his best basketball in the Brown and White with 17 points and no turnovers. Carter and Lee both have four fouls and that is huge as Lee currently has 21 points and Carter has eight points but more importantly 10 rebounds. The Blue Hose have made four free throws and every other point in the second half have been scored from the 3-point arc. The Bonnies need to get the ball to the high post against the 2-3 zone like they were earlier in the game. They’ve gone away from that and have started to settle for passes around the perimeter and it’s resulting in long distance shots late in the shot clock.
Presbyterian 62 Bonnies 61 6:47 Second Half
The Bonnies need a huge gut check starting now. They simply cannot afford to lose this game. The Bonnies have had numerous opportunities to take the lead and a Lee jumper from the left baseline finally got them the lead for the first time since late in the first half. Good adjustment by Schmidt and the offense to recognize the Blue Hose had switched to a 1-3-1 zone and ran the proper offense.
Presbyterian 55 Bonnies 54 10:54 Second Half
Carter is starting to show signs that he can be a good player in the low blocks. He just made two good moves down low – one receiving an Eleby pass and slashing to the goal and the other backing down his man, spinning to his left and putting up a nice left-handed hook. The Bonnies need to stop the perimeter shot of the Blue Hose as they have scored 18 points this half – all from beyond the 3-point arc. Eleby is trying to buy some minutes for Relph but he’s just not playing well at all. He’s turning the ball over again and getting beat off the dribble.
Presbyterian 49 Bonnies 46 15:10 Second Half
On Presbyterian’s first possession, Haley left his man wide open and he hit a 3. At the next dead ball, Schmidt replaced Haley with Benson and the first-year coach just stared Hillary down and didn’t say a word to him. Relph took a dive into the first row of seats and got up holding his wrist but appears to be OK. This game has turned into a 3-point fest as each team has hit four 3’s in the second half and all 24 points have been scored via the 3-point ball. Lee has hit two 3's this half and his second was his 1,000 career point.
Halftime Observations
The Bonnies need to hit the boards. They have eight offensive rebounds but only five on the defensive end and are getting out-rebounded by the smaller Blue Hose.
Playing a seven-man rotation could be problematic as this game wears on. Schmidt has used the same seven men, mostly, the entire three games and Presbyterian has used 10 of its 11 players. In fact the Bonnies have only used six main men, with Benson coming off the bench and Eleby has played just three minutes. TB has played 15 minutes and has attempted one shot. He has no points and has been a non-factor. That needs to change if the Bonnies want to pull this out.
The defense in transition needs to improve. Blue Hose guards are being left wide open and they’ve hit six 3’s already – slightly above their 11.3 per game average.
Nine of the Blue Hose 10 players that have played have scored and the Blue Hose are out-scoring the Bonnies in the paint, 10 to 8. That cannot happen in the second half or we will lose this game. Lee has eight points but only two boards. Relph needs to continue to knock down the outside shot.
The Bonnies offensively are fine. They need to continue to execute but the defense needs to pick it up. One bright spot for the team – six assists and just five turnovers.
Playing a seven-man rotation could be problematic as this game wears on. Schmidt has used the same seven men, mostly, the entire three games and Presbyterian has used 10 of its 11 players. In fact the Bonnies have only used six main men, with Benson coming off the bench and Eleby has played just three minutes. TB has played 15 minutes and has attempted one shot. He has no points and has been a non-factor. That needs to change if the Bonnies want to pull this out.
The defense in transition needs to improve. Blue Hose guards are being left wide open and they’ve hit six 3’s already – slightly above their 11.3 per game average.
Nine of the Blue Hose 10 players that have played have scored and the Blue Hose are out-scoring the Bonnies in the paint, 10 to 8. That cannot happen in the second half or we will lose this game. Lee has eight points but only two boards. Relph needs to continue to knock down the outside shot.
The Bonnies offensively are fine. They need to continue to execute but the defense needs to pick it up. One bright spot for the team – six assists and just five turnovers.
Presbyterian 37 Bonnies 34 HALFTIME
The Bonnies are bigger than the Blue Hose but they’re getting out-rebounded, 15-13, and that needs to change if they want to win this game. The offense is clicking extremely well and the best sign has to be Relph who has hit four 3’s in the first half. He came into the game with only two 3’s on the year and has also done a great job running the point and has not turned the ball over yet. On the final Blue Hose possession of the half, the Bonnies played great man-to-man D but it resulted in a fade-away 3 from NBA range that bounced off the front of the rim, the backboard and through the hoop to give the Hose a 37-34 halftime lead.
Presbyterian 30 Bonnies 28 3:12 First Half
If the Blue Hose can get Lee to commit one more foul, the Bonnies will be in huge trouble as they are only playing a seven-man rotation and needless to say Morgan isn’t going to be as productive as Lee. The Bonnies are doing a great job penetrating into the high post against this Blue Hose 2-3 zone and dishing down low to Lee who has been roaming the baseline. It’s simple basketball execution but it’s execution that hasn’t really happened yet this year.
Presbyterian 28 Bonnies 24 6:53 First Half
The Bonnies are playing good man-to-man defense in the half court but where the Blue Hose are getting a majority of their points are in secondary fast breaks off wide open looks from the 3-point arc. To this point in the game it’s been a 3-point fest as the teams have combined for 10 3’s. Relph has played exceptionally well as he has hit three 3-pointers but was subbed out for a few minutes. Eleby came in and assisted on a Z 3 but forced a shot from the left elbow and Schmidt subbed Relph right back into the game.
Bonnies 15 Presbyterian 15 11:54 First Half
The Bonnies offense against a 2-3 zone has greatly improved since the beginning of the season. They are moving the ball quickly inside, outside and around the perimeter. It’s resulting in open looks for Z and Relph. If the Bonnies continue to knock down shots from the perimeter they should be able to open up a bit of a lead. Their defense needs to improve though as they are leaving the Blue Hose guards wide open on the wings in transition and it’s resulting in easy looks that they are making.
Presbyterian 9 Bonnies 8 15:55 First Half
The Blue Hose start out in a 2-3 zone and immediately the Bonnies go inside to Lee and Carter. That first trip didn’t result in points but it was a good sign. However since then the Bonnies have forced the issue to try to get the ball inside. It resulted in a couple turnovers but that’s where the Bonnies need to get the ball because their size it superior to that of the Blue Hose. It has also freed up Relph at the top of the key for two wide open 3's.
Presbyterian-Bonnies Preview
The Bonnies conclude their three-game trip to Albuquerque, N.M. with a match-up against Presbyterian College at 5:05 p.m. EST. The Blue Hose of Presbyterian are in their first Division I season and should not present much of a challenge for the Bonnies.
That is unless their 3-point shots are falling. The Blue Hose live and die and by 3 ball, as they make an average of 11.3 trifectas a game and convert at a 46 percent clip from behind the arc. Presbyterian relies on its guard play, as they only have one player taller than 6-foot-7. The Blue Hose average 24.5 rebounds per game compared with the Bonnies’ 37.5 per contest. That may very well be where this game is won tonight. If the Bonnies can limit the Blue Hose 3-point attempts and garner rebounds at the rate they have been, this game should be a relatively easy win. However, as we have seen with this team before, there is no such thing as an easy win.
The Blue Hose are 0-4 in the young season and have scored more than 60 points just once this season – in their last game against Loyola Marymount yesterday, an 83-76 loss.
The Bonnies starting lineup is the same as it has been the past few games, except with one notable exception. Tyler Relph is expected to get the start over Malcolm Eleby at the point, something I was calling for after last night’s performance by the freshman. Relph is averaging 4.7 assists on the year and while Eleby still needs time to adapt to the Division I level, the Bonnies need to win this game and that is why Relph is starting the game.
The Bonnies should pound the ball inside to Lee and/or Carter every single opportunity because there is not one player on Presbyterian who them. The Blue Hose cannot match up with the Bonnies man-to-man so expect them to play a lot of zone as they have done in their other two games in this Basketball Travelers Invitational.
All things considered, the Bonnies should win this game. However, it’s hard to get amped for a game when there are more people on press row than in the stands but this is a game the Bonnies simply cannot lose. Most people expected this team to head back to Olean tomorrow with a 3-2 record and a win here and the Bonnies will have achieved that.
Probable Starting Lineup St. Bonaventure
G – Zarryon Fereti, 6-3
G – Tyler Relph, 6-0
G – Hillary Haley, 6-6
F – Michael Lee, 6-9
F – D’Lancy Carter, 6-10
Probable Starting Lineup Presbyterian
G- Ryan Lamb, 5-8
G – Josh Johnson, 6-3
G – Bryan Bostic, 6-3
F – Al’Lonzo Coleman, 6-7
F – Walt Allen, 6-5
Prediction:
Bonnies 72 Presbyterian 57
That is unless their 3-point shots are falling. The Blue Hose live and die and by 3 ball, as they make an average of 11.3 trifectas a game and convert at a 46 percent clip from behind the arc. Presbyterian relies on its guard play, as they only have one player taller than 6-foot-7. The Blue Hose average 24.5 rebounds per game compared with the Bonnies’ 37.5 per contest. That may very well be where this game is won tonight. If the Bonnies can limit the Blue Hose 3-point attempts and garner rebounds at the rate they have been, this game should be a relatively easy win. However, as we have seen with this team before, there is no such thing as an easy win.
The Blue Hose are 0-4 in the young season and have scored more than 60 points just once this season – in their last game against Loyola Marymount yesterday, an 83-76 loss.
The Bonnies starting lineup is the same as it has been the past few games, except with one notable exception. Tyler Relph is expected to get the start over Malcolm Eleby at the point, something I was calling for after last night’s performance by the freshman. Relph is averaging 4.7 assists on the year and while Eleby still needs time to adapt to the Division I level, the Bonnies need to win this game and that is why Relph is starting the game.
The Bonnies should pound the ball inside to Lee and/or Carter every single opportunity because there is not one player on Presbyterian who them. The Blue Hose cannot match up with the Bonnies man-to-man so expect them to play a lot of zone as they have done in their other two games in this Basketball Travelers Invitational.
All things considered, the Bonnies should win this game. However, it’s hard to get amped for a game when there are more people on press row than in the stands but this is a game the Bonnies simply cannot lose. Most people expected this team to head back to Olean tomorrow with a 3-2 record and a win here and the Bonnies will have achieved that.
Probable Starting Lineup St. Bonaventure
G – Zarryon Fereti, 6-3
G – Tyler Relph, 6-0
G – Hillary Haley, 6-6
F – Michael Lee, 6-9
F – D’Lancy Carter, 6-10
Probable Starting Lineup Presbyterian
G- Ryan Lamb, 5-8
G – Josh Johnson, 6-3
G – Bryan Bostic, 6-3
F – Al’Lonzo Coleman, 6-7
F – Walt Allen, 6-5
Prediction:
Bonnies 72 Presbyterian 57
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Game Recap: New Mexico 81 St. Bonaventure 54
Not really a lot to say about this game except that the Lobos took care of business. They started off a little slow, but with time their veteran leadership and outstanding execution on the offensive end was too much for the Bonnies to handle. Oh, and they played superb defense.
The Lobo defenders were in the face of every St. Bona player from the start of the game to the end of it – and it showed as the Bonnies committed 19 turnovers. After yesterday’s game, Schmidt said he wanted to limit the turnovers to 13 or 14 a game and while 19 is an improvement over 20, it’s still way too many. The silver lining can be found in the second-half statistics where the Bonnies turned the ball over eight times, three fewer than the first half.
After a slow first half in which he only scored five points, Fereti finished with a game-high 20. He finally decided to drive to the basketball and Lobo defenders had to respect that, giving him more open space to shoot the ball as they backed off him on the perimeter – something they weren’t doing in the first half. Again, Z cannot settle and everyone saw why he shouldn’t settle tonight. He’s very tough in the lane and that creates more open space for his sometimes deadly long ball. He needs to keep driving and slashing.
Lee was limited and it was because the offense just didn’t get him the ball down low. He needs to touch the ball in the low blocks every trip. He can shoot from outside, but he has to prove to defenders that he can score down low first. Once they respect his game in the blocks, they will back off him and allow him to shoot the outside shot. He can drive past lesser opposition but he can’t drive past New Mexico’s defenders and we found that out tonight.
Aside from Lee and Z, the offense didn’t do much. Eleby finished with four assists and four turnovers but if you had seen the game in person you would know that he just isn’t prepared to run the point for a Division I team yet. Relph is at least steady and consistent. He’s not the scorer he was in high school but he can distribute the basketball and at least doesn’t force the issue as much as Eleby. Relph should be starting over Malcolm. No question about it. Eleby has been out of the game the last two nights before the first media timeout at 16 minutes. If that’s the case, then why bother to start him? He played 18 minutes and a lot of that was in garbage time at the end of the game. Relph played 27 minutes when the game still “somewhat” mattered. It may be hard to rationalize from a distance when you see Eleby with four assists in 18 minutes and Relph with three in 27 minutes, but after witnessing how Eleby responded in his first real test against a tough team, Relph should be this team’s starting point guard.
The Bonnies lack of offense can be found in the assist department. The team combined for eight assists and committed 19 turnovers. That’s less than a 1:2 ratio. New Mexico had 20 assists and 10 turnovers. That’s a 2:1 ratio. The latter is where the Bonnies need to be to be competitive this year. The eight assists is a sign of a poor offense. There was ball movement, but it was lateral ball movement and not inside-out. The Bonnies cannot throw the ball around the perimeter for 30 seconds and then settle for 3’s. They need to attack and then dish if necessary. The Bonnies scored just 16 of their 54 points in the paint. That needs to increase and it can be done by simply giving the ball to Lee where he should be getting it – in the low blocks.
Tonight’s game was for all intensive purposes a predetermined outcome. The Lobos were favored by 20 and won by 27. Tomorrow is a crucial game for this team. Presbyterian is a team in its first Division I season and hasn’t won a game yet. They lost to Loyola Marymount earlier today and got embarrassed by New Mexico last night and they don’t want to head back to South Carolina with an eggshell. Two wins in this tournament – featuring two bad teams, one mediocre team and one good team – is a must for Schmidt and his players. A 3-2 record heading back to the RC for a tilt with Eastern Michigan next Saturday night and the Bonnies will be starting this season off just as many had predicted and hoped they would.
-- Jason MacBain, Advisory Editor
The Lobo defenders were in the face of every St. Bona player from the start of the game to the end of it – and it showed as the Bonnies committed 19 turnovers. After yesterday’s game, Schmidt said he wanted to limit the turnovers to 13 or 14 a game and while 19 is an improvement over 20, it’s still way too many. The silver lining can be found in the second-half statistics where the Bonnies turned the ball over eight times, three fewer than the first half.
After a slow first half in which he only scored five points, Fereti finished with a game-high 20. He finally decided to drive to the basketball and Lobo defenders had to respect that, giving him more open space to shoot the ball as they backed off him on the perimeter – something they weren’t doing in the first half. Again, Z cannot settle and everyone saw why he shouldn’t settle tonight. He’s very tough in the lane and that creates more open space for his sometimes deadly long ball. He needs to keep driving and slashing.
Lee was limited and it was because the offense just didn’t get him the ball down low. He needs to touch the ball in the low blocks every trip. He can shoot from outside, but he has to prove to defenders that he can score down low first. Once they respect his game in the blocks, they will back off him and allow him to shoot the outside shot. He can drive past lesser opposition but he can’t drive past New Mexico’s defenders and we found that out tonight.
Aside from Lee and Z, the offense didn’t do much. Eleby finished with four assists and four turnovers but if you had seen the game in person you would know that he just isn’t prepared to run the point for a Division I team yet. Relph is at least steady and consistent. He’s not the scorer he was in high school but he can distribute the basketball and at least doesn’t force the issue as much as Eleby. Relph should be starting over Malcolm. No question about it. Eleby has been out of the game the last two nights before the first media timeout at 16 minutes. If that’s the case, then why bother to start him? He played 18 minutes and a lot of that was in garbage time at the end of the game. Relph played 27 minutes when the game still “somewhat” mattered. It may be hard to rationalize from a distance when you see Eleby with four assists in 18 minutes and Relph with three in 27 minutes, but after witnessing how Eleby responded in his first real test against a tough team, Relph should be this team’s starting point guard.
The Bonnies lack of offense can be found in the assist department. The team combined for eight assists and committed 19 turnovers. That’s less than a 1:2 ratio. New Mexico had 20 assists and 10 turnovers. That’s a 2:1 ratio. The latter is where the Bonnies need to be to be competitive this year. The eight assists is a sign of a poor offense. There was ball movement, but it was lateral ball movement and not inside-out. The Bonnies cannot throw the ball around the perimeter for 30 seconds and then settle for 3’s. They need to attack and then dish if necessary. The Bonnies scored just 16 of their 54 points in the paint. That needs to increase and it can be done by simply giving the ball to Lee where he should be getting it – in the low blocks.
Tonight’s game was for all intensive purposes a predetermined outcome. The Lobos were favored by 20 and won by 27. Tomorrow is a crucial game for this team. Presbyterian is a team in its first Division I season and hasn’t won a game yet. They lost to Loyola Marymount earlier today and got embarrassed by New Mexico last night and they don’t want to head back to South Carolina with an eggshell. Two wins in this tournament – featuring two bad teams, one mediocre team and one good team – is a must for Schmidt and his players. A 3-2 record heading back to the RC for a tilt with Eastern Michigan next Saturday night and the Bonnies will be starting this season off just as many had predicted and hoped they would.
-- Jason MacBain, Advisory Editor
New Mexico 81 Bonnies 54 FINAL
The Bonnies completed the last three minutes of the game and everyone caught a glimpse of the future of St. Bonaventure basketball and it wasn’t too pretty. I’ll be back a bit later for a full recap.
New Mexico 73 Bonnies 49 3:34 Second Half
Schmidt has given this game away as currently Eleby, Benson, Morgan, Haley and Delonte Taylor are in the game with five minutes to play. These are your future Bonnies on the court right now. It’s a good learning experience playing in a hostile environment but they just frankly don’t look good. Eleby has continued to drive into areas where a mouse couldn’t fit and he’s trying to push the ball when it shouldn’t be pushed and is slowing it down when he should be pushing it. Just last trip he had a two-on-one with Taylor and threw it back to the trailer Benson on the wing only to have Benson save the pass by throwing off a Lobo defenders’ leg.
New Mexico 67 Bonnies 47 6:49 Second Half
Well the game is out of hand as Morgan and Eleby are seeing extended minutes and Eleby looks awful. He’s driving into areas he has no business being in and turning the ball over or getting tied up nearly every time. He’s also getting beat off the dribble at the defensive end and has racked up four fouls in nine minutes at the point guard slot. That’s horrible. On the other hand, it’s a good thing Z is on the team because he’s the only player on the offensive end who’s doing anything. He driving, slashing and hitting outside shots. He has 15 of the Bonnies’ 21 second-half points.
New Mexico 62 Bonnies 38 11:44 Second Half
In the first trip after the media timeout, Z went inside to Carter who promptly threw the ball back out to Z who hit nothing but net for a 3. This is what the Bonnies need to continue to do. It frees up from space for outside shooters and at least gives the impression that we have some sort of presence in the low blocks. Then two trips later Lee got the ball at the top of the arc and walked. Why the Bonnies don’t utilize him down low more I have no idea, but they need to. And why they don’t at least let someone within six feet of the basket touch the ball every trip is beyond me. Eleby is completely out of control at the point, pushing the ball into three Lobo defenders and losing the ball only to result in easy points the other way. The defense is also pathetic. They’re leaving shooters completely wide, wide, wide open on the wing and the Lobos have hit five 3’s in just eight minutes. Horrendous basketball all the way around.
New Mexico 53 Bonnies 33 15:25 Second Half
Eleby is playing like a freshman – committing stupid fouls on the offensive end and just simply not doing a good job running the point. He was replaced by Relph minutes into the second half and I don’t see him playing many more minutes tonight unless this game gets really out of hand as it appears it may be. The Bonnies are leaving the Lobo guards wide open on the perimeter, and they’re not missing. The Bonnies are running absolutely nothing on offense. Their best offense has been to go inside to Lee but they’re not doing it enough. Lee should touch the ball every trip – even if it’s a simple inside-out and a repost - but instead he’s getting the ball on the perimeter way too much and can’t do anything with it.
New Mexico 40 Bonnies 26 Halftime
The Bonnies need to start pushing the ball to create some easy points, because they’re not getting any in the half-court. They’re taking quick shots early in the shot clock from long range. Their best offense to this point has been Z, Lee and Haley driving to the basket and getting fouled. They cannot continue to settle for jumpers. Long jumpers are resulting in long rebounds and easy outlets and transition points for the Lobos. The Bonnies cut their deficit to seven, 33-26, at the 2:20 mark but over the final two minutes of the half, the Lobos rattled off seven straight behind the support of the PIT crowd. After a Darren Prentice 3 with 30 seconds left opened up a 40-26 lead, this place got as loud as I’ve heard it in four games. The Bonnies ran the clock all the way down to the end of the half and with only 3.5 seconds left did Fereti make a move toward the basket – settling for an off-balance fadeaway 3 that resulted in nothing but air.
New Mexico 33 Bonnies 21 3:49 First Half
The Lobos are just simply bigger than the Bonnies and they’re taking advantage of it by going inside almost every single possession. After a 27-foot attempted 3 by Relph, Eleby came in the game to take over the point and promptly committed an offensive foul. The Bonnies offense has movement but it is all beyond the 3-point line and it’s just continuous handoffs of the basketball. Lee and Z have started to drive a little more and have drawn fouls and converted. The Bonnies need to do more of that to stay in this game.
New Mexico 28 Bonnies 14 7:45 First Half
The Lobos rattled off nine straight points after the media timeout prompting Schmidt to call a timeout. The Bonnies simply cannot get the ball inside the 3-point arc against this fierce man-to-man pressure by the Lobos and are settling for outside shots. Carter just picked up his third foul on a stupid over-the-back and Matt Morgan sees his first action of the tournament. Giddens is starting to take over and the Lobos as a team are getting whatever shots they want, and when those aren’t falling, they’re getting every rebound, as they are plus six in the rebound department.
New Mexico 14 Bonnies 13 11:41 First Half
The Bonnies are throwing a variety of defenses at the Lobos including full-court pressure, man-to-man, 2-3 zone and that 1-3-1 zone that Schmidt has fallen in love with. Lee is attacking and slashing and Fereti seems a bit passive as he has passed on a couple on wide open looks. The turnovers are plaguing this team again, as just stupid mistakes like palming and traveling are costing this team a shot at taking the lead. Schmidt just sat his team down at the media timeout, looked at them and smashed his clipboard to the ground with two hands. The Bonnies have had numerous opportunities to take the lead but the defense has been solid and is what is keeping them in the game.
New Mexico 9 Bonnies 7 15:08 First Half
The Bonnies are running a full-court 1-2-2 press and settling into a 2-3 zone once the Lobos break the timeline. Apparently Schmidt realized this team just can’t match up with the Lobos. Carter has picked up two quick fouls and the Bonnies’ already thin frontcourt is off to a shaky start as the Lobos are destroying the Bonnies on the boards.
Preview: New Mexico vs. St. Bonaventure
The Boonies face their stiffest competition of the weekend tonight against the host New Mexico Lobos. The Lobos, under the guidance of first-year coach Steve Alford, have coasted to a 3-0 record to start the season and are 20-point favorites tonight. They defeated Presbyterian, the Bonnies’ opponent tomorrow, last night by a score of 88-57, and the game wasn’t even that close.
The Blue Hose of Presbyterian ran a 1-3-1 defense and the Lobos picked it apart, particularly Chad Toppert who came off the bench and scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers. The hometown junior hit all his 3’s from the baseline, as the Blue Hose failed to rotate on the zone and left Toppert open all night. Kansas transfer J.R. Giddens is an athletic guard who attacks the goal at any opportunity. He’s second on the team in scoring at 11 per game and has a team-leading 26 rebounds.
The Bonnies plan to start out the game playing man-to-man defense, as that is what Colorado did against the Lobos in the first game of the season and lost by just seven, 54-47. Zarryon Fereti is expected to match up against the 6-foot-5-inch Giddens who plays much bigger than his size indicates. Giddens is more athletic and quicker than Z, so we’ll see how this matchup plays out but I don’t foresee it working in Z’s favor.
To keep this game close, the Bonnies need to cut down on their turnovers. Eleby is again getting the start over Relph and we’ll see how the freshman adapts to the in-your-face man-to-man D Alford plays. I’ve heard some grumblings that Relph may not play tonight, but he is dressed and expected to be a main contributor again tonight – especially if Eleby can’t handle the pressure.
The two key matchups to watch are Eleby/Relph against the Lobos defensive pressure and Fereti against Giddens. The Bonnies need to do a better job holding on to the ball because this Lobos team is fast and will run at every opportunity. The line is 20 and I’m inclined to agree that that’s about where this game will end up. New Mexico 87, Bonnies 65.
Starting Lineup St.Bonaventure
G – Zarryon Fereti, 6-3
G – Malcolm Eleby, 6-3
G – Hillary Haley, 6-6
F – Michael Lee, 6-9
F – D’Lancy Carter, 6-10
Starting Lineup New Mexico
G – Jonathon Willis, 6-5
G – Jamaal Smith, 5-9
G – J.R. Giddens, 6-5
F – Johnnie Harris, 6-8
C – Daniel Faris, 6-9
The Blue Hose of Presbyterian ran a 1-3-1 defense and the Lobos picked it apart, particularly Chad Toppert who came off the bench and scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers. The hometown junior hit all his 3’s from the baseline, as the Blue Hose failed to rotate on the zone and left Toppert open all night. Kansas transfer J.R. Giddens is an athletic guard who attacks the goal at any opportunity. He’s second on the team in scoring at 11 per game and has a team-leading 26 rebounds.
The Bonnies plan to start out the game playing man-to-man defense, as that is what Colorado did against the Lobos in the first game of the season and lost by just seven, 54-47. Zarryon Fereti is expected to match up against the 6-foot-5-inch Giddens who plays much bigger than his size indicates. Giddens is more athletic and quicker than Z, so we’ll see how this matchup plays out but I don’t foresee it working in Z’s favor.
To keep this game close, the Bonnies need to cut down on their turnovers. Eleby is again getting the start over Relph and we’ll see how the freshman adapts to the in-your-face man-to-man D Alford plays. I’ve heard some grumblings that Relph may not play tonight, but he is dressed and expected to be a main contributor again tonight – especially if Eleby can’t handle the pressure.
The two key matchups to watch are Eleby/Relph against the Lobos defensive pressure and Fereti against Giddens. The Bonnies need to do a better job holding on to the ball because this Lobos team is fast and will run at every opportunity. The line is 20 and I’m inclined to agree that that’s about where this game will end up. New Mexico 87, Bonnies 65.
Starting Lineup St.Bonaventure
G – Zarryon Fereti, 6-3
G – Malcolm Eleby, 6-3
G – Hillary Haley, 6-6
F – Michael Lee, 6-9
F – D’Lancy Carter, 6-10
Starting Lineup New Mexico
G – Jonathon Willis, 6-5
G – Jamaal Smith, 5-9
G – J.R. Giddens, 6-5
F – Johnnie Harris, 6-8
C – Daniel Faris, 6-9
Friday, November 16, 2007
Final Recap: It was ugly, but a win
Perhaps 100 people saw the whole game and it's probably a good thing there weren't more in attendance as the Bonnies and Lions put on an abysmal performance of basketball. The two teams combined for 42 turnovers and 44 personal fouls in 40 minutes of play. It wasn’t pretty, but as I said earlier, the Bonnies won as they were expected to.
Here’s a quick look at some of the players who stood out tonight:
Lee was again phenomenal with 22 points and 14 rebounds. He played all 40 minutes – and needed to – as the Bonnies rotated just seven men. But what was most impressive was his ability to take over the game in the second half when it mattered most. His personal 7-0 run midway through the second half kept the Bonnies in the game.
Fereti will never be gun-shy, but his shot selection needs to improve. Five-of-16 shooting (31 percent) isn’t going to get the job done. Where he faltered was in the second half when he decided to settle for long and off-balance jumpers instead of driving to the basket as he did in the first half. In the first half, Z was 4-of-8 from the field, but all four misses came from 3-point range. He repeatedly attacked the basket, drew fouls and converted from the stripe. That should have continued in the second half, but he settled and if this team is going to be competitive this year, Z cannot settle.
Relph played a better first half than second. He finished with seven assists but committed five turnovers – mostly due to ill-advised lob passes into Lee or cross-court to Benson and Fereti. He’s playing with a broken bone in his ankle so he should be respected for that, but he needs to cut down on the poor decision-making.
Haley was quietly productive and I really feel this freshman can have a huge impact on where this team goes this year. Eight points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes is solid for a 19 year old.
Schmidt and crew need to cut down on the turnovers if they want to at least stay within shouting distance of New Mexico tomorrow night. A repeat performance of tonight in tomorrow’s game and the Bonnies will be out of it before the first half horn sounds.
All things considered though, the Bonnies have the talent and ability to be a contending team this year. A win against New Mexico is most likely out of the question, but a good performance shouldn’t be. As long as they stop turning the ball over.
Here’s a quick look at some of the players who stood out tonight:
Lee was again phenomenal with 22 points and 14 rebounds. He played all 40 minutes – and needed to – as the Bonnies rotated just seven men. But what was most impressive was his ability to take over the game in the second half when it mattered most. His personal 7-0 run midway through the second half kept the Bonnies in the game.
Fereti will never be gun-shy, but his shot selection needs to improve. Five-of-16 shooting (31 percent) isn’t going to get the job done. Where he faltered was in the second half when he decided to settle for long and off-balance jumpers instead of driving to the basket as he did in the first half. In the first half, Z was 4-of-8 from the field, but all four misses came from 3-point range. He repeatedly attacked the basket, drew fouls and converted from the stripe. That should have continued in the second half, but he settled and if this team is going to be competitive this year, Z cannot settle.
Relph played a better first half than second. He finished with seven assists but committed five turnovers – mostly due to ill-advised lob passes into Lee or cross-court to Benson and Fereti. He’s playing with a broken bone in his ankle so he should be respected for that, but he needs to cut down on the poor decision-making.
Haley was quietly productive and I really feel this freshman can have a huge impact on where this team goes this year. Eight points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes is solid for a 19 year old.
Schmidt and crew need to cut down on the turnovers if they want to at least stay within shouting distance of New Mexico tomorrow night. A repeat performance of tonight in tomorrow’s game and the Bonnies will be out of it before the first half horn sounds.
All things considered though, the Bonnies have the talent and ability to be a contending team this year. A win against New Mexico is most likely out of the question, but a good performance shouldn’t be. As long as they stop turning the ball over.
Bonnies Hold On, 61-50
Well in the end the better team won. That’s all that can be said about this game. The Bonnies finally out-executed the Lions down the stretch and used their veteran leadership to their advantage against the younger Lions. It wasn’t pretty at all and probably wasn’t much of a confidence boost, but it’s a win. I’ll be back a bit later with a full recap.
Bonnies 50 LMU 49 3:37 Second Half
The Bonnies have switched to a 2-3 zone and it’s not really working. The foul-line extended area is wide open and vulnerable to open shots which the Lions have hit with relative ease. The Bonnies have essentially played with a six-man rotation and that’s not making things any easier, especially considering Albuquerque is a mile above sea level. Fereti finally broke a long scoring drought with a lay-up off a Relph steal but this game is going to be decided in the final minutes – something no Brown and White fan or player wanted to see against a team that lost an exhibition game by 15 points at home to a Division II school.
Bonnies 46 LMU 45 7:29 Second Half
Lee has stepped up his game. He is rebounding, scoring and blocking shots. Following his lay-in, and before his made foul shot, Benson perhaps said it best: “Right ‘expletive’ now.” Schmidt received another technical for being out of the coach’s box following Fereti’s offensive foul but it seems to have motivated this team – or at least Lee – who just put together his own 7-0 run. However, the Bonnies are still throwing up off-balance and poor shots – especially Fereti who is now 0-for-5 from the field in the second half.
LMU 42 Bonnies 39 11:37 Second Half
Schmidt did exactly what I expected him to, as he went back to the 1-3-1 with Lee on top and Relph on the bottom and it worked for a while as it sparked a 5-0 run. However two easy looks inside and the Lions built their lead back up. The longer the Bonnies let this LMU team hang around, the more confidence it gains and the less chance the Bonnies have of winning. With a team so young like LMU, all it needs is a little confidence to believe it can win, and the Bonnies are giving the Lions that motivation by playing poor basketball.
Defense
The Bonnies have gone back to man-to-man on the defensive end to start the half, and it’s not working – just as it failed in the first half. Don’t be surprised to see Schmidt come out of this timeout instituting the 1-3-1 again to force the Lions to turn the ball over.
LMU 38 Bonnies 34 15:09 Second Half
Schmidt just called a timeout after an 8-2 run to open the half by LMU has given the Lions a 38-34 lead. The Bonnies are playing dumb basketball. The turnovers have continued and now poor execution and decision-making on the offensive end is plaguing this team. A prime example is Relph passing up a wide open six-foot jumper in the lane after getting his own rebound and he ended up traveling. LMU is upstart and it's starting to play good basketball. Their 30 or so fans are getting into the game and the Lions are responding. The Bonnies cannot lose this game.
Bonnies 32 LMU 30 Halftime
The first half was the most futile half of basketball on the collegiate level I’ve seen in a years. Pardon the cliché, but the Bonnies are shooting themselves in the foot with 11 turnovers. They are giving this inexperienced LMU club a reason to believe it can win its first game of the year. The only reason the Bonnies are winning is because they are playing LMU. If this was any team in the A-10, they would be down by at least 20, and easily could be more. The two teams have combined for 24 turnovers and, quite frankly, the quality of basketball is laughable. Schmidt doesn’t need to make any adjustments at halftime – the players need to simply execute better.
Fereti leads the Bonnies with 12 points and Lee has added nine points and five rebounds. Relph has come off the bench and done a good job running the point with a broken bone in his foot. The Bonnies have received the contributions they need from their veterans, they just need to cut down on the turnovers. They also need to continue to push the ball, as they are quicker, bigger, more skilled and simply more athletic than the Lions. The team that cuts down its turnovers first is the team that will win this game.
Fereti leads the Bonnies with 12 points and Lee has added nine points and five rebounds. Relph has come off the bench and done a good job running the point with a broken bone in his foot. The Bonnies have received the contributions they need from their veterans, they just need to cut down on the turnovers. They also need to continue to push the ball, as they are quicker, bigger, more skilled and simply more athletic than the Lions. The team that cuts down its turnovers first is the team that will win this game.
Bonnies 30 LMU 21 3:42 First Half
Benson has provided a spark off the bench for the Bonnies as he’s getting the job done at the defensive end by forcing turnovers and just screamed at Relph to pass him the ball before he knocked down his last 3-pointer. Relph has done a good, steady job running the point. While his assist totals don’t necessarily show that – he has three officially - he has had numerous secondary assists that have created easy looks for his teammates.
Bonnies 24 LMU 18 7:58 First Half
The 1-3-1 is working great as it’s forcing this young LMU team to take bad shots or turn the ball over. The problem for the Bonnies is at the offensive end, where stupid mistakes, i.e. traveling and palming, are costing them easy looks at the basket. The LMU offense is nostalgic and looks exactly like the Bonnies’ offense did last season against a zone defense – no movement and players are clueless where their next pass is supposed to go once they receive the ball.
Bonnies 19 LMU 15 11:50 First Half
Relph entered the game at the 14:36 mark and replaced Eleby at the bottom of the 1-3-1. Fereti is starting to display his offense as he has repeatedly drove to the basket the last few possessions and has been rewarded with trips to the foul line. Relph is sporting a Mohawk – or at least the beginnings of one – as it’s hard to see with his already short hair. When Relph and Eleby are both in the game, as they are now, Eleby is at the bottom of the 1-3-1 and Relph is on the wing. The game has been pretty sloppy to this point and if the Bonnies can get the ball inside more, no one on this LMU team can stop Lee, Haley and Carter.
Bonnies 9 LMU 8 15:50 First Half
The Bonnies start out man-to-man with some full-court pressure but it’s didn’t work. Lee is biting on every pass and LMU is able to throw over the top of him. Jon Ziri hit his first two shots and after his second, Schmidt switched to the 1-3-1 with Lee at the top and Eleby across the baseline. On the first possession, LMU turned the ball.
Preview of Loyola Marymount Game/ The PIT
The Bona Venture will be blogging all weekend from Albuquerque, N.M. for the BTI Invitational and here is a preview of the Loyola game as well as first impressions of the Lobos home arena, appropriately dubbed “The PIT.”
“The PIT” is just that – a hole in the ground with a basketball court at the bottom of it. When the arena was first constructed, the roof was built first, then a massive pit was dug out underneath the roof. Chair back seating lines one sideline of the arena with benches wrapped around from baseline to baseline. The arena is part of a multi-sport complex that also includes the Lobos football, baseball and basketball practice facilities. “The PIT” is notorious for high decibel levels but I doubt we’ll hear much of that in the Bonnies game as there are currently more people on press row than in the stands. The arena should fill up for the New Mexico games as the team, on average, fills up 95 percent of its 18,000-seat capacity.
Tonight’s Starters:
St. Bonaventure
Zarryon Fereti
Michael Lee
Hillary Haley
D’Lancy Carter
Malcolm Eleby
Loyola Marymount
G – Quentin Turner (Jr. 6-1)
G – Shawn Deadwiler (So. 6-3)
G – Orlando Johnson (Fr. 6-5)
F – Tim Diederichs (Fr. 6-9)
F – Terron Sutton (Fr. 6-9)
This lineup is littered with young players who before this season had never started a game on the Division I level. This could be a trap game for the Bonnies before they face New Mexico tomorrow but Schmidt simply cannot allow that to occur. The Bonnies need their seniors to lead them as they did against Binghamton Monday night and they need to cut down the turnovers. If all that happens, this shouldn’t be a difficult win for this team.
Relph Update:
Tyler is dressed and has moved adequately well in warm-ups to this point – 20 minutes before tip-off. There is no visible brace of any kind on the ankle but I’m sure Schmidt will be wise in his utilization of Relph tonight knowing he has two games left to play in as many days.
“The PIT” is just that – a hole in the ground with a basketball court at the bottom of it. When the arena was first constructed, the roof was built first, then a massive pit was dug out underneath the roof. Chair back seating lines one sideline of the arena with benches wrapped around from baseline to baseline. The arena is part of a multi-sport complex that also includes the Lobos football, baseball and basketball practice facilities. “The PIT” is notorious for high decibel levels but I doubt we’ll hear much of that in the Bonnies game as there are currently more people on press row than in the stands. The arena should fill up for the New Mexico games as the team, on average, fills up 95 percent of its 18,000-seat capacity.
Tonight’s Starters:
St. Bonaventure
Zarryon Fereti
Michael Lee
Hillary Haley
D’Lancy Carter
Malcolm Eleby
Loyola Marymount
G – Quentin Turner (Jr. 6-1)
G – Shawn Deadwiler (So. 6-3)
G – Orlando Johnson (Fr. 6-5)
F – Tim Diederichs (Fr. 6-9)
F – Terron Sutton (Fr. 6-9)
This lineup is littered with young players who before this season had never started a game on the Division I level. This could be a trap game for the Bonnies before they face New Mexico tomorrow but Schmidt simply cannot allow that to occur. The Bonnies need their seniors to lead them as they did against Binghamton Monday night and they need to cut down the turnovers. If all that happens, this shouldn’t be a difficult win for this team.
Relph Update:
Tyler is dressed and has moved adequately well in warm-ups to this point – 20 minutes before tip-off. There is no visible brace of any kind on the ankle but I’m sure Schmidt will be wise in his utilization of Relph tonight knowing he has two games left to play in as many days.
Sometimes the prognosticators get a little out of hand
I'm always amused at the amount of pre-season and early season college sports rankings there are. These rankings typically can be thrown out the window by about the second week of the season. Sure, it's fun to look ahead, but if you're filling out that bracket already, you'd best not be using ink.
Speaking of really, really, really early rankings, here's a good laugh: the RPI rankings of a season that is barely a week old. Bucknell is ranked #1, Bona's #74. Some other interesting ones: UCF #4, North Texas #10. Now, I'm all for pushing the little guys, but somehow I don't think Bucknell is the #1 team in the country, especially with an injury to perhaps their best player (Darren Mastropaolo). (EDIT: See, I was right! Bucknell isn't number one! VA Commonwealth, a team you might want to put in the sweet 16 if you're one of those early prognosticators, bumped the Bison to #2.)
For those of you who never tire of filling out those brackets, rejoice: There will be not one, not two, but three post-season NCAA basketball tourneys this year. I love March Madness as much as anyone- I think the first two days of the NCAA Tournament are the best days in sports- and I'll even watch the occassional NIT game to watch my beloved snubbed mid-majors, but the opportunity to watch teams slated 98-114 in the nation? I might pass on that. The thought of a championship series to determine the champion of the tournament is intriguing, though, and a thought they might want to take to the NIT.
ESPN has a nice article on my personal favorite mid-major conference, the Missouri Valley. The article mentions nearly all the mid-majors, though, including the A-10. I believe the A-10 will be much, much stronger than last year's debacle, although I don't share the author's view that Dayton will be a contender for an at-large bid. Unless they get hot at the right time and pull off an upset against Xavier in the conference tourney, I think X, George Washington and St. Joe's (a team I expect big improvements from) are the teams this year. I see a team like Dayton about sixth, but that shows how much stronger the A-10 should be in '07-'08. It's nice to see programs like St. Joe's, Fordham, UMass and Rhody get things turned around at the same time Bona's seems to be heading in the right direction. I know, some people will look down on me for rooting for the competition, but it hurt to see a once proud basketball conference like the A-10 struggle so mightily last season. This should never become a one-bid conference. The overall strength of the conference will hold us back this season, I'm looking for 4-5conference wins as being a success, but can only help the Bonnies' program in the future. Strength of conference is a tremendously important recruiting tool when you're trying to lure a high schooler to Olean. By the way, don't you just love the mid-majors growing closer to the power conferences each year? Mid-major power!
Finally, there's a brief message from Coach Schmidt on the back page of today's BV. In it, he thanks the fans for their turnout and energy at Monday's game and says "Let's not be satisfied until it (the RC) is completely full and there is a brown WolfPack shirt in every student section seat!" A short message like this goes a long way to keeping spirits high among students, so props to Schmidt and the athletic department (hopefully there will be no need for messages like the "apology" from Anthony Solomon for criticizing fans last year). By the way, we still need to get more students sitting behind the baskets at either end of the court. The opposition needs to feel like they're completely surrounded by the Rowdies...err...WolfPack.
As a side note, if you're in town and aren't too busy, drop by the Olean Rec Center tonight or tomorrow to check out SBU hockey at 7 each night against the University of Rochester tonight and Binghamton tomorrow.
Don't forget to check out the blog tonight at 7 (5 mountain time) for live updates from New Mexico from our very own staffers (lucky them).
-Scott Eddy, BV Online Director
Speaking of really, really, really early rankings, here's a good laugh: the RPI rankings of a season that is barely a week old. Bucknell is ranked #1, Bona's #74. Some other interesting ones: UCF #4, North Texas #10. Now, I'm all for pushing the little guys, but somehow I don't think Bucknell is the #1 team in the country, especially with an injury to perhaps their best player (Darren Mastropaolo). (EDIT: See, I was right! Bucknell isn't number one! VA Commonwealth, a team you might want to put in the sweet 16 if you're one of those early prognosticators, bumped the Bison to #2.)
For those of you who never tire of filling out those brackets, rejoice: There will be not one, not two, but three post-season NCAA basketball tourneys this year. I love March Madness as much as anyone- I think the first two days of the NCAA Tournament are the best days in sports- and I'll even watch the occassional NIT game to watch my beloved snubbed mid-majors, but the opportunity to watch teams slated 98-114 in the nation? I might pass on that. The thought of a championship series to determine the champion of the tournament is intriguing, though, and a thought they might want to take to the NIT.
ESPN has a nice article on my personal favorite mid-major conference, the Missouri Valley. The article mentions nearly all the mid-majors, though, including the A-10. I believe the A-10 will be much, much stronger than last year's debacle, although I don't share the author's view that Dayton will be a contender for an at-large bid. Unless they get hot at the right time and pull off an upset against Xavier in the conference tourney, I think X, George Washington and St. Joe's (a team I expect big improvements from) are the teams this year. I see a team like Dayton about sixth, but that shows how much stronger the A-10 should be in '07-'08. It's nice to see programs like St. Joe's, Fordham, UMass and Rhody get things turned around at the same time Bona's seems to be heading in the right direction. I know, some people will look down on me for rooting for the competition, but it hurt to see a once proud basketball conference like the A-10 struggle so mightily last season. This should never become a one-bid conference. The overall strength of the conference will hold us back this season, I'm looking for 4-5conference wins as being a success, but can only help the Bonnies' program in the future. Strength of conference is a tremendously important recruiting tool when you're trying to lure a high schooler to Olean. By the way, don't you just love the mid-majors growing closer to the power conferences each year? Mid-major power!
Finally, there's a brief message from Coach Schmidt on the back page of today's BV. In it, he thanks the fans for their turnout and energy at Monday's game and says "Let's not be satisfied until it (the RC) is completely full and there is a brown WolfPack shirt in every student section seat!" A short message like this goes a long way to keeping spirits high among students, so props to Schmidt and the athletic department (hopefully there will be no need for messages like the "apology" from Anthony Solomon for criticizing fans last year). By the way, we still need to get more students sitting behind the baskets at either end of the court. The opposition needs to feel like they're completely surrounded by the Rowdies...err...WolfPack.
As a side note, if you're in town and aren't too busy, drop by the Olean Rec Center tonight or tomorrow to check out SBU hockey at 7 each night against the University of Rochester tonight and Binghamton tomorrow.
Don't forget to check out the blog tonight at 7 (5 mountain time) for live updates from New Mexico from our very own staffers (lucky them).
-Scott Eddy, BV Online Director
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Headin' west
The Bonnies leave for New Mexico today where the team will take part in the Basketball Travelers Invitational this weekend. First up is Loyola Marymount with tip off scheduled for 5:00 tomorrow afternoon. I've got to predict victory for the Brown and White here as the Lions are picked to finish last in the West Coast Conference this year. LMU is already off to an 0-2 start, 0-3 counting exhibition. Their schedule includes losses to powerhouse programs like Cal State Dominguez Hills, UC Irvine and Arkansas-Little Rock, who beat the Lions by 31 on Monday night. They appear to be a team looking for contributors-- no one on the Lions roster played over 23 minutes in Monday's loss. SBU will have to use its speed from guys like Fereti, Haley, Lee and Eleby to combat LMU's big lineup- they have five guys 6'9'' or taller, including 7'0'' center Max Craig.
Next up is New Mexico and to predict a win for the Bonnies here might be a bit ambitious. The Lobos, picked third in the pre-season Mountain West rankings (a league growing in strength each season), are enjoying the honeymoon period with their own new coach, Steve Alford. By the way, it looks like New Mexico updated their logo this year. How ugly is this thing? The Pit is a tough place to play, so it would be nice just to see SBU keep it close.
A matchup against Presbyterian follows on Sunday in what is another very winnable game for the new look Bonnies. I'm not an expert on Presbyterian's program, but I've got to say the nickname "Blue Hose" doesn't strike fear in my heart. The Hose are 0-2on the year following a loss to Radford (picked last in the Big South which has Winthrop and....not much else) Wednesday at home.
Three of our own staffers will be making the trip to New Mexico to keep you posted on the Bonnies efforts. Two wins from this trip would be really nice and set a strong tone for the non-conference schedule.
-Scott Eddy, BV Online Director
Next up is New Mexico and to predict a win for the Bonnies here might be a bit ambitious. The Lobos, picked third in the pre-season Mountain West rankings (a league growing in strength each season), are enjoying the honeymoon period with their own new coach, Steve Alford. By the way, it looks like New Mexico updated their logo this year. How ugly is this thing? The Pit is a tough place to play, so it would be nice just to see SBU keep it close.
A matchup against Presbyterian follows on Sunday in what is another very winnable game for the new look Bonnies. I'm not an expert on Presbyterian's program, but I've got to say the nickname "Blue Hose" doesn't strike fear in my heart. The Hose are 0-2on the year following a loss to Radford (picked last in the Big South which has Winthrop and....not much else) Wednesday at home.
Three of our own staffers will be making the trip to New Mexico to keep you posted on the Bonnies efforts. Two wins from this trip would be really nice and set a strong tone for the non-conference schedule.
-Scott Eddy, BV Online Director
National Signing Day
It’s never too early to look toward next season, seeing as today is the first day of the fall signing period. I would like to welcome the newest Bonnie, Marquise Simmons to St. Bonaventure University. From everything I’ve read about this individual, he should provide quality depth off the bench next season. He has the opportunity to develop into a shooting guard with the ability to slash and attack the basket under Schmidt’s improved, high-scoring offense.
One question which does linger is when will verbally-committed center Andrew Nicholson offically signs. I’m sure some one in the athletics department just has to write up the paper work in order to get things moving in the right direction.
Ok, now back to the current season, I don't know a ton about the teams in the upcoming Traveler’s Invitational. This is due to the fact that I don’t follow a lot of teams out West, college or otherwise. Call it East Coast bias.
Loyola Marymount is currently winless and is struggling. The team only scored 13 points in the first half of their home-opening loss to University of Arkansas-Little Rock. The final score was 71-40. It is a young team, starting two true freshmen, one red-shirt freshman and one sophomore.
It will be a good test for the D’Lancy Carter and Michael Lee because the Lions have two forwards with similar size like the Bonnies.
I expect good things to continue for the Bonnies, especially if Zarryon Fereti can establish himself as a consistent scorer and Relph continues to distribute the rock to his teammates.
-Michael T. Licata
One question which does linger is when will verbally-committed center Andrew Nicholson offically signs. I’m sure some one in the athletics department just has to write up the paper work in order to get things moving in the right direction.
Ok, now back to the current season, I don't know a ton about the teams in the upcoming Traveler’s Invitational. This is due to the fact that I don’t follow a lot of teams out West, college or otherwise. Call it East Coast bias.
Loyola Marymount is currently winless and is struggling. The team only scored 13 points in the first half of their home-opening loss to University of Arkansas-Little Rock. The final score was 71-40. It is a young team, starting two true freshmen, one red-shirt freshman and one sophomore.
It will be a good test for the D’Lancy Carter and Michael Lee because the Lions have two forwards with similar size like the Bonnies.
I expect good things to continue for the Bonnies, especially if Zarryon Fereti can establish himself as a consistent scorer and Relph continues to distribute the rock to his teammates.
-Michael T. Licata
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Bona women move to 3-0, defeat Albany 64-62
After the elation from Monday night's men's basketball victory over Binghamton, let's not forget the Bonnies' women-- they've jumped out to a 3-0 start to the year.
Tuesday night's victory over UAlbany, 64-62, looked to be an easy win with just five and a half minutes to play. The Great Danes went on a tear to erase a 15-point second half lead to tie things up with less than two minutes to play. Bonnies' freshman Armelia Horton, however, showed the poise of a senior as she scored a career high 16 points and gave the Bonnies a huge bucket to end Albany's run and put SBU in the right direction.
Sophomore Dana Mitchell has three straight double-digit performances to kick off the season, including the game winner Tuesday.
For anyone who was at the game, I've got to ask- how does Albany not get a shot off there at the end? I think the Bona women were fortunate that Cara Gustafson could only manage one of two free throws with about three seconds to play. Gustafson misses the second free throw, Albany inbounds and rushes down the court and instead of looking for the first open look, they press inside. Buzzer. No shot. Had the score been 65-62, I believe Albany would've put up a shot from three as they had an open look from beyond the arc. Instead, Albany tried pressing the ball inside for the tie and ran out of time. Great game. I wouldn't want to be part of the Albany practices for the next few days. UAlbany coach Trina Patterson was livid her players couldn't muster a shot before the buzzer. Basic fundamentals there.
(On another note, this game got me thinking about Will Brown's upcoming appearance in the RC with the Great Dane men. After Monday's turnout by the students, I can't wait. I hope they reward his greed with every chant they can think of and then some. The experience needs to be a miserable one for Brown. Dec. 8, ladies and gentlemen. Do you have it circled on your calendar? I know I do.)
The women are on to something. Impressive victories over Bucknell at home and Kent State on the road were a great way to begin the season. It's great to be a fan of the Brown and White this week, isn't it?
-Scott Eddy, BV Online Director
Tuesday night's victory over UAlbany, 64-62, looked to be an easy win with just five and a half minutes to play. The Great Danes went on a tear to erase a 15-point second half lead to tie things up with less than two minutes to play. Bonnies' freshman Armelia Horton, however, showed the poise of a senior as she scored a career high 16 points and gave the Bonnies a huge bucket to end Albany's run and put SBU in the right direction.
Sophomore Dana Mitchell has three straight double-digit performances to kick off the season, including the game winner Tuesday.
For anyone who was at the game, I've got to ask- how does Albany not get a shot off there at the end? I think the Bona women were fortunate that Cara Gustafson could only manage one of two free throws with about three seconds to play. Gustafson misses the second free throw, Albany inbounds and rushes down the court and instead of looking for the first open look, they press inside. Buzzer. No shot. Had the score been 65-62, I believe Albany would've put up a shot from three as they had an open look from beyond the arc. Instead, Albany tried pressing the ball inside for the tie and ran out of time. Great game. I wouldn't want to be part of the Albany practices for the next few days. UAlbany coach Trina Patterson was livid her players couldn't muster a shot before the buzzer. Basic fundamentals there.
(On another note, this game got me thinking about Will Brown's upcoming appearance in the RC with the Great Dane men. After Monday's turnout by the students, I can't wait. I hope they reward his greed with every chant they can think of and then some. The experience needs to be a miserable one for Brown. Dec. 8, ladies and gentlemen. Do you have it circled on your calendar? I know I do.)
The women are on to something. Impressive victories over Bucknell at home and Kent State on the road were a great way to begin the season. It's great to be a fan of the Brown and White this week, isn't it?
-Scott Eddy, BV Online Director
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
"This is the rebirth of the RC" - Mark Schmidt
Awesome.
That’s the word that comes to mind to best describe Monday’s home opener vs. Binghamton. Well, a colorful adjective might come before it, but you get the point.
There was far more electricity and energy in the crowd than any other game I’ve witnessed in the past three years. The only game that came close would be the game in which the Bonnies gave George Washington all they wanted two years ago.
Here’s a few thoughts from the game.
-The student section was amazing. Coach Schmidt’s cries for students to be the “sixth man” have resonated loud and clear on campus. It was shoulder to shoulder along the baseline. We need to send a few of the students in the main section to the “end zones” to have more of an impact on the opposition, though. It was loud, raucous and a ton of fun. The announced attendance of 4,196 might have been a little low. I’d say closer to 4,500.
-Call me a Schmidt Head. Schmidt came to the student section following the victory and called for the students to storm the court. The students celebrated with their new coach in what was certainly the best moment in St. Bonaventure basketball since the tournament appearance, if you’re asking me.
-Fereti was absolutely electric. When he’s on, he’s a joy to watch. He’s an interesting player as it’s obvious from the tip whether he’s going to have “it” that night or not --when he doesn’t, its brick city. But when he is on his game, defenders from America East-type opponents might as well just sit back and watch him work, because they’re not going to be able to stop him.
-The Bonnies did a great job of breaking Binghamton’s press. SBU was the stronger, more physical team all the way around. They did exactly what an Atlantic 10 team should do with a second-tier America East opponent- they wore them down and by the second half, the Bonnies were calling all the shots on the offensive side of the ball. Would we have seen this in the Solomon era? I highly doubt it….
-Michael Lee looked like an A-10 All Conference player. He simply out-powered Binghamton on the boards all night long. We’ve seen glimpses of Lee’s potential for the past three seasons. However, for the most part, Lee has yet to be able to find consistency. Is this the year? Can Lee finally be the player as a senior we’ve been hoping he’d be for the past three seasons? I think so. It seems as though he’s finally turned the page to become an elite player in the A-10.
-Coach Schmidt has something in freshmen Hillary Haley and Malcom Eleby. Both made freshmen mistakes, and both need to learn how to finish. But they did some nice things that don’t show up in the box score. They’ve both got the ability to penetrate like the Bonnies have sorely lacked in the backcourt for …well, what seems like forever. Haley is nearly there, Eleby has a bit more of a learning curve. Speaking of some nice work that didn’t show up in the box score, Matt Morgan didn’t score a point. However, he played well on defense and kept himself in good position when he saw action. Much improved from his stiff performance in the exhibition vs. Slippery Rock. Like the Bonnies, all are works in progress.
-The boys in Brown and White must play better defense if they hope to win in conference play. They played aggressive defensively, but had too many breakdowns, allowing the Bearcats way too many open looks from the perimeter.
We’ll keep the negatives for later. For now, let’s bask in this. As the fans stormed the court, I couldn’t help but think of where this program has been the past four years. The program has been through a lot, to put it mildly, and has a long way to go to reach the heights of 2000, but I had to think to myself as the buzzer sounded and the crowd roared that the worst is over. We’re finally getting it back.
-Scott Eddy, BV Online Director
That’s the word that comes to mind to best describe Monday’s home opener vs. Binghamton. Well, a colorful adjective might come before it, but you get the point.
There was far more electricity and energy in the crowd than any other game I’ve witnessed in the past three years. The only game that came close would be the game in which the Bonnies gave George Washington all they wanted two years ago.
Here’s a few thoughts from the game.
-The student section was amazing. Coach Schmidt’s cries for students to be the “sixth man” have resonated loud and clear on campus. It was shoulder to shoulder along the baseline. We need to send a few of the students in the main section to the “end zones” to have more of an impact on the opposition, though. It was loud, raucous and a ton of fun. The announced attendance of 4,196 might have been a little low. I’d say closer to 4,500.
-Call me a Schmidt Head. Schmidt came to the student section following the victory and called for the students to storm the court. The students celebrated with their new coach in what was certainly the best moment in St. Bonaventure basketball since the tournament appearance, if you’re asking me.
-Fereti was absolutely electric. When he’s on, he’s a joy to watch. He’s an interesting player as it’s obvious from the tip whether he’s going to have “it” that night or not --when he doesn’t, its brick city. But when he is on his game, defenders from America East-type opponents might as well just sit back and watch him work, because they’re not going to be able to stop him.
-The Bonnies did a great job of breaking Binghamton’s press. SBU was the stronger, more physical team all the way around. They did exactly what an Atlantic 10 team should do with a second-tier America East opponent- they wore them down and by the second half, the Bonnies were calling all the shots on the offensive side of the ball. Would we have seen this in the Solomon era? I highly doubt it….
-Michael Lee looked like an A-10 All Conference player. He simply out-powered Binghamton on the boards all night long. We’ve seen glimpses of Lee’s potential for the past three seasons. However, for the most part, Lee has yet to be able to find consistency. Is this the year? Can Lee finally be the player as a senior we’ve been hoping he’d be for the past three seasons? I think so. It seems as though he’s finally turned the page to become an elite player in the A-10.
-Coach Schmidt has something in freshmen Hillary Haley and Malcom Eleby. Both made freshmen mistakes, and both need to learn how to finish. But they did some nice things that don’t show up in the box score. They’ve both got the ability to penetrate like the Bonnies have sorely lacked in the backcourt for …well, what seems like forever. Haley is nearly there, Eleby has a bit more of a learning curve. Speaking of some nice work that didn’t show up in the box score, Matt Morgan didn’t score a point. However, he played well on defense and kept himself in good position when he saw action. Much improved from his stiff performance in the exhibition vs. Slippery Rock. Like the Bonnies, all are works in progress.
-The boys in Brown and White must play better defense if they hope to win in conference play. They played aggressive defensively, but had too many breakdowns, allowing the Bearcats way too many open looks from the perimeter.
We’ll keep the negatives for later. For now, let’s bask in this. As the fans stormed the court, I couldn’t help but think of where this program has been the past four years. The program has been through a lot, to put it mildly, and has a long way to go to reach the heights of 2000, but I had to think to myself as the buzzer sounded and the crowd roared that the worst is over. We’re finally getting it back.
-Scott Eddy, BV Online Director
Monday, November 12, 2007
Game Recap
Well, if there was any way Coach Mark Schmidt could have imagined his first home game as a head coach, this was it. The arena was electric, the team played like a team and the coach made all the adjustments necessary to pull away from a mediocre team in a lesser conference. Michael Lee recorded a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds. His post play was outstanding and he really just looked like a man amongst boys on the court. Fereti scored 32 points and recorded 7 rebounds. He was 4-of-5 from beyond the arc and a perfect 10-for-10 from the line. The Bonnies as a team shot 33-38 from the line. Other Bonnies in double figures was freshman Hillary Haley and senior Tyler Relph. Haley connected for 12 points while Relph had 11. Relph was a perfect 8-for-8 from the line and really settled in towards the end of the game and finished with 6 assists. As a team the Bonnies shot 58.3 percent from the field on 28-of-48 shooting. The official attendance for tonights game was 4,196. So, for the rest of the season I will not try to predict attendance as I was 1,000 plus off. So now the Bonnies look towards its next opponent, Loyola Marymount, when they travel to Albuquerque for the Basketball Travelers Invitational. This could be a very surprising season for the Bonnies if their effort and intensity is this high all season long.
Bonnies: 97 Binghamton: 80 GAME FINAL
The fans rushed the court once Mark Schmidt went over clapping his hands and they surrounded him and jumped all around him. The arena was shaking for the final 45 seconds of the game. Cheers of Schmidt! Schmidt! Schmidt! and RC IS BACK! RC IS BACK! RC IS BACK! dominated the student section and for the first time in a long time, the fans have a program to be proud of.
Bonnies: 89 Bearcats: 76 2:12 Remaining
Terrific job of breaking the press by the Bonnies. Relph upcourt to Benson, with a touch pass to Lee under the basket results in a dunk for Lee. Unfortunately for the Bonnies, the Bearcats have found their stroke from the 3 point land and are trying their hardest to stay in this game. There is a small break in the action as Relph was seen with blood on his elbow and had to get it cleaned before re-entering the game.
Bonnies: 87 Bearcats: 66 3:52 Remaining
The Bonnies are doing their best to put Binghamton out of its misery. The pressure is constant and the effort is at a high. To me, this is what it should be like everytime we match up against an opponent considered to be from a "small conference."
For the first time in my Bonaventure experience, the fans are leaving early because WE are in control with less than four minutes left.
For the first time in my Bonaventure experience, the fans are leaving early because WE are in control with less than four minutes left.
Bonnies: 80 Binghamton: 59
Binghamtons coach Kevin Broadus can see the game has gotten away from him and his hands are over his head with a nervous look on his face. Even with a 21 point lead, the game is far from over because of the Bearcats ability to shoot threes. However, with Lee and Fereti playing like 1st team All Conference selections, it will be hard for the American East Conference team to make a comeback.
Bonnies: 70 Bearcats: 53 12:24 Remaining
Welcome to the Zarryon Fereti show! Fereti has nailed two consecutive three, the second of which asnwered a Bearcat three. Fereti now has 30 points. Relph needs to step up and play more confident because Eleby has 3 fouls. Relph tried to force a shot and missed it, sparking a small war of words with Schmidt. It is nothing to worry about, simply two guys very passionately involved in the game. Star point guard Mike Gordon exited the game at the 15 minute mark and still has not returned.
FIRST TECHNICAL OF SEASON
Mark Schmidt just received a technical foul! It is unclear to me as to why it was given. He was jumping up and down with his hands up yelling something to what appeared to be his players.
Bonnies: 59 Bearcats: 42
After a Michael Lee rebound, Hillary Haley had an emphatic dunk, which was followed by a Lee pump fake and dunk over two Bearcat players. Then, after a steal, Lee went up for another dunk and was pushed out of bounds in the air by a Binghamton player. This sparked a mini scuffle between the two teams. Relph looked ready to brawl and the other players ran to Lee's aide. Lee now has 20 points and continues to impress.
Bonnies: 48 Bearcats: 34 18:45 Remaining
The Bonnies have come out on all cylinders to start the half. Fereti nailed a 3 from deep before a rebound in traffic from Haley resulted in a fast break jumper for Tyler Benson. Benson has six points and Fereti has upped his total to 18.
Edit on attendance
I would like to edit a previous post where I said 200 seats from being full. I did not see the amount of empty seats in the upper reds behind press row. I would now say that the Reilly Center is more likely 500 hundred plus from being full.
Halftime Recap
To say the Bonnies have gained control of this game would be an understatement. The defense has been playing a mix of man, 1-3-1, 2-3 and a 1-2-2 full court press. The intensity has been high and the players are definitely playing off of the emotion of the fans. The Bonnies have only attempted six 3-point field goals, making three of them. They are shooting 11-of-22 from the field and 16-of-18 from the line. These are vast improvements from Boston and last year especially. Michael Lee is two rebounds from a double-double as he has 11 points and 8 rebounds. Fereti leads the Bonnies with 16 points. The only negatives I can find from the first half are the way the team came out stiff in the beginning, but only for the first 4 minutes before they picked it up in a big way. Also, the team has turned the ball over 12 times.
Fan Support: Coach Mark Schmidts plea for fan support has come to fruition as the students especially have come out in a huge way. The red seats are also well represented and as I mentioned in a previous post, the arena itself is probably just over 200 seats from being completely full. I wish I could give an accurate attendance number but none has been provided. If they announce it during the game I will get it up here immediately. On to the second half we go!!
Fan Support: Coach Mark Schmidts plea for fan support has come to fruition as the students especially have come out in a huge way. The red seats are also well represented and as I mentioned in a previous post, the arena itself is probably just over 200 seats from being completely full. I wish I could give an accurate attendance number but none has been provided. If they announce it during the game I will get it up here immediately. On to the second half we go!!
HALFTIME SCORE! Bonnies: 41 Bearcats: 33
BONNIE SCORING
Zarryon Fereti: 15 points
Michael Lee: 11 points
Hilary Haley: 6 points
Malcom Eleby: 4 points
Tyler Benson: 4 points
Zarryon Fereti: 15 points
Michael Lee: 11 points
Hilary Haley: 6 points
Malcom Eleby: 4 points
Tyler Benson: 4 points
Bonnies: 36 Bearcats: 33 57.3 Remaining
The Bonnies got away with a blatent foul on a Bearcat taking a three as lee knocked the player to the ground and fell on top of him. The Bearcats have been throwing up a three every time they get an inch of space. It should be noted the Bonnies are not giving them open looks as whenever a shot goes up, there has been a hand in the shooters face.
Side observations: For those interested, Freshman Matt Morgan has been in the game since the 3 minute mark. Classmate Delonte Taylor saw a minute of action just before the timeout. Binghamton star point guard Mike Gordon has been the object of most of the fan hazing and he looks flustered on both sides of the court.
Side observations: For those interested, Freshman Matt Morgan has been in the game since the 3 minute mark. Classmate Delonte Taylor saw a minute of action just before the timeout. Binghamton star point guard Mike Gordon has been the object of most of the fan hazing and he looks flustered on both sides of the court.
Bonnies: 29 Bearcats: 28 4:35 Remaining
Relph and Fereti just executed a beautiful backdoor play but Fereti was absolutely assaulted on his way to the rim, thus giving him two foul shots, both of which he converted. The Bonnies offense seems to have more movement and cuts to the basket tonight. The defense has also switched to a 2-3 zone with the Bearcats seeing plenty of 3-point chances. Also, the officials have calmed their whistles.
Bonnies: 20 Bearcats: 19
The Bonnies have been getting better looks on the offensive side and have converted thanks to Fereti, Lee and Hillary Haley. Fereti and Lee has seven points a piece, while Haley has four. Relph continues to struggle but after a couple of nice passes seems to have calmed down, although Eleby did replace him.
Side observations: Relph threw up an ill-advised three from beyond NBA range. This triggered a comical response from Schmidt as he threw his hands up and just looked at his assistants in disgust and shock. Also, the fans have been electric all game and are following the lead of a student dressed in shorts and brown body paint, as well as an Indian Chief headpiece.
Side observations: Relph threw up an ill-advised three from beyond NBA range. This triggered a comical response from Schmidt as he threw his hands up and just looked at his assistants in disgust and shock. Also, the fans have been electric all game and are following the lead of a student dressed in shorts and brown body paint, as well as an Indian Chief headpiece.
Bearcats: 16 Bonnies: 14 11:53 Remaining
The Bearcats have beaten the Bonnies zone repeatedly since the Bonnies switched from man. It appears to be a 1-3-1 zone and the lane has been open on numerous occassions. Michael Lee has picked up where he left off against Boston as he has seven points. Zarryon Fereti has five as he looks energized. Lee also ripped down a board right out of a Bearcat hand. Tyler Relph checked into the game and made two passes across the court with one being stolen and has just been called for a five second penalty.
Bonnies: 6 Bearcats: 4 15:45 remaining
The Bonnies win the tip and come down with a Michael Lee lay-up. Defensively, it is a man-man defense and the Bearcats hit a three. After the lay-up, the Bonnies have turned the ball over four out of seven possessions against a full-court pressure defense. The Bonnies themselves have played very stout defense, holding the bearcats to a couple of free throws after the 3 point conversion. Michael lee ends the drought with a lay-up over three Bearcats, and a foul. The officials are blowing their whistles way too much.
Talk about home court advantage
Wow! That is all that can be said to describe the student section here at Bob Lanier Court. It is filled to capacity including the seats behind the basket. The chants of SBU have not stopped and are getting louder as I type. They even brought back the Brown Indian Tomahawk Chop and Cheer. The arena overall probably only has a little less than 200 seats empty, and they are all in the high red area. The Mark Schmidt era will be different.
Starting Lineups
For the Bonnies
G Malcom Eleby Fr. 6-3
G Zarryon Fereti Sr. 6-3
G Hillary Haley Fr. 6-6
F Michael Lee Sr. 6-9
F D'Lancy Carter Jr. 6-10
For the Bearcats
G Mike Gordon Sr. 6-0
G Richard Forbes Sr. 6-0
F Moussa Camara Fr. 6-5
F Lazar Trifunovic So. 6-8
F Reggie Fuller Fr. 6-6
G Malcom Eleby Fr. 6-3
G Zarryon Fereti Sr. 6-3
G Hillary Haley Fr. 6-6
F Michael Lee Sr. 6-9
F D'Lancy Carter Jr. 6-10
For the Bearcats
G Mike Gordon Sr. 6-0
G Richard Forbes Sr. 6-0
F Moussa Camara Fr. 6-5
F Lazar Trifunovic So. 6-8
F Reggie Fuller Fr. 6-6
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Stringing thoughts on Bona sports together
The BV Online continues to move into the next century with the set up of this blog. Thanks for reading our rambling.
Might as well start out with the biggest news in St. Bonaventure sports, the run of the men's rugby team (sorry, men's basketball). The ruggers took a tough loss Saturday at the Northeast Rugby Union tournament in West Point to Middlebury in the final minute of play. While the loss is a set back, it shouldn't be too much of a discouragement--Middlebury is a power in the league, ranking atop the polls for the past two seasons. Furthermore, the Outlaw ruggers' run isn't done yet-- they play again today, and thanks to the point differential from their blowout victories all season, they still stand a shot at advancing....
Which brings me to this thought: why hasn't the ruggers' success been a bigger story? Sure, it's gotten the attention of local media outlets, but only in passing. Is it the "club sport" image? Is it because rugby isn't a "mainstream" sport here in the States? Either way, I think the guys are getting a bit short changed. It is nice to see the turnout growing each home game, though.
Now, let's take a look inside the box score from the Bonnies' loss to Boston University in men's basketball Friday night.
Of course, I'd hoped the Bonnies could pull out the 'W' here. That hope was probably a bit unrealistic, though. The Terriers are a team that thoroughly stomped SBU at the RC last year, they could've beaten the Bonnies by 50 if they hadn't "put the dogs in" as new coach Mark Schmidt said. The game seemed pretty close throughout though, so all in all a huge improvement over last year's result vs. BU.
-Interesting to see Matt Morgan only get one minute of play. With Da'Quan Cook out, the Bonnies sorely lack a big man presence , although D'Lancy Carter appears to be Schmidt's man for now.... I expected to see the 6'8'' Morgan get some action. He appeared a bit stiff in the Slippery Rock exhibition and Schmidt apparently has little faith in the frosh at this point.
-Sounded like a bit of a struggle for G Malcom Eleby. All in all, not a bad DI debut for the standout recruit, though. As Eleby goes, the Bonnies will go this season, in my opinion. When Eleby shows flashes of his ability, the Bonnies will succeed. When he plays like the freshman he is, which will be most games, the short-benched Bonnies will really struggle. Twenty minutes for Eleby here, that might be the fewest minutes he sees all season. Expect 25 Monday at home.
-An absolutely abysmal performance by Tyler Relph. He went 0-for-7 from the field and put up a donut for the game. For some reason, both within the student section at games and on certain online message boards, Relph remains an icon. I've been waiting for three plus years now for this vaunted image of Relph to show up, and I've yet to see it. Ever. Even in glimpses. The numbers don't lie: Relph just isn't a good player. Whatever he was in high school he isn't in college, not at this level, not ever. There's been many calls to "free Peaches," but it is the Bonnies who will be freed when the oft-injured guard graduates at season's end.
-Sorry to see Fereti struggle. He's the streakiest player to wear Brown and White in some time. He'll be on fire one night and then won't be able to buy a basket for the next three games. He's an exciting player, though.
-Finally, an observation on coach Schmidt: Walking past practice in the RC this year as well as watching him at the SRU exhibition, I've seen Schmidt do more coaching thus far than Anthony Solomon did in four years. Schmidt is an in-your-face type of guy, showing the players exactly how he wants business to be done. After a few months of the Schmidt era, I'm completely on this guy's bandwagon. His squad might not win more than Anthony Solomon's Bonnies did last season, but one thing is for sure: he's going to bring a heck of a lot more energy to the program than Sol ever did. Seeing as though he's basically starting the program from scratch again, that's enough for me this year.
By the way, the men's basketball team will be holding their first annual season kick off pep rally tonight. Let me say this is an excellent idea. What better way to get a new feel pumped into this program. I really like where things are headed with Bonnies basketball. It'll take time, folks, let it happen.
Some parting shots....
-Nice win by the Bona's women on Friday night over Bucknell. They're a bit short-armed with the losses of the Edwards', but they beat a successful program, one picked to challenge for the win in the Patriot League this year. The women played some terrific D all night long. Nice turnout from the crowd, too. Hopefully that support stays strong all year.
-Very entertaining victory by the SBU Hockey team Saturday night at home, 3-2 over Penn State-Berks. If you have the opportunity to catch one of these games, don't miss out. It's colder on the inside than it is outside of the rink, but you'll see some good, hard-hitting action and there's plenty of hot chocolate to warm you up as you're cheering. Not bad for a couple bucks.
That's all for now, and as I really realize after jotting all that down, there's a lot going on in the world of Bonnies' sports. It's a great time of the year to be on campus.
-Scott Eddy, BV Online Director
Might as well start out with the biggest news in St. Bonaventure sports, the run of the men's rugby team (sorry, men's basketball). The ruggers took a tough loss Saturday at the Northeast Rugby Union tournament in West Point to Middlebury in the final minute of play. While the loss is a set back, it shouldn't be too much of a discouragement--Middlebury is a power in the league, ranking atop the polls for the past two seasons. Furthermore, the Outlaw ruggers' run isn't done yet-- they play again today, and thanks to the point differential from their blowout victories all season, they still stand a shot at advancing....
Which brings me to this thought: why hasn't the ruggers' success been a bigger story? Sure, it's gotten the attention of local media outlets, but only in passing. Is it the "club sport" image? Is it because rugby isn't a "mainstream" sport here in the States? Either way, I think the guys are getting a bit short changed. It is nice to see the turnout growing each home game, though.
Now, let's take a look inside the box score from the Bonnies' loss to Boston University in men's basketball Friday night.
Of course, I'd hoped the Bonnies could pull out the 'W' here. That hope was probably a bit unrealistic, though. The Terriers are a team that thoroughly stomped SBU at the RC last year, they could've beaten the Bonnies by 50 if they hadn't "put the dogs in" as new coach Mark Schmidt said. The game seemed pretty close throughout though, so all in all a huge improvement over last year's result vs. BU.
-Interesting to see Matt Morgan only get one minute of play. With Da'Quan Cook out, the Bonnies sorely lack a big man presence , although D'Lancy Carter appears to be Schmidt's man for now.... I expected to see the 6'8'' Morgan get some action. He appeared a bit stiff in the Slippery Rock exhibition and Schmidt apparently has little faith in the frosh at this point.
-Sounded like a bit of a struggle for G Malcom Eleby. All in all, not a bad DI debut for the standout recruit, though. As Eleby goes, the Bonnies will go this season, in my opinion. When Eleby shows flashes of his ability, the Bonnies will succeed. When he plays like the freshman he is, which will be most games, the short-benched Bonnies will really struggle. Twenty minutes for Eleby here, that might be the fewest minutes he sees all season. Expect 25 Monday at home.
-An absolutely abysmal performance by Tyler Relph. He went 0-for-7 from the field and put up a donut for the game. For some reason, both within the student section at games and on certain online message boards, Relph remains an icon. I've been waiting for three plus years now for this vaunted image of Relph to show up, and I've yet to see it. Ever. Even in glimpses. The numbers don't lie: Relph just isn't a good player. Whatever he was in high school he isn't in college, not at this level, not ever. There's been many calls to "free Peaches," but it is the Bonnies who will be freed when the oft-injured guard graduates at season's end.
-Sorry to see Fereti struggle. He's the streakiest player to wear Brown and White in some time. He'll be on fire one night and then won't be able to buy a basket for the next three games. He's an exciting player, though.
-Finally, an observation on coach Schmidt: Walking past practice in the RC this year as well as watching him at the SRU exhibition, I've seen Schmidt do more coaching thus far than Anthony Solomon did in four years. Schmidt is an in-your-face type of guy, showing the players exactly how he wants business to be done. After a few months of the Schmidt era, I'm completely on this guy's bandwagon. His squad might not win more than Anthony Solomon's Bonnies did last season, but one thing is for sure: he's going to bring a heck of a lot more energy to the program than Sol ever did. Seeing as though he's basically starting the program from scratch again, that's enough for me this year.
By the way, the men's basketball team will be holding their first annual season kick off pep rally tonight. Let me say this is an excellent idea. What better way to get a new feel pumped into this program. I really like where things are headed with Bonnies basketball. It'll take time, folks, let it happen.
Some parting shots....
-Nice win by the Bona's women on Friday night over Bucknell. They're a bit short-armed with the losses of the Edwards', but they beat a successful program, one picked to challenge for the win in the Patriot League this year. The women played some terrific D all night long. Nice turnout from the crowd, too. Hopefully that support stays strong all year.
-Very entertaining victory by the SBU Hockey team Saturday night at home, 3-2 over Penn State-Berks. If you have the opportunity to catch one of these games, don't miss out. It's colder on the inside than it is outside of the rink, but you'll see some good, hard-hitting action and there's plenty of hot chocolate to warm you up as you're cheering. Not bad for a couple bucks.
That's all for now, and as I really realize after jotting all that down, there's a lot going on in the world of Bonnies' sports. It's a great time of the year to be on campus.
-Scott Eddy, BV Online Director
Friday, November 9, 2007
SBU Rugby run continues; Thoughts on Sabres
Editor's Note: Here's the first installment of Michael T. Licata's blog hosted by The BV Online. He will blog about anything and everything in the world of Bonaventure and professional sports over the next semester.
Ok, here’s what’s garnered my attention in sports at St. Bonaventure. It’s good to see rugby getting so much attention with the tremendous amount of success the team has enjoyed this season. From a few conversations with players, they are greatly committed to winning and I hear them practicing when walking behind the RC every afternoon.
I applaud the students and alumni who are following the team to West Point, NY for the showdown against Middlebury College this Saturday. It should be a tough contest as Middlebury was the number one team in the nation last year.
Applause to BV writer Brian Bayer for his detailed explanation on how the team could go to Stanford, California in the Spring 2008 semester and play in the USA Rugby collegiate men’s national tournament.
I’m sure the boys will represent SBU very well and hopefully they can bring a home an accomplishment that has been missing from the sports scene on campus for several years.
Other Stuff: My editors stated that I could write anything about sports. So, here goes the passion of a Buffalo sports fan. Andrej Sekera hasn’t played enough in Rochester to make a quality impact with the Sabres. Derek Roy still hasn’t done enough to earn $4 million a year but it’s easy to be overshadowed when you play on a line with a 10 million dollar a year player in Thomas Vanek. Ryan Miller is not overrated. His statistics have never been outstanding, but the fact is that he wins hockey games. Clark MacArthur should stay with the Sabres for awhile because of Tim Connelly’s injury and his play dictates more playing time.
The Bills defense needs to develop a pass rush if they have a chance to upset the Patriots. I know, I’m looking ahead and shouldn’t look past the Dolphins.
Ok, here’s what’s garnered my attention in sports at St. Bonaventure. It’s good to see rugby getting so much attention with the tremendous amount of success the team has enjoyed this season. From a few conversations with players, they are greatly committed to winning and I hear them practicing when walking behind the RC every afternoon.
I applaud the students and alumni who are following the team to West Point, NY for the showdown against Middlebury College this Saturday. It should be a tough contest as Middlebury was the number one team in the nation last year.
Applause to BV writer Brian Bayer for his detailed explanation on how the team could go to Stanford, California in the Spring 2008 semester and play in the USA Rugby collegiate men’s national tournament.
I’m sure the boys will represent SBU very well and hopefully they can bring a home an accomplishment that has been missing from the sports scene on campus for several years.
Other Stuff: My editors stated that I could write anything about sports. So, here goes the passion of a Buffalo sports fan. Andrej Sekera hasn’t played enough in Rochester to make a quality impact with the Sabres. Derek Roy still hasn’t done enough to earn $4 million a year but it’s easy to be overshadowed when you play on a line with a 10 million dollar a year player in Thomas Vanek. Ryan Miller is not overrated. His statistics have never been outstanding, but the fact is that he wins hockey games. Clark MacArthur should stay with the Sabres for awhile because of Tim Connelly’s injury and his play dictates more playing time.
The Bills defense needs to develop a pass rush if they have a chance to upset the Patriots. I know, I’m looking ahead and shouldn’t look past the Dolphins.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Game Recap
The Mark Schmidt era begins with a 75-68 victory. Although it is not the result the team nor the fans were hoping for, it is a positive to see the second half adjustments and emotion the team showed. Zarryon Fereti looked good with 28 points and an aggressive style. Freshman Hillary Haley was also impressive, dropping 14 points. D'Lancy Carter played extremely well in the paint and overpowered everyone. Michael Lee looked good except for his five fouls and Malcom Eleby may just be the point guard we've been waiting for. As for coach Schmidt, he was emotional and in his players face for all the good and also the bad. His style is significantly different than Anthony Solomon and we should be in for an exciting year. The victories may not come at a rapid pace, but the improvements will be there.
Final Minute
The final three minutes have not been easy despite having a 16 point lead. The Rock has gone on a 12-4 run and the Bonnies have committed fouls away from the basket on two occassions. Michael Lee fouled out at the 51.9 second mark and Malcom Eleby did the same at the 44.4 second mark. It is now 71-65 with 31 seconds remaining and the Bonnies headed for the line.
Bonnies: 66 Slippery Rock: 50 3:32 Remaining
Slippery Rock's leading scorer Joseph Vines fouled at with 3:45 left. D'Lancy Carter has really come alive down the stretch and is just out overpowering The Rocks' frontcourt. Hillary Haley continues to be impressive in his debut, pouring in 14 points and a solid defensive effort. It will be interesting to see the freshman Eleby manage the lead for four more minutes.
On a side note: Coach Mark Schmidt has been on his feet all night. His energy has definitely sparked this Bonnie team as they are playing with just as much energy as he is coaching with.
On a side note: Coach Mark Schmidt has been on his feet all night. His energy has definitely sparked this Bonnie team as they are playing with just as much energy as he is coaching with.
Bonnies: 56 Slippery Rock: 46 7:06 Remaining
Zarryon Fereti has been on fire and continues to look strong. He had 23 points and has hit four 3s on the night. Freshman forward Matt Morgan provided a small spark by blocking one shot, then hitting a basket on consevutice possessions. Slippery Rock has shown it can hit a 3 at any point and the remaining seven minutes should be interesting.
On a side note: the fans have remained standing the entire night and for an exhibition game their passion has been at a high all night.
On a side note: the fans have remained standing the entire night and for an exhibition game their passion has been at a high all night.
Bonnies: 50 Slippery Rock: 37
The Bonnies are in the midst of a 15-0 run. Zarryon Fereti has absolutely exploded with 11 of the 15 points in this run. He has hit three 3s and one field goal. He now has 14 points on the night. The Rock look flustered and unorganized. Schmidt remains very active on the bench, cheering on his players when necessary, yet scolding them for mistakes.
Bonnies: 44 Slippery Rock: 37 14:23
The Bonnies have gone to a full-court pressure against The Rock. It has flustered them so far as they turned the ball over on two consecutive trips. Benson stole the first, resulting in an emphatic dunk from freshman Hillary Haley, who now has eight points. The second steal came from D'Lancy Carter, however, the Bonnies turned it over on their trip down the floor. On Mark Schmidt: he does not look happy with the silly mistakes his team is making. Out of the media timeout, the Bonnies came out firing with a 3-pointer from Fereti and an easy lay-up from Haley. The team is playing with a lot of passion for an exhibition game and the fans are right behind them.
Halftime! Slippery Rock: Bonnies:
At the half, the Bonnies are tied 33-33 with The Rock. The offense is beginning to resemble that of a Division I program. The defense has faired pretty well with the exception of its 10 fouls. The reason Slippery Rock has put up 33 points is because of just that; too many fouls. The Rock have scored almost half its points off of free throws. Back to the offense, where Zarryon Fereti has come alive with two 3s. Michael Lee has scored eight points and been more aggressive than he ever was last season, pulling down three boards in the first half. Freshman Hillary Haley has been a pleasant surprise, hitting 3-6 from the field for six points. He has also pulled down two rebounds. Junior D'Lancy Carter has dominated the boards with four in the first half. The Bonnies have been very good on the boards with 20 for the half, 11 on defense and 9 on offense. Unfortunately, they are shooting 14-35 from the field for a perecentage of 40. This has led Slipper Rock to 15 defensive boards. The second half should be interesting to see what adjustments new coach Mark Schmidt makes and whether this team can pull away from a Division II school.
Slippery Rock: 27 Bonnies: 24 3:58
The Bonnies have begun to pick it up offensively as Tyler Benson and Zarryon Fereti have hit their first threes. Michael Lee has hit three shots from inside the free throw line and he looks significantly better in the post. Like most of the game, the Bonnies have been dominating on the boards and have continued. Eleby has made a couple of freshman mistakes, throwing away two passes in a four minute span. While the Bonnies play has been spirited, it still does not look ready for stern competition.
Slipper Rock: 14 Bonnies: 12 11:55
At the second timeout of the night, the Bonnies trail 14-12. The offense has gotten a little better, but still looks timid on the court. Malcom Eleby made a dazzling pass to Tyler Benson for a basket and a foul. Benson missed the free throw but it did not take away from the play. Eleby is looking every bit of the great point guard people are expecting. He is commanding the floor like a senior. Benson has missed on all three of his 3-point attempts. The Bonnies have committed nine fouls in the first nine minutes and Slippery Rock has hit 12 of their 15 attempts from the line, which is why The Rock is still in this ball game.
At the first media timeout, the Bonnies look rather timid on offense. They are not attacking the hoop, rather relying on their set plays that don't seem to be opening many holes. However, defensively they are playing much more aggressive than in the past. D'Lancy Carter is all over the boards and making his prescence known. Malcom Eleby looks like he has been playing college basketball for longer than two months. The Reilly Center crowd is out in full force as the entire student section is filled and students are standing on the floor.
Tonight's Starting Lineups
For the Bonnies:
G Zarryon Fereti (Sr.) 6-3
G Malcom Eleby (Fr.) 6-3
G Hillary Haley (Fr.) 6-6
F Michael Lee (Sr.) 6-8
F D'Lancy Carter (Jr.) 6-10
For The Rock
G Darnell Johnson (Jr.) 5-10
G Jamar Scales (Jr.) 6-3
F Itay Levi (Fr.) 6-5
F Joseph Vines (Jr.) 6-5
F Jade Burka (Fr.) 6-6
G Zarryon Fereti (Sr.) 6-3
G Malcom Eleby (Fr.) 6-3
G Hillary Haley (Fr.) 6-6
F Michael Lee (Sr.) 6-8
F D'Lancy Carter (Jr.) 6-10
For The Rock
G Darnell Johnson (Jr.) 5-10
G Jamar Scales (Jr.) 6-3
F Itay Levi (Fr.) 6-5
F Joseph Vines (Jr.) 6-5
F Jade Burka (Fr.) 6-6
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