Jaylen Adams and the Bonnies protected their home court Tuesday night, defeating Vermont 80-68.
The sophomore guard rained seven three-point shots on the Catamounts and scored a career-high 28 points, thanks in large part to a dominating second-half performance.
After a back-and-forth first 20 minutes, the Bonnies led by six at the half. But when Vermont tied the game at 45 early in the second half, Adams and senior forward Dion Wright took over the game offensively, scoring a combined 21 of the Bonnies’ 35 points.
The win marks the team’s fifth in its last six games, including its third straight. With a 6-2 mark on the season, the Bonnies have a 10-day break between games and won’t play again until Dec 19. As the non-conference schedule draws to a close and the Bonnies prepare for the grind of Atlantic-10 play, several season-long trends have developed.
Three-point shooting:
The Bonnies have a small lineup. They routinely start three guards in Adams, Marcus Posley and Idris Taquee. For an inside presence, they rely on Wright and true freshman Derrick Woods. The undersized, three-guard lineup leads to few shots from the paint as the guards often drive and kick the ball back out to an open player on the perimeter. Through eight games, the Bonnies average 19.5 three-point attempts per game, and they have shown a willingness to live or die from behind the arc.
In their Nov. 17 loss to Syracuse, the Bonnies attempted a whopping 32 three-point shots, and in their other loss, a Nov. 28 defeat by Hofstra, they attempted another 19. No matter the result, the Bonnies don’t stop shooting from downtown.
Inconsistency from Posley:
Speaking of shooting regardless of the result, the only certainty from Posley this season has been uncertainty. In some games, such as the Nov. 21 win over Loyola when he dropped 26 points, Posley has carried the team. In other games, like the Syracuse loss when he managed only nine points, he has been almost non-existent. The senior has struggled from behind the arc this season, connecting on only 16 of his team-leading 60 three-point attempts. As conference play nears, St. Bonaventure will need consistent, productive play from their leader to compete the A-10.
Improvement from Adams:
If Adams was important for the Bonnies last season, he is nothing short of essential for them this year. The sophomore consistently speaks of his hard work in the offseason, and it’s paying off on the court. He’s averaging 16 points per game, a six-point increase from last season. Likewise, his three-point shooting percentage has risen nearly 10 percent from 32.4 percent to 42 percent. His field goal and assist averages are higher as well, and the guard has been stellar from the free-throw line, shooting over 86 percent. Posley may have a knack for hitting clutch shots, but it’s the work of Adams that keeps the Bonnies in games long enough to make those shots possible. In the team’s last four games, Adams led the team in scoring three times, scoring more than 20 points all three times. His play, as well as Posley’s, will determine the fate of the Bonnies this season.
After finals week, the Bonnies take to the court again on Dec. 19 when they host South Carolina State University. Game time is 2 p.m.
