By Jonathan Sawyer
Sports Assignment Editor
BROOKLYN- Its been almost four years since the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team won the A10 Tournament back in 2012. Tonight they will face Wardell Stephen Curry’s former team in the Davidson Wildcats at 9 p.m. in the quarterfinal round of the A10 Tournament.
The Bonnies faced off against the Wildcats in the first game of conference play and got the better half of that game, winning by a score of 97-85. Leading scorer for the Bonnies was sophomore guard Jaylen Adams who dropped 30 points. Right behind him was senior guard Marcus Posley with 19 points.
That was the only time the Bonnies and Wildcats faced off this season, but the Wildcats have hit their stride coming into tournament play. The Wildcats are 7-3 in their last 10 games and are lead by junior guard Jack Gibbs, who averages 24.4 points per game and leads the A10 in scoring. Right behind Gibbs is sophomore forward Peyton Aldridge, averaging 15.7 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game. Aldridge not only can play the post position but also can hurt from the outside.
The Bonnies have been one of the hottest teams in the A10 in the past month, winning their last 10 out of 11 games and finishing the season as the co-regular season champs. The Bonnies are dangerous when their big three are scoring at will. Posley (19.3 points per game), Adams (18.2 points per game) and senior forward Dion Wright (16.4 points per game) are the top three scorers for the Bonnies. With great scorers comes great role players and sophomore guard Idris Taqqee, and junior forward Denzel Gregg both are helpful players that play huge roles. Gregg comes off the bench and helps with post-play presence and on the board for rebounds. Taqqee is a lengthy guard who is quick on defense and gets his hands in the passing lanes. On offense Taqqee can knock down the three ball if needed.
Key’s for the Bonnies:
• The Bonnies will need to get the three ball going and look for the open shots. Ball movement will be a key to the open shots. They shot 34 percent beyond the arc in there win against the Wildcats.
• The big difference in the first time the Bonnies played the Wildcats was points in the paint. The Bonnies got the ball in the paint and capitalized on a lot of opportunities. They outscored the Wildcats in the paint, 42-26.
• The Bonnies strong defense will be a factor in disrupting the Wildcats offense. Getting hands in the passing lanes and forcing them to shoot contested three- pointers.
• Limit their turnovers and get out ahead of the Wildcats on fast-breaks.
sawyerjp15@bonaventure.edu
