Bonnies’ NCAA Tournament dream falls just short
As time ticked away on the game clock in the waning seconds of the Atlantic 10 Championship game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, time froze and the arena fell silent.
With the Bonnies trailing St. Louis University 55-53 Nelson Kaputo, a senior guard that spent nearly 39 minutes of the game on the bench, caught the basketball in rhythm, with a shot to send the Bonnies back to the dance.
The crowd rose to its feet as the ball spiralled through the air.
After an unprecedented run to secure a double-bye in the A-10 Tournament, there was every reason to believe that the shot would fall as the buzzer sounded.
Instead, the open shot clanked against the iron as the Billikens stormed down the court celebrating their third ever A-10 championship.
As confetti flew in the colors of red, white and blue, to the sound of We Are The Champions, the Bonnies stood in disbelief. The scene captured both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
Entering A-10 conference play, the Bonnies’ held a 4-9 record – the worst non-conference record of the Mark Schmidt era. With an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament out of the question, the Bonnies knew that the only was to secure a ticket to the big dance would be to win the conference tournament.
Questions remained after the inexperienced Bonnies continued to battle the injury bug, missing key players Courtney Stockard, Dominick Welch and LaDarien Griffin for periods of time throughout the season.
After a poor showing against Virginia Commonwealth University, the Bonnies appeared to come together even after experiencing ups and downs in the first half of conference play.
After the 85-55 thrashing to the Rams on alumni weekend in the Reilly Center, the Bonnies closed out the season hot, winning seven out of eight games. The streak’s victories included a last-second win over La Salle on Feb. 20, where freshman guard Kyle Lofton hit a buzzer-beating shot to sink the Explorers.
In all seven wins, the Bonnies held each of their opponents to 60 points or fewer.
In his final press conferences of the season, Schmidt recapped the defensive effort his team put forward this year.
“This is the best defensive team we’ve had since I’ve been the coach,” said Schmidt. “Osun [Osunniyi] does a really good job of being a rim protector. We’re connected and committed on the defensive end. And we’re disciplined. It’s a mindset. We’re not a great offensive team, and we haven’t been all season. But the kids have figured it out that in order for us to win, we have to defend.”
And on the last game of the regular season, the Bonnies locked up a double-bye with a win over the St. Louis Billikens, finishing fourth in the A-10 conference. After the start the Bonnies had to the season, nobody imagined such a finish.
“There was a lot of noise going on,” said Schmidt, following his team’s 66-57 regular season-finale victory. “They said we weren’t very good. They said we weren’t going to win 10 games. Those guys didn’t listen to it, they kept on fighting, they kept on working, and if you do that, good things will happen.”
The Bonnies, who had plenty of momentum going into the tournament, faced off against George Mason in the quarterfinal. After splitting a pair of games in conference play, the game didn’t appear to be the easiest matchup for St. Bonaventure, but the Bonnies continued to roll.
Stockard, who finished second on the team in scoring this season, had a quiet performance against George Mason in the quarterfinal game, scoring only six points.
However, the Bonnies’ freshmen took control of the game, willing the team to victory. Welch had his best performance of the season, drilling six three-pointers in 10 attempts over the course of his 20-point day. Lofton also scored 20 points, hitting four three-pointers in six attempts. Osun Osunniyi, who developed into a force on defense this season, blocked three shots, brought down eight rebounds and scored seven points.
These were the inexperienced Bonnies no more.
“It was relieving,” said Stockard, regarding the play of the freshmen and the boost they gave the team. “Early in the year when I would get into foul trouble, you could see a drop off with our offensive performance. Now, our freshmen are starting to play like veteran guys. Now when I get into a little foul trouble, I am not as worried. Because now those guys are able to uplift me and keep it going.”
On Saturday in the semi-final game against the Rhode Island Rams, the freshmen continued to provide that same boost that Stockard talked so passionately about. But that boost came after the Bonnies found themselves in an early 15-point deficit.
To close out the first half, the Bonnies went on a furious 13-0 run to close Rhode Island’s lead to two points, 29-27. The run, sparked by a Lofton three-pointer, fittingly ended with a Welch three pointer.
And in the second half, it was all Bonnies. The Brown and White used a 14-0 run to cruise to another double-digit victory, 68-51. Welch ended the day with three blocked shots, nine rebounds and 13 points. Lofton did much of the same, leading the team with 23 points. Osunniyi, again, played a major role on defense. The freshman center blocked for shots, scored 10 points and had 11 rebounds. The freshmen-led Bonnies headed into the championship game with momentum.
The stars were aligning for something special. A trip back to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. Consecutive NCAA Tournament berths had not yet happened in program history.
The only team that stood in the way of the Bonnies and history was the St. Louis Billikens – a team they had beaten nine times in a row and just about a week prior to the championship game.
Prior to the nationally-televised championship game, Bona fans filled the Barclays Center. Chants of “Let’s go Bona’s!” circulated the arena, drowning out any chant the small collection of Billikens fans started. Some compared the sound to a home game in the Reilly Center.
And with a 15-point first half lead, the Bonnies were 20 minutes away from a storybook ending to a season that looked to be lost a month prior.
The lead dwindled as the Billikens, known to be one of the most physical teams in the A-10, used its size and strength to prevail.
As the confetti flew in the favor of the Billikens, Schmidt and Griffin headed to the postgame press conference to recap a heartbreaking loss and what could’ve been.
Although the disappointment of the loss stung, Griffin, a senior who played his last game in the brown and white, expressed his excitement for what is to come for his young teammates.
“A lot of teams would’ve folded [this year],” said Griffin. “Our guys didn’t. We stayed tight. Just the run we went on. I’m proud of these guys. These guys are going to be really, really good. I can’t wait to watch them.”
By Mike Hogan and Sean Mickey, Sports Editor and Sports Assignment Editor
hoganm17@bonaventure.edu
mickeys17@bonaventure.edu
