Photo courtesy of Sydney Best.
After months of anticipation, the 100th year of St. Bonaventure men’s basketball arrived. Iconic Bona basketball pictures flashed across the big screen, a special 100th anniversary exhibit opened and two Bona greats from years past, Bob Sassone ’54, and Ronald “Whitey” Martin ‘61, were honored before tip-off. The Bonnies were 12-point favorites, according to Vegas, against an Ohio University team that was picked to finish at the bottom of the Mid-American Conference.
The Bobcats, from the get-go, spoiled the centennial season opener. One big shot after the next. Bona had no answers in the deflating 65-53 loss.
The Bobcats shot 24-51 from the field and 8-22 from the three, using a plethora of strong performances to break down the Bonnies.
Jordan Dartis, a red-shirt senior who missed last season due to injury, tallied a game-high 19 points, shooting 7-15 from the field and 3 of 9 from three.
His counterpart, Nate Springs, contributed nine points, all of them coming from beyond the arc.
Ben Vander Plas did much of the same. The red-shirt sophomore from Ripon, Wisconsin, scored 12 points while shooting 4 of 5 from the field and 1 of 1 from 3-point territory.
Most impressive of all, though, was Jason Preston, who notched a double-double with 11 points and a career-high 13 assists. On defense, it was much of the same for the 6-foot-4-inch sophomore guard. Preston came away with seven steals and pulled down four defensive rebounds (six total).
Despite making a few second-half runs to come within two points of the Bobcats, the Bonnies couldn’t climb the hill. Ohio had the lead for 37 minutes while Bona’s only held the lead for just over a minute.
In a sloppy display of basketball, where the Bonnies turned the ball over 16 times, shot 3-19 from three and 20-55 from the field, Amadi Ikpeze was a bright spot.
The senior forward, who has had his share of ups and downs over the past three years, looked like he belonged again, scoring 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting while grabbing five rebounds.
Leading the Bonnies in scoring was freshman Alejandro Vasquez. After a team-leading 20-point performance against Alfred in last week’s exhibition game, Vasquez scored 12 points while shooting 3 of 11 from the field and 2 of 7 from three.
Adding on to the disappointment, star big-man Osun Osunniyi went down with an injury in the middle of the second half and didn’t return. Osunniyi was the Bonnies’ leading shot-blocker last season and received preseason All Atlantic 10 honors.
What was supposed to be a grand opening night for the Bonnies wasn’t. The good thing, though? The Bonnies will have a chance to get the bad taste out of their mouths against Vermont on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Reilly Center. Last season, the Catamounts stunned the Bonnies in double overtime, 83-76, in Burlington, Vermont.
Five observations:
- Amadi looks good: After shedding weight, Ikpeze’s physical appearance looks tremendous. His play on the floor emulated that. The senior scored 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting. He looked confident and comfortable once again. Look for the senior to have a nice senior season.
- Osun injured: It didn’t look good. Osunniyi had to be helped off the floor by trainers in the second half. The 6-foot-10-inch forward appeared to have injured his right leg/knee. He was spotted leaning on crutches after being tended to at the trainer’s table. As of now, no update has been given.
- Planutis brings energy: While he didn’t hit any 3-pointers, they will come. Bobby Planutis just looks like a good basketball player. He brought energy and hustle to the table, scoring eight points while grabbing 10 rebounds. His highlight of the night: throwing down a thunderous dunk in the second half.
- Defense struggled: Ohio, as depicted in the recap, shot the lights out for most of the game. Bona couldn’t seem to figure the Bobcats out. Too many open looks and easy opportunities. If the Bonnies struggle again Friday, Anthony Lamb and the Catamounts will make the Bonnies pay, too.
- Fans need to R-E-L-A-X: While a disappointing loss like this one on opening night hurts, it’s still the first game. The Bonnies have lost three straight season openers. The last two years have panned out pretty well, right. This is a young team. Of the 10 players that got minutes last night, four of them are newcomers and Bobby Planutis sat out due to NCAA transfer rules. Mark Schmidt’s teams historically get better as the season progresses. Have some patience. If there’s any silver lining, this is it.
Prediction for Vermont:
- This one will be close, especially after last year’s double-overtime affair. The Bonnies should have won that game. It’s a big early season test for this young team, and I think they will have a better showing Friday. Anthony Lamb, however, is a tough ask early in the season. Vermont hits a few more big shots and wins, 78-71.
By Mike Hogan, Managing Editor
hoganm17@bonaventure.edu
