BY TOM SEIPP, MANAGING EDITOR.
In 2021, it’s become common to not play for over a week during Atlantic 10 play. For some teams, it could play a major factor in their success. For others, it won’t affect their play.
For St. Bonaventure, a seven-day layoff seems regular, as the Bonnies dominated from the tip to defeat George Mason, 84-67.
“The game was won in the first half,” St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt said.
The Bonnies came out scorching hot, as they used an early 19-2 run to propel them to an early advantage. George Mason held the lead for the first 1:35, but after that, it was all brown and white.
It was Dominick Welch who provided the early spark, as he had 18 points on 7-for-7 shooting in the first half.
“Dom played really well today, and we need him to continue to do that,” Schmidt said. “When Dom’s playing with confidence, is rebounding that basketball and shooting the ball, we’re a much better team. We have a lot of confidence in Dom, and he has a lot of confidence in himself.”
“I was feeling good today in warmups, I’ve been in the gym working on my shot,” Welch said. “I was just going with the flow of the game and what plays Schmidt was calling.”
Osun Osunniyi also started off hot for the first time in Atlantic 10 play. At halftime, he already was a rebound away from a double-double.
St. Bonaventure shot 67.9% from the field in the first half. They didn’t take a step back in the second half, as they shot 55.2% to finish at 61% for the day.
The Bonnies had three players finish with at least 18 points: Welch with 22, Lofton with 20 and Osunniyi with 18.
Osunniyi finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds; he was a +26 on the court for the Bonnies. When he was on the bench, the team was -9, showing how much the center is for St. Bonaventure.
“He was aggressive, he was much strong, much more assertive. When he made his move he was much more aggressive with it,” Schmidt said of Osunniyi. “We need an inside presence, so it can take off pressure for our perimeter players.”
“[St. Bonaventure] is a really good team, first place team. They hit some shots… They run their stuff really well,” George Mason head coach Dave Paulsen said. “They got in a rhythm and it was hard to get stops.”
The Bonnies have now won seven straight games, as they are now 9-1 overall and 7-1 in Atlantic-10 play.
“To be able to handle this pandemic and all the adjustments, those are the teams that are going to be successful,” Schimdt said of the season so far. “We’re lucky to have a veteran team that understands, that can turn the page, but it’s been a challenge.
The Bonnies are now off to their best start in Atlantic 10 history and their best overall start in 51 years.
“It’s a credit to our players,” Schmidt said on the historic start. “St. Bonaventure basketball has a rich tradition, great teams, great coaches. For our team to have the best record in the history of the program, it’s a credit to our players… It’s special for our players.
Wednesday, the Bonnies will open up a four-game road trip, beginning at St. Joseph’s at 6 p.m.
