BY TOM SEIPP, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The expectations were incredibly high on the national stage for the St. Bonaventure Bonnies coming into this season. In the preseason, Mark Schmidt said publicly that those expectations don’t mean anything until you capitalize on them, saying the only expectations that matter were the team’s own expectations.
Sunday, on the national stage, the Bonnies exceeded those expectations.
In dominating fashion, the #22 Bonnies dismantled a red-hot Marquette team, 70-54, to sweep the Charleston Classic.
“We played exceptionally well. I can’t say enough,” head coach Mark Schmidt said. “We dominated from a defensive standpoint… We played exceptionally hard.”
Osun Osunniyi lost the opening tip for the first time this year, but after the Golden Eagles’ opening-possession layup, it was all Bonaventure.
After being tied at 15, it was an 8-2 Bonaventure run that swung the momentum early; momentum that never shifted back. The Bonnies went into halftime with an eight-point advantage, despite shooting 1-for-10 from three point range.
On Friday, the Bonnies mounted a 16-point comeback because of their strong three point shooting. Sunday, it was the opposite, it was an astonishing 50 points in the paint that led them to victory.
Immediately in the second half, it was all Bonaventure, who opened the final 20 minutes on a 24-6 run. In each of the Bonnies first four games, Schmidt’s second-half adjustments were the reason the Bonnies were able to secure victories. Sunday, it only helped the Bonnies open up to a 27-point lead.
“It was all on the defensive end, we did a heck of a job defending them,” Schmidt said of the second half. “We couldn’t have played better defensively.”
For the first time in the 2021-22 campaign, Osunniyi looked like a prized NBA draft selection, putting up 16 points on 8-for-10 shooting and 11 rebounds; he also added four blocks.
Kyle Lofton, Charleston Classic Tournament MVP, had 12 points and four assists. Jaren Holmes, an All-Tournament selection, led all scorers with 19 points; he had a double-double with 13 rebounds.
TD Arena felt like the streets of Allegany this weekend, as fans were packed cheering on their team with three resume-boosting wins against Boise State, Clemson and Marquette.
“To come down here and play those three games, Boise, Clemson and Marquette, and to come out victorious and win this tournament is a testament to our players,” Schmidt said. “I think the nation found out in the last four days what Bonaventure’s all about: the program, the commitment, about our players, about our legacy, the tradition that we have and our fan base. We may not have the biggest fan base, but we have the most passionate fan base.”
The Bonnies, who finished the second week of the season 5-0 for the first time since the 1992-93 season, now await Monday’s AP Top 25 to see if they can crack the Top 20 for the first time since 1971.
“I think we made a statement that we can play with anybody,” said Lofton. “We’re ranked for a reason.”
“I don’t think we needed to prove anything to anybody,” Holmes said. “For the guys in that locker room and the coaches, it’s always been just us. That’s been our motto.”
St. Bonaventure is legit, and they have grasped national attention after a dominant weekend in Charleston.
Follow @Tom_Seipp on Twitter for St. Bonaventure updates.
seipptw19@bonaventure.edu
