BY NATHAN SOLOMON, SPORTS EDITOR
Undoubtedly, it’s been an up-and-down season for St. Bonaventure men’s basketball. But, the Bonnies seem to be on the up at the right time.
After an 83-71 victory over the Massachusetts Minutemen on Wednesday, St. Bonaventure has won four games in a row with a little extra swagger. The Bonnies seem to be having fun again with an underdog mentality, a mindset they had last season when they won the Atlantic 10 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
A major factor for St. Bonaventure of late has been the improved play of senior Dominick Welch. After shooting 31% from deep through the first 15 games of the season, Welch has made 16 of his last 32 3-point attempts.
Instead of taking on a major scoring role, senior Kyle Lofton has developed even more of a pass-first mentality. He dished out 17 assists on Wednesday and eight assists two days earlier against Saint Louis.
Under Lofton’s new mentality, the Bonnies are passing the ball the most they have all season and increasing their offensive efficiency. They’ve played with a seemingly faster tempo and taken better shots, and it’s paid off. St. Bonaventure shot 54% from the field on Monday and 55% from the field on Wednesday.
Osun Osunniyi has reverted back to his normal self, which is a prolific shot-blocker with a strong interior presence. Meanwhile, Jalen Adaway continues to be the Bonnies’ rock, regularly scoring in double figures.
St. Bonaventure has new energy at just the right time. The Bonnies have two more home games against Duquesne, the last place team in the Atlantic, and Rhode Island before traveling to Saint Joseph’s, a team they beat in January. They sit just 0.5 games behind Saint Louis for fourth in the conference with five games to play. Passing the Billikens in the standings would put the Bonnies in a position for a double bye in the conference tournament next month.
But, to get into that position, St. Bonaventure needs to just run its own race and win games. They have winnable games ahead and a reasonably strong history in the Atlantic 1o Tournament. Advancing to the NCAA Tournament is still a possibility, but the Bonnies control their own destiny.
solomonj20@bonaventure.edu
