PHOTO COURTESY OF GOBONNIES
BY JONNY WALKER, ADVISORY EDITOR
PITTSBURGH — The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team managed a season-low 50 points Tuesday night in the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, losing to Duquesne 54-50.
The Bonnies (11-7, 2-4 A-10) won the rebounding battle — and little else. The Dukes (10-8, 1-5) forced 16 turnovers while holding Bona to its worst shooting performance of the season. The Bonnies shot 27% from the field and 15% from deep.
“That was a rock fight,” said Bona head coach Mark Schmidt. “We couldn’t score … when Kyrell [Luc], Daryl [Banks III] and Moses [Flowers] go 2-27, you’re not going to win anything.”
Duquesne led for all but five minutes early in the first half. Although the Bonnies pulled within three in the game’s final minute, the Dukes preserved their lead at the free-throw line. A pair of Jimmy Clarke III made free throws with 40 seconds remaining all but sealed Bona’s fate.
Especially in the first half, Duquesne limited Bonaventure’s ability to penetrate. The Dukes routinely denied entry passes to Bona’s standout forward Chad Venning, and the Bonnies settled for tough shots. Just four of Bona’s 16 field goals were assisted.
“We couldn’t get by them,” said Schmidt. “They switch everything. Those guys, when they’re denying stuff, you have to take them off the bounce. And we have a hard time taking guys off the bounce.”
Although no Duke scored double figures, Duquesne got points from eight different scorers. Preseason all-conference guard Jimmy Clarke III led the Dukes with nine points and two made 3-pointers.
Like Bonaventure, Duquesne struggled from the field, shooting 30% for the game. But the Dukes more than doubled Bona’s 3-point percentage with 7 made-threes on 21 attempts.
“We did what we needed to do on defense,” said Schmidt. “But it was our offense [that was the problem].”
Guard Charles Pride was Bonaventure’s lone bright spot on offense. He finished with 14 points on 6-11 shooting and had ten of Bona’s 15 first-half points.
Despite traveling with the team and participating in warmups, Bonaventure point guard Mika Adams-Woods did not play. After the game, Schmidt interrupted a reporter’s question to clarify that Adams-Woods was sick.
The Dukes’ win represented their first of the conference season, coming after back-to-back two-point heartbreakers. Meanwhile, the Bonnies, having lost four of their last five, dropped to 11th in the Atlantic 10 Conference standings.
Bonaventure returns home Friday to host Saint Joseph’s in the Reilly Center. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m.
walkerjc20@bonaventure.edu
