Photo: St. Bonaventure Athletics
BY: ANDREW HALE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team pushed their win streak to four Saturday night, defeating Le Moyne College 71-52.
The Bonnies (4-0, 0-0 A-10) came out guns blazing, quickly going up 12-2 to begin the game and forcing a Dolphins (1-4, 0-0 NEC) timeout.
In the opening seven minutes, graduate center Noel Brown scored seven of Bonaventure’s first 20 points.
Brown finished Saturday with a game-high 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
“My team told me they wanted me inside, and we had an advantage,” Brown said. “So, I just wanted to make sure I execute my part because I open everything else for them later on.”
The Bonnies’ defense was on display early as senior guard Chance Moore recorded three blocks on three Le Moyne 3-point attempts. The Bonnies held the Dolphins to 10-30 from the field and 3-15 from three in the first half.
“Our goal every game is [holding the opponents to a] field goal percentage of below 40 and a three-point field goal percentage below 30,” Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt said. “And we did that.”
Schmidt utilized his bench throughout the first half as 10 Bonnies played. Eight of the 10 Bonnies scored and five finished the half with seven points.
Bonaventure entered halftime up 44-23, shooting 52% from the field and 46% from behind the arc.
“In the first half, I thought we did everything we needed to do,” Schmidt said. “We defended the 3-point line, we outrebounded them, we kept the ball in the paint, we got points off turnovers. I thought we were playing really, really well.”
After a dominant first half, the Bonnies came out slow, ultimately being held scoreless for five of the first nine minutes of the second half.
“Give Le Moyne credit; they went to their zone, and it looked like we didn’t work against it,” Schmidt said. “We couldn’t get the ball to the high post. We were just so reluctant to get it there, and it slowed us down.”
However, the Dolphins couldn’t muster up a comeback as the Bonnies shook out of the slump and began to pull away.
In the second half, Bonaventure shot 44% from field goal range and 25% from three. Le Moyne shot 35% and 36%, respectively.
Five Bonnies finished the game in double figures, marking another collective effort.
“I think that’s the strength of our team, is that we don’t rely on one guy,” Schmidt said. “I think we have good guys, and I think we have guys that understand it’s all about we and us.”
Bonaventure continues its homestand Wednesday as the team faces Commonwealth University – Mansfield. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. and will air live on ESPN+. Radio listeners can tune into the game via the Bonnies Online Network.
halea22@bonaventure.edu
