St. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — Whatever gauge one could use to measure their performance, the St. Bonaventure Bonnies passed the test on Saturday afternoon.
Stingy defense? Check. Execution in the half-court offense? Check. Opportunistic? Check. Patience and willpower? Check. Convincing conference win? It goes without saying.
Andrew Nicholson had a game-high 24 points, and Marquise Simmons chipped in a career-high 18 off the bench as the Bonnies pounded the La Salle Explorers 82-61 in an Atlantic 10 matchup at the Reilly Center.
Nicholson and Simmons combined for 22 points and nine rebounds as the Bonnies took a 37-27 lead at half.
The Bonnies established their inside game early, and that means getting the ball to Nicholson. Michael Davenport took an inbound pass off a baseline out-of-bounds play, drove the lane and dished to Nicholson who finished from the right side. Next time down the floor, Nicholson pulled up from the free throw and knocked down the open jumper.
Ogo Adegboye grabbed a defensive rebound and led the break finding Davenport for a two-handed slam and a six-point lead.
“It was a great victory,” head coach Mark Schmidt commented. “We talk the three phases of the game: defending, rebounding and taking care of the basketball. In all three phases, we did really well.”
Adegboye hit a pull-up jumper from the left. Two trips later, Nicholson reacted to a double-team, pivoted and finished with a left-handed baby hook from the baseline.
The Explorers brought more pressure on the junior forward, and Simmons took advantage of the opening. Davenport entered the ball into the post. Nicholson made one dribble before kicking it back to his teammate who, without hesitation, kept the ball moving to Matt Wright on the opposite side of the floor, for an entry pass to Simmons and the basket.
“Marquise came off the bench, and gave us a huge lift both in the first and second half,” Schmidt continued. “That’s critical that we can get some production off the bench.”
Simmons went 6-of-12 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw line along with grabbing a game-high nine rebounds. After being sidelined for the first nine games with a hand injury, this was the second double-digit performance for the red-shirt sophomore in the last five games.
“He was terrific tonight,” Schmidt added.
Simmons’s output provides a much-needed compliment to Nicholson in the post. With opposing defenses frequently double and triple teaming the Bonnies leading scorer, Simmons will have more opportunities to contribute in the future.
“I went into the game to do my part, to do my job which was rebound and defend,” Simmons said. “My teammates found me in some open spots, and I was able to get good looks at the basket. I just kind of ran with it from there.”
Demtrius Conger took over in the second half scoring the Bonnies first eight points after the break.
After missing the only shot he took in the first stanza, the sophomore forward hit a running jumper in the lane to jump start his effort. Then he used an upfake and dribble to connect from the left elbow. Next time down the floor, Conger worked a give-and-go with Simmons passing to his teammate in the right corner, cutting to the basket and finishing the lay up.
After a media timeout, Conger scored again. The Bonnies defense rotated and shut down the passing lane when Jerrell Williams drove to the basket. Davenport got the steal and quickly transitioned into offense. When his lay up bounced off the rim, Conger followed with the tip-in.
Conger finished with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
Adegboye had 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and zero turnovers in 36 minutes of playing time. The senior point guard leads the nation averaging more than 39 minutes per game.
For the second game in a row the St. Bonaventure defense held an opponent well-below average. The Explorers came in averaging just below 78 per game.
“There was no question that St. Bonaventure was the better defensive team, the better rebounding team, the more energetic team, the physically stronger team and the more aggressive team,” La Salle head coach John Giannini commented. “They were just better than us in every area of the game.
The Bonnies held Duquesne 20 points under the Dukes average in last Saturday’s 64-62 victory.
St. Bonaventure outrebounded La Salle 41-33, and the Bonnies had 18 assists to the Explorers 10.
“We tell the guys all the time. As the season goes along, you never stay the same. You either get better or you get worse,” Schmidt added. “We challenge the guys. We need to get better. We’re not satisfied.”
The 21-point margin was the first of its kind over an A10 team since the Bonnies beat St. Louis 70-50 on March 1, 2008.
Nicholson had eight rebounds and two blocks to go with his 24 points. The junior from Mississauga, Ontario shot 10-of-17 from the field and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe from the game.
“He’s a big deal,” Giannini commented. “He’s a truly great college player. His footwork, his touch, his feel are all at a very high level. We were doubling him. We were battling him, and he wills the ball. He’s so good when it’s in his hands, and he never plays too fast. He’s really special.”
The Bonnies improve to 5-5 in the A10 with the win and 13-10 overall. The Bonnies now sit a half-game out of sixth place in the league.
La Salle falls to 4 and 7 in the conference and 12 and 14 overall.
St. Bonaventure hosts St. Louis on Wednesday night.
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