Bonnies suffer Spider bites

By Paul Casey Gotham

RICHMOND, VA. Too much matchup zone.

Too much efficient offense.

Too much positive senior karma.

Justin Harper had a game-high 24 points, and Dan Geriot added 17 to go with eight rebounds as the Richmond Spiders celebrated senior day with an 82-65 victory over the St. Bonaventure Bonnies in Atlantic 10 action at the Robins Center.

The Spiders hit 15 of 30 from the field including 6 of 14 from behind the arc to take a 40-31 lead at the half.

“We knew it was going to be a tough day,” Bonnies head coach Mark Schmidt said. “They got off to good start. I thought we hung there.”

Michael Davenport kept the Bonnies close early scoring 11 in just 13 minutes of play before going to the bench with 3 fouls.  The junior hit five of ten from the field. His only 3 of the afternoon brought the Bonnies within one at 12-11 after the Spiders raced to an early 6-0 lead.

“Davenport kept us in the game in the first half,” Schmidt commented.

One possession later, Andrew Nicholson gave the Bonnies the lead with a baseline jumper from Ogo Adegboye.

Davenport and Geriot traded baskets before Adegboye gave St. Bonaventure its largest lead of the day at four. Nicholson relocated a pass from the post to Adegboye at the right foul-line extended, and the senior point guard connected for three and an 18-14 lead for the Bonnies.

The lead was short-lived.

Geriot hit his first five from the field including two 3-pointers and corraling five boards in the game’s first ten minutes.

“Richmond came out of the blocks really playing well,” Schmidt noted. “When they shoot the ball the way they did today, they are tought to beat.”

Geriot rebounded a Kevin Anderson miss and putback the layup for a 22-20 Richmond lead.  Darien Brothers grabbed a long rebound off a Matthew Wright three-point attempt and led the Spiders in transition dishing off to Lindsay Cedrick to finish a two-on-one break for a 24-20 Spider advantage.

The Bonnies refused to go away easily.

Adegboye ran a pick and roll with Marquise Simmons who fed Da’Quan Cook at the free throw line for an open jumper.

After the Bonnies forced the Spiders into a shot clock violation, Wright found Demetrius Conger open for a catch-and-shoot three.

Next time down the floor, Nicholson made two dribbles out of the post, and Wright flashed into the vacated area for the left-hand layup.

The Bonnies continued to scratch and claw in the second half.

With the Spiders double and triple teaming in the post, Nicholson changed his tact. The junior forward gave Adegboye and inside-out pass for a drive and layup. Two trips later, Nicholson went high-low and led Conger to the basket for the deuce.

Cook kicked the ball to Nicholson who hit from just inside the top of the key.

But the Spiders proved too much.

Anderson and Geriot combined three times in second half on a high pick-and-roll set that the Spiders are known for. The speedy Anderson created problems for the Bonnies in the paint. When Anderson wasn’t causing difficulties, Harper took over showing his full offensive arsenal.

Harper showed his range hitting three of four from behind the arc including one from 25 feet. The senior forward also came off screens ready to knock down shots, and he went off the dribble and finished at the basket.

“Their offense is unique,” Schmidt explained. “The more you play in it, the better you’re going to be. They’re so interchangeable. They run that stuff so hard. You can’t simulate it in practice. You now how fast it is. You can have your scout team go here and there, but in the game it’s a little quicker.”

Nicholson who was hampered by a thigh injury suffered in practice yesterday finished with 16 and 11 rebounds. Conger led the Bonnies with 17. Davenport added 11. Four Bonnies – Adegboye, Cook, Nicholson and Wright handed out three assists each.

Richmond’s defense held the Bonnies to 4-of-15 shooting from behind the arc.

Brothers chipped in 16 for the Spiders, and Anderson had 12. Kevin Smith had seven assists and four steals without a turnover for Richmond.

Richmond improves to 21-7 on the season. The Spiders sit alone in third place with a 10-3 mark in A10 play.

St. Bonaventure falls to 14-11 and 6-6 in the A10. The Bonnies are tied for eighth with the Massachusetts Minutemen.

The Bonnies host Fordham Wednesday night at the Reilly Center.