By Paul Casey Gotham
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — When the publishers decide to release the next edition of fairy tales by the brothers Grimm, they might consider an addition.
It might start like this: in a city almost forgotten by college basketball came a team who would inspire a region.
In a season of unforgettable performances, Andrew Nicholson saved his best for the biggest stage to date. Nicholson notched a near triple-double outing as the St. Bonaventure Bonnies defeated the Xavier Musketeers 67-56 thus claiming the Atlantic 10 championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
“That’s why I came to St. Bonaventure,” Nicholson said of the championship. “I wanted to come to this school and make a difference. I wanted to bring the Bonnies back a championship.”
Nicholson scored 14 of his points in the second half as the Bonnies withstood a late rally by the Musketeers.
“We had to play every possession,” Nicholson said. “Every little thing counts.”
After trailing by as much as 17 in the second half, the Musketeers trimmed Bonaventure’s lead to five.
Nicholson responded connecting on four straight from the free throw line.
“That’s Andrew,” said Bona coach Mark Schmidt. “He has great touch, great feel, great feet and great mannerisms about him.”
Nicholson’s offensive play might have been surpassed only by his defensive effort. Leading by eight at 58-46, Nicholson rose up and had one of his eight blocks on Kenny Frease to keep the lead.
“He makes sure he keeps away from your body,” Frease said. “So it is hard to get shots over him.”
Nicholson’s drive in the lane and tear drop over Frease pushed the lead back to eight.
“We had a good plan that we were able to execute in game one (earlier in the season at Xavier),” said Xavier coach Chris Mack. “He did a better job. He out-executed our plan. He’s unselfish. Man, is he good.”
Frease hit one from the free throw line.
Matthew Wright pushed the lead to nine at 60-51 with a turnaround jumper just inside the arc and Da’Quan Cook made it a double-digit lead connecting on one-of-two from the free throw line.
Charlon Kloof and Chris Johnson sealed the win hitting six straight from the charity stripe.
“I’m so excited for our players,” Schmidt said. “It’s a great moment for the program, for the school. I said it yesterday, from where we’ve come, it’s been a long, hard battle. A lot of times you work and you work and you still don’t have success. Someone is looking over us, and I told the guys in the locker room, and got lucky, and we had success and it worked out.”
“It’s a good feeling, so much emotion, so much going through your head.” Nicholson said. “Just shows that hard work paid off.”
“I saw the coach at Xavier telling his guys to back off,” Kloof added. “Once I saw that that was the moment, and I was so happy. I can’t even describe it.”
Bona used a 14-2 run followed by seven straight to grab a double-digit lead at halftime.
Coming out of the first media timeout, Da’Quan Cook corralled a Demitrius Conger miss for a rebound and putback. Andrew Nicholson and Charlon Kloof combined on back-to-back treys. With the Xavier doubling Nicholson in the post, Kloof dribbled out to the wing allowing Nicholson to step out for the open looks.
Cook found Eric Mosley with an inside-out pass, and the junior guard turned it into four when he was fouled.
Nicholson gave the Brown and White a twelve-point lead with a jump hook in the lane.
Tu Holloway stooped the run with a pair from the free throw line. Dee Davis added two with a runner just outside the lane.
The Bonnies regrouped and rattled off seven straight.
Wright used a Nicholson ball screen and hit a pullup jumper. Nicholson converted a pair of free throws. Eric Mosley made it 26-11 with a catch-and-shoot three from Wright.
“It’s gratifying,” Schmidt continued. “You put so much hard work and you spend –it’s hard to say but you spend more time with your team than you do with your family at times. Sometimes, when you lose, you question if you have your priorities in order. But when you have success like we had success today, it makes it worthwhile.”
The title was the first in St. Bonaventure’s history and marks the first time since 2000 the Bonnies will appear in the NCAA Tournament.
“No idea,” Schmidt said when asked if his players understand the importance of their accomplishment. “They know they won a game, but it hasn’t sunk in yet. We’ll get back to the hotel, and I think once we see it and our school comes across that board, I think that will be the time where they realize what really happened.”
Nicholson hit 7-of-13 from the floor including 2-of-4 behind the arc. He added 14 rebounds, one assist and eight blocks. His eight blocks set an A-10 Tournament Championship game record. He broke the previous record of five held by several including, most recently, Temple’s Kevin Lyde who tied the mark against St. Bonaventure in the 200o title match.
Kloof and Cook added nine apiece for SBU.
Holloway led Xavier with 17. Lyons added 16.
One day after hitting 24-of-45 (53.3 percent) including 13-of-20 (65 percent) in the second half against the St. Louis Billikens, the Musketeers were held under 40 percent going 20-of-59 (33.9 percent) against the Bonnies. St. Louis entered the tournament as the A-10’s leading defensive club holding opponents under 37 percent from the floor.
Bona outrebounded Xavier 42-29. Entering the game, the Bonnies ranked 28th in the country with a + 5.5 rebounding margin.
Well done!!!….this is the type of article that you can’t get anywhere else. This is exactly what I was looking for. I feel like I was in the post game.
Brother Beh – you are too kind. Thanks.
The 2011-12 St.Bonaventure mens’ basketball team defines why I have embraced college basketball since my youth. The joy displayed on the Bona players’ faces following their hard fought victory over the Musketeers gives not only hope, but an accomplishment, that resolve and hard work do truly pay off. It was a remarkable feat to witness.