NBC Sports Network
Local Cable: Channel 57 | Digital: 771
DirecTV: 220 | DISH Network: 159
Because the game will be shown nationally, there is no video stream available.
The baseball team will be collecting new toys as part of the Toys for Tots program prior to the game. For a complete listing of gameday-related information, including pre-game, in-game and post-game events and items, please visit our new Gameday Central page: GoBonnies.com/Gameday.
Opening Tip
The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team makes its second national TV appearance of the year on the NBC Sports Network Tuesday night when the Bonnies face Siena in the third edition in the battle for the Franciscan Cup. Bonaventure enters the game coming off a frantic finish in its victory over Buffalo Saturday night, while the Saints will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak.
Last Time Out
A Matthew Wright steal and lay-up with 24 seconds remaining provided the winning points as St. Bonaventure rallied in the final minutes for an 82-79 victory over the University at Buffalo Saturday night. Demitrius Conger had another steal for the Bonnies with seven seconds left to thwart the Bulls’ attempt to regain the lead, and the senior hit two free throws to provide the final margin. Conger finished with a season-high 20 points, and Wright added 11 for Bonaventure.
Franciscan Cup
For the third straight year, both teams will be playing for the Franciscan Cup. As schools with shared Franciscan heritage, in 2010 St. Bonaventure president Sr. Margaret Carney and Siena president Fr. Kevin Mullen agreed that the schools should play for a traveling trophy, and SBU has won the first two games.
Double-Digit Attack
Heading into the season, head coach Mark Schmidt commented on the importance of scoring contributions from everyone to make up for the loss of Andrew Nicholson. So far, that’s exactly what the Bonnies have gotten as they have had four straight games with four players in double-figure scoring. It marks the first time in the Schmidt era (which began in 2007-08) that Bonaventure has had four straight games with four double-figure scorers. The last time that occurred was from Dec. 16-30, 2006.
Battle Tested Already
For the first time in program history, St. Bonaventure has started a season by having five of its first six games decided by five points or less, including five in a row decided by that margin. It marks just the third time in the 93-year history of the program that five consecutive games – at any point of the season – have been decided by five points or less. Bonaventure has never had a stretch of six straight games decided by five points or less.
Previous Times It Has Occurred:
1945-46: five straight games, spanning from Alfred to Ithaca
1979-80: five straight games, spanning from Niagara to Detroit
The streak snapped in 1945-46 as SBU defeated Mansfield, 57-40, and in 1979-80, Virginia Tech claimed an 82-70 victory to break the stretch of five straight games decided by five points or less.
Scouting Siena
^ Siena comes into Tuesday’s contest riding a four-game losing streak, with the most recent setback coming by a 69-56 margin against cross-town rival Albany Saturday night
^ Senior forward O.D. Anosike leads the nation in double-doubles with seven; the only game he has not registered one this year was against Albany when he finished with eight points and seven rebounds
^ Anosike ranks second nationally with 13.3 rebounds per game; his 106 rebounds represent 35.8 percent of Siena’s rebound total
^ Despite having the country’s second-leading rebounder, Siena is out-rebounding opponents by just 0.6 per game, ranking 182nd in the nation; Bonaventure was out-rebounded for the first time this year against Buffalo, 41-34
^ While Bona has been in its fair share of close contest early on, so have the Saints as six of their eight games have been decided by six points or less
^ Evan Hymes paces a quartet of double-figure scorers for Siena with 14.1 per game; Anosike adds 13.6, Rob Poole, who will not play because of an injury, was averaging 11.7 points per game before reinjuring his back in a loss at Main on Nov. 25
^ Siena head coach Mitch Buonaguro (1975) and St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt (1985) are both graduates of Boston College; both have played in, and coached, an NCAA Tournament game
Global Presence
In the first five games of the year, head coach Mark Schmidt’s starting lineup consisted of four players from countries other than the United States: Charlon Kloof (Suriname, South America), Chris Johnson (Canada), Youssou Ndoye (Senegal, Africa) and Matthew Wright (Canada). Bonaventure is one of only two Division I schools in the nation which has started four foreign players in a game this year, with the other being Gonzaga. Additionally, 48 percent of SBU’s scoring so far this season (207 of 432 points) has come from international players.
Protecting The Rock
Early in its game against Buffalo on Saturday night, St. Bonaventure looked destined to repeat its performance from Wednesday at Ohio when the Bonnies turned the ball over a season-high 20 times. SBU gave the ball away four times in a 2-minute, 9-second span early in the first half against UB, but regrouped and only committed five turnovers the rest of the game. The nine total turnovers are the fewest in a game since Feb. 29 of last year when Bona had the same amount in a double-overtime win versus Saint Joseph’s, 98-93.
Bounce Back Bonnies
Bonaventure has proven the ability to bounce back from losses particularly well, especially in the non-conference slate since the start of the 2010-11 season. Saturday’s 82-79 victory over Buffalo extended Bona’s record to 11-1 over that time following a loss. The only two-game losing streak during that time came against Virginia Tech (73-64) and Arkansas State (58-52) last year.
Coming On Strong
Junior Charlon Kloof has shown signs of rebounding after a slow start to the season with consecutive 10-point outings in the last two games against Ohio and Buffalo. Kloof, who scored double-figures points in back-to-back games on just two occasions last year, has tallied 20 points in his last two games after totaling just 16 in the first four games of the season combined.
Lineup Change
Against Buffalo on Saturday, head coach Mark Schmidt changed his starting lineup for the first time this year as he inserted Marquise Simmons into the rotation in place of Youssou Ndoye. Simmons responded with nine points and a team-leading eight rebounds, while Ndoye netted five points, grabbed five rebounds and rejected three shots coming off the bench in just 16 minutes of action.
Fastbreak Attack
The Bonnies tallied a season-high 23 fastbreak points against Buffalo on Saturday night, while limiting the Bulls to just four of their own. Entering the game, SBU had just 33 fastbreak points on the year through the first five contests.
Not So Free Throws
Bonaventure finished last season ranked 16th in the nation with a 76.1 percent rate from the free-throw line, but so far this year SBU is connecting at just a 65.2-percent clip. Three times already this season the Bonnies have missed double-figure free throws, including two separate 16-miss games, most recently against Buffalo on Saturday. However, the Brown and White is doing a great job getting to the line as they rank second in the Atlantic 10 and 21st in the nation with 26.8 free throw attempts per game.
Next Up
St. Bonaventure hits the road looking for a revenge win at Arkansas State on Saturday afternoon. The Red Wolves claimed a 58-52 win in the Reilly Center last year, outscoring the Bonnies in the second half by 19 points.
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