By PAUL GOTHAM
Two teams both alike in dignity in fair Rochester where we lay our scene.
St. Bonaventure (20-7/12-4) and Saint Joseph’s (24-5/13-3), a pair of teams assured a bye to the quarter-finals of next week’s Atlantic 10 tournament, meet Wednesday at the Blue Cross Arena. Bona has won three straight (the longest streak in the A-10) and eight of nine. Saint Joseph’s won its last two and six of seven. Both received votes in this week’s top 25 polls. Both are looking at post-season play beyond conference play.
We swore blood brothers against the wind…”
Bona’s ‘big three’ of Jaylen Adams (18.5 ppg/5 apg), Marcus Posley (18.3 ppg/3.7 apg) and Dion Wright (16.2/9 rpg) lead the way. Adams hits 45 percent (44th nationally) from long range. Wright’s 12 double-doubles paces the A-10. Idris Taqqee scored a career-high 19 in SBU’s victory over UMass this past weekend. Denzel Gregg scores more than nine points and grabs 5.3 assists a game off the bench.
DeAndre’ Bembry scores 17 a game for Saint Joseph’s and hands out a team-high 4.4 assists. He sets the Hawks’ table. Last month, the junior forward scored a team-high 22 on 7-of-11 shooting with seven helpers and one turnover as the Hawks fell to Bona. Isaiah Miles leads Saint Joseph’s with 17.9 points and 8.1. The 6-7 senior forward hits 39.4 percent (52-132) from behind the 3-point arc. He has increased his scoring by more than seven points from last year.
“He’s a mismatch problem,” Bona head coach Mark Schmidt said. “He’s screening and popping. He’s a smart player. He’s always space cutting and back cutting.
“To me it’s remarkable what he’s done from last year to this year. He’s changed his body. You can see he’s playing with so much more confidence. He stretches the defense. You’ve got to be concerned about him screening and popping and you know in transition, trailing on the break. He’s made a huge difference.”
Freshman Lamarr Kimble (5.6 ppg) has scored in double five times in SJU’s last 11 games. Aaron Brown scores nine a game. Shavar Newkirk dishes 2.6 dimes.
“Can’t repeat the past? Why of course, you can!”
Saint Joseph’s lead the all-time series 47-22, but Bona has won seven of the nine meetings. A fact which Martelli knows well: “They’ve had our number.”
This recent string started with a double overtime on February 29, 2012 when Matthew Wright’s 3-pointer from the left corner brought lightning from the skies outside the Reilly Center. Bona rode that momentum into the post-season and captured its first Atlantic 10 title to secure an NCAA Tournament bid.
SBU beat Saint Joseph’s earlier this year, 83-73.
“We were on our heels,” Martelli said of the first meeting. “They were aggressor the entire time.”
The Bonnies committed just two turnovers in the win and held Miles to 11 points. The senior forward has scored in double figures every game this year.
Of course, then there’s this little thang:
12 yrs ago today SJU beat Bona to finish the regular season at 27-0 & @jameernelson said he had more games to play pic.twitter.com/4ds6ALjKGm
— SJU Hawks MBB (@SJUHawks_MBB) March 2, 2016
“Say hello to my little friend.”
Saint Joseph’s ranks fifth in the nation holding opponents to 29.5 percent from behind the 3-point arc. In their first meeting, Bona clipped the Hawks hitting 13-of-34 (38.2 percent). Adams (Who else?) led the way going 6-of-12. The 13 triples ties the most given up by SJU this season. La Salle hit 13 but needed 35 attempts.
“Light out for the territory”
The A-10 tournament starts next Wednesday at the Barclays Center. Bona and Saint Joseph’s will found out their quarter-final opponents after Thursday’s games.
“Rochester? Well, why Rochester?”
The Bonnies are 8-11 at the Blue Cross Arena (formerly known as the War Memorial) with a two-game win streak. Bona’s history of games in the Flower City dates back to 1976.
“If you think about it, it’s ingenious in a way,” Martelli stated. “It prepares their team as much as it’s going to prepare our team for where we have to make hay here at Barclays Center next week. Both of us will be playing basketball beyond the Atlantic 10 tournament.”
A 7 p.m. tipoff is scheduled.
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